Florida: Multiple Old RR Grades and Aban.Road Bridge at Rock Springs Nat Area

[Brian556]

This is very strange and baffling.

This is in the Rock Springs/Kelly Park/Wekiwa Springs Nature Reserve/Park area near Apopka, Florida.

I found an old railroad grade on the TOPO maps just south of the springs at Kelly Park. Further east, there is an old railroad grade shown on OSM, but there are more than what OSM shows. A look at Historic Aerials shows a track with multiple spurs splitting off of it, and crossing the river.

In the Wekiwa Springs Park on the south side of this area, there is an abandoned concrete road bridge that appears to have gone nowhere.

Anybody have any idea what all of this is doing is what is supposed to be a nature preserve?

[Alps]

Natural Areas are sometimes reclaimed from formerly developed land.

[realjd]

This is very strange and baffling.

This is in the Rock Springs/Kelly Park/Wekiwa Springs Nature Reserve/Park area near Apopka, Florida.

I found an old railroad grade on the TOPO maps just south of the springs at Kelly Park. Further east, there is an old railroad grade shown on OSM, but there are more than what OSM shows. A look at Historic Aerials shows a track with multiple spurs splitting off of it, and crossing the river.

In the Wekiwa Springs Park on the south side of this area, there is an abandoned concrete road bridge that appears to have gone nowhere.

Anybody have any idea what all of this is doing is what is supposed to be a nature preserve?

Some of those old railroad grades are now hiking trails.

That land wasn't always parks and preserves. The rail grades predate the park. If I had to guess, I would say it was old logging railroads.

[Brian556]

As far as the old railroad grade shown on USGS TOPO Maps that would have been partially covered by Wekiva Springs Rd, and cross CR 435 south of Kelly Park; I'm thinking the USGS might be wrong. This might have been a road, not a railroad. No map shows a railroad here. However, the 1890 Orange Co Map shows this to be a road. This map also showed me something new. I didn't know about the RR from Apopka to Wekiva Springs.



Concerning the abandoned road bridge at Wekiva Springs Park, I'm wondering if SR S-433 was planned to have been extended south, and use it, and connect to SR 436. I remember somebody posted a pic af an FDOT map of this area showing this.

[NE2]

As far as the old railroad grade shown on USGS TOPO Maps that would have been partially covered by Wekiva Springs Rd, and cross CR 435 south of Kelly Park; I'm thinking the USGS might be wrong. This might have been a road, not a railroad. No map shows a railroad here.

I think USGS was correct. The road on the 1890 map is a bit to the east (more detail on 1919 USDA). A 1941 aerial shows a lot more of that old grade to the county line just east of Round Lake Road. Beyond there it may have tied into the ACL common carrier line, but the terrain is sketchy.

[Brian556]

Thanks, NE2.

It's strange that it does not appear on any map that I can find. I'm wondering if it is possible that it was graded, but tracks were never laid. I know of two grades like that in the Dallas area, and one in the Jasper, TN area.

Anyway, I got it mapped out:



I speculated a little in the area of Jason Dwelley Pkwy.

[NE2]

It probably didn't show up on maps because it was a private logging railroad.