While in Key West, I saw a film regarding the Building of the Florida East Coast RR Key West extension in 1905 - 1912. Calvin Winters exibited his model RR of this extension in the film. Does any one know of this modeler ( Calvin Winters) or where I can get addtional information on his model RR?
Peter Smith, Memphis ( Modelling west coast steam logging 1905-1912)
There was an article about the FEC Key West layout. I’m not certain what issue it was (I’ve been looking through my Dad’s mags). I’ll try to remember to look it up tonight when I get home and let you know. Maybe you could find it somewhere online, or at a library or something. I’m not certain it was by Calvin Winters either, but it was a pretty good sized layout and looked really impressive.
Kevin
Feb. 2001 is the issue of MR . nice layout , double deck with a helix right in the middle of the room
Thank you Ernie.
I must have missed reading this issue since I was living in Brussels at the time but, I found it in my collection.
By coincidence, the story of the building of the prototype was on the History Channel ( Modern Marvels) tonight.
Thanks again.
Peter Smith, Memphis
I live in the middle Florida Keys and have seen the show you are talking about. They air it every single day on the Key West channe so I probably have seen it a dozen times and am still amazed at the hardships they went thru to build it. Most of the bridge sections are still intact which is a testament to the quality of the work. They have a RR museum in Key West that exhiibits the work and building of the FEC Ext and possibly info on Calvin Winters? I haven’t actually been to the museum.
Terry[8D]
Just read a book on the building of FEC keys route, this was an outstanding project and compared in difficulty to the Panama Canal(although not in scope) these crews were in many cases out of sight of land for weeks at a time, then the massive hurricane, I believe there was more than one. this project today is still a major engineering feat. How many model railroaders in the U.S. have modelled this ???
I’ve been to the museum in Key West and it is great! Strangest place for a railway museum. Lots of history.
RMax1
Much of the current US 1 highway to Key West is on the road bed of the rail road. I’ve been on it (the highway) many times (years ago). Every one should go to Key West once. No one needs to go there twice. (unless they live there). I served in the Fla National Guard and was stationed in Islamarada (spl?) when hurricane (I think it was Donna) went through in 1960 (I think). Walter in Columbia, TN
Every one should go to Key West once. No one needs to go there twice.
Now Walter! why would you say a thing like that? I live in Miami too. I get down to the Keys as often as I can. As far as I’m concerned there isn’t a more beautiful place on the Planet. Granted, I don’t go by automobile too often,(weekend traffic is awful), but it’s a boaters Heaven. There are times when feeling a little over crowded I might make a statement like that to keep the Tourists from coming to deplete the resources of my Paradise. But I can’t in good conscience "badmouth " the Keys. I think the Pacific Northwest once encouraged Tourist to come visit, but not to stay. It just doesn’t work. People want to live and work in the nice places. As a result. they don’t stay nice after they get crowded. While stuck in traffic on Islamarada one Memorial Day weekend, I spotted a Memorial to the workers killed in that Major Hurricane that destroyed the FEC in the Keys. Didn’t have time to stop, but it looked a little unkempt and ovrgrown with weeds. How soon we forget!
Bill[:P][:P]