Viewing platform, railroad museum to open in Florida

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Viewing platform, railroad museum to open in Florida

Henry B. Plant = ACL, ‘Plant System’, etc.

Robert Plant = Led Zeppelin rock band.

Freudian slip of a blues-rock fan?

Plant City, of course, is named for Robert Plant, founder of many of the railroads that became the ACL and thus the CSX today. Not a bad place to put a railroad museum.

I meant Henry Plant, d’oh!

Sorry, and thanks for the corrections!

Henry B Plant was the railroad man while Robert Plant was the music man.

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Ah, just what the world needs – another killjoy, naysayer, or sarcastic self-appointed expert. The concept, the location, and the proposal appear to have much merit and potential. Plant City is not “just another small town”; it’s an outer suburb of Tampa, a major city, and therefore near Saint Petersburg as well; it’s also on I-4, near Orlando and the Walt Disney complex. The target tourist market is huge. If anyone disapproves, let him feel free to stay away, and let him do so quietly.

I graduated from Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, named after the man that put Florida’s central and west coast sections on the map. His name is on streets and other markers in Tampa and his extensive railroad lines were absorbed by the ACL following his death, opening vital trackage to ACL across Florida, Georgia and Alabama. The University of Tampa is headquartered in one of Plant’s numerous resort hotels, a fascinating place to tour. And at nearby Plant City, lest it go unnoticed, is “the strawberry capital of the world,” with an annual Strawberry Festival that draws tens of thousands. The ACL-SAL crossing is truly unique and will add to the joy railfans experience in this area.

Ah, just what the world needs, another small town railroad museum. It’s a pity that the best of all these collections can’t be gleaned for truly historic items and presented in a meaningful way in slightly fewer, but more significant, locations.

Many thanks are due to Mr. Willaford for donating such a nice sounding collection to the new musem.
Not all Historic RR locations are in large cities, and it’s certainly appropriate to have museums located where historic or important RR landmarks are. Big or small, I can’t lhink of a more appropriate place for a RR museum than Plant City, given it’s railroad history. Another point-small local museums assure that a larger segment of the public is kept aware of RR history. I’ll use myself as a case in point. I’ve been multiple times to the two (!) Railroad museums in Hamlet, NC which is 30 minutes away from my home, but can’t seem to find time to get to Spencer, NC, which is 2 hours plus drive.

I agree with Doc Rushing. If the fellow from New York thinks it a bad idea, please remain there and let us enjoy our fine railroad history as we know how. And I’ll say as well- Plant City is a wonderful town indeed!
Thanks to Mr. Willaford for his generous contribution.