CSX Branch Line in Hernando County, Fla


vato loco

vato loco

Just a Foolish Saint!
Here's an unique Florida CSX branch to model! It starts in Tampa and ends in Hernando County/Brooksville. This lines reason to exist is two huge Cement Plants in my county(Florida Crushed Stone Co.) and (Florida Mining and Minerals owned by Cemex Co.). Some of you more CSX/internet savy people might be able to help me find more info on this neat branch! I looked on my local property appraiser web site. Then followed the line from it's beginings in the southern part of my county to it's end at Fla. Mining and Minerals Co. in our most northern part of the county. I was thinking of tring to model it but not sure:confused: Looks neat though:).
Here's how I followed it, you might have a easier way but this is how I got there:
http://www.co.hernando.fl.us/pa/propertysearch.asp This is the property appraisers web site.


Go to the GIS Map Look for what looks to be big white lakes northern part of the county! Zoom in and the Pic's are clear enough u can see the unit coal trains and switchers working the mines! Type in on Street address: 10311 Cement Plant Rd. thats the first mine!

Here's a rough draft of the track plan:
CSXBrooksville001b.jpg

I included Brooksville crew transfer station , the Florida Crushed Stone Mine and its transfer yard also included the Florida Mining and minerals interchange also as the end of the line. I copied the track as best as I could from the GIS pic's.......Just a thought I guess some proto type RR's are simple things too!
 
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Chris, interesting layout. You realize you've got a reverse loop at the center section, right? Is the coal for the cement plant? I didn't realize cement plants use coal.
 
UP2CSX said:
Chris, interesting layout. You realize you've got a reverse loop at the center section, right? Is the coal for the cement plant? I didn't realize cement plants use coal.
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Yes, production of Cement and DOT sand require a drying process! The two cement plants go through 200 cars of coal a week. The only freight cars delivered and taken out of the area are Coal and covered hoppers! There are other industries south of brooksville but the two plants create enought traffic on their own:) If you look at the first plant on the line it has two coal unloading spots!
 
Here's a link to Florida crushed stone's over all loop!http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...00&scene=901593&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Here's the coal unloading bridge!http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...00&scene=901593&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Here's where they load the Hoppers!
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...00&scene=901593&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Now why they have two diffrent piles of coal is beyond me? and it's far away from the main plant:confused:
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...00&scene=901593&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Jim, I also heard that the Coal also has something to do with the flyash they mix in with the concrete.




Here's an Over view of Cemex's plant
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...00&scene=901593&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Here's the local waiting for here crew to take her back to Tampa!
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...&scene=28705096&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
 
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I'll be darned. I never thought of cement plants needing coal but you would need some way to dry the cement for shipment. I've worked around concrete so much I always though of cement as stuff that just came in those big bags (or trucks) but never really though about how it was made.
 
Kinda impressive huh? From what I heard the concrete produced here is taken to the port of tampa and shiped over seas in bulk!
 
Chris, I imagine it's cement they are shipping. Concrete is the product that has the cement, aggregate, sand and water already mixed together and I think it would be quite hard load to get off the ship. :)

I didn't realize until I started doing some research that Florida has some of the highest quality limestone in the world. I always thought of Florida being mostly coral. :) Turns out the main reason for the heavy use of coal is calcination, or heating, which is to drive out the carbon dioxide and make the results almost pure cement once it's crushed. Turns out you have to heat the limestone to 1400 degrees for this to happen so that takes a lot of coal. Lots of things I didn't know about how they made the stuff that came in the bag. :D
 
UP2CSX said:
Chris, I imagine it's cement they are shipping. Concrete is the product that has the cement, aggregate, sand and water already mixed together and I think it would be quite hard load to get off the ship. :)

I didn't realize until I started doing some research that Florida has some of the highest quality limestone in the world. I always thought of Florida being mostly coral. :) Turns out the main reason for the heavy use of coal is calcination, or heating, which is to drive out the carbon dioxide and make the results almost pure cement once it's crushed. Turns out you have to heat the limestone to 1400 degrees for this to happen so that takes a lot of coal. Lots of things I didn't know about how they made the stuff that came in the bag. :D
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Pass on the site's you got your research from!

Next to cattle ranchs, Lime rock pits....we're never in short supply! These two mine's would make intresting models. Lime rock is used in everything down here when it comes to construction industry. Try driving down here with out getting hit by a lime rock truck:D


Here's another neat industry to put on your layout! http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...0&scene=7866308&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
 
Now, now, Chris. :) The interesting thing about people who are protesting the carbon dioxide emissions is that they don't seem to realize that concrete abosrbs way more carbon dioxcide that is ever emitted in cement production. The main thing that beaks down concrete is the carbon dioxide absorbed from the air and water.

Is that a lime plant or what in your last link? It looks plenty big but I have no idea what it is.
 
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UP2CSX said:
Now, now, Chris. :) The interesting thing about people who are protesting the carbon dioxide emissions is that they don't seem to realize that concrete abosrbs way more carbon dioxcide that is ever emitted in cement production. The main thing that beaks down concrete is the carbon dioxide absorbed from the air and water.

Is that a lime plant or what in your last link? It looks plenty big but I have no idea what it is.
Click to expand...

Fertilizer plant!
 
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