Railfanning around Haines City , FL

[guycarr360]

Hi Everyone,

First post, so please be patient!!!

Staying in the Haines City area for a week in September, and know a line passes through, which I often seen passenger trains on and the odd freight.

Question is :- Do they run to any sort of timetable, and if I want to catch some of the famous long freights, is it worth a ride out to see them.

Was lucky enough to be in California, and leaving LA, we used the San Bernadino pass, that has got me wondering if I am far away from the same sort of action.

Any help appreciated, I am from the Uk by the way.

[Noel Weaver]

Haines City is south of the south terminal of Sun Rail commuter service so you can expect to see Amtrak 98, 97, 92 and 91, provide yourself with an Amtrak timetable and use Kissimmee as a guide southbound and Winter Haven or Tampa as a guide for northbound. Freight is not too heavy anymore, most of it runs on the "S" line through Ocala and Wildwood.
Noel Weaver

[guycarr360]

Thanks for the reply Noel, how far are we looking at, and what are the busy times of day, or are on line timetables available.

Don't think investing in a scanner is worthwhile at the moment, might get half a day to do this.

Appreciate your help as always.

[Noel Weaver]

Haines City is between Winter Haven and Kissimmee in the Amtrak passenger timetable for trains 97 and 98. It is also between Lakeland and Kissimmee for trains 92 and 91. Kissimmee times for 91 - 10:55 AM, 97 - 1:32 PM and train 98 at Winterhaven at 12:10 PM. Train 91 at Kissimmee - 10:55 AM, 92 at Lakeland 5:53 PM. Use your phone to check train status with Amtrak but I would say between 11:00 Am and 2:00 PM you might get three Amtrak trains if they are all on or close to schedule.
Noel Weaver

[guycarr360]

Thanks Noel,

Following on from your reply, will now see if I can get away to Wildwood as a short day out.

Any particularly busy times, and again is a timetable worked to in any format???

Thanks again.

[Ocala Mike]

Wildwood is a good news/bad news deal. The good news is that you might catch the Tropicana juice train. The bad news is no passenger service for the last 10 years. Lots of "S"-line freight activity, though.

[guycarr360]

Thanks for that Ocala Mike, any particular busy times, or is it pot luck????

[Ocala Mike]

Pretty much pot luck, I guess. I know there's a S/B freight that passes through Belleview (N of Wildwood) around 8:30 every night.

[guycarr360]

Sorry to re-open the thread, unfortunately did not manage to railfan in 2014, we were too busy.

However we have time this year, again staying in Haines City, looking at the map like the look of Plant City, as it is not miles away.

Again, how busy, at what times, or pot luck again????

Or do I bite the bullet and ride out 60/70 miles to make sure of action.

As always your help is appreciated.

[lakeshoredave]

If you want to see freight head over to Lakeland or Plant City.

[FLRailFan1]

If you want to see freight head over to Lakeland or Plant City.

Plant City is a great place to watch trains...