Florida Southern’s Narrow Gauge Years Donald R. Hensley, Jr. The
Florida Southern was the largest of the big three narrow gauge
(36 inch gauge) systems in Florida, with many more miles of
track and more equipment than either the South Florida Railroad
or the Orange Belt Railway. It was built and motivated by
compromise and gentlemen agreements as it snaked its way south
from Palatka towards Harbor beating its longer lived competitor,
the Florida Central & Peninsular Railway to large amounts of
land grants. But a road that calls itself the Orange Belt Route
did live and died by that fragile citrus fruit. One of Florida
Southern's first locomotives at Gainesville, Florida in 1881.
This is said to be number 2 and was one of the Brooks Moguls
purchased from the Emmelton & Shippensville Railroad in
Pennsylvania. University of Florida. The Florida Southern (FS)
started its history by the name of the Gainesville, Ocala &
Charlotte Harbor Railroad on March 4, 1879 with a route from
Lake City to Charlotte Harbor with