Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railway
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Starke and Sampson City Railway Company |
| Founded | 1893 |
| Fate | Incorporated into Seaboard Air Line Railroad |
| Headquarters | Starke, Florida , United States |
Area served | Florida |
| Products | Timber and lumber transportation; freight and passenger services |
The Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railroad Company ran a westbound route from Starke, Florida to Wannee, Florida situated on the Suwannee River. Eventually, it was incorporated into the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, where it was renamed the Wannee Subdivision.
Route description
Beginning at Wannee Junction in Starke, where it linked with the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad (which later became part of Seaboard Air Line's main route), the railroad extended westward to Sampson City, Florida, crossing paths with the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway. The line proceeded through Brooker, Florida, La Crosse, Florida, and Hainesworth, intersecting the Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad there. Running alongside that railroad westward to Alachua, Florida, it continued on to Buda, where it crossed a branch line of the Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad (which was later integrated into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad’s DuPont–Lakeland Line). From Buda, the track headed southwest toward Bell, Florida, concluding at Wannee on the Suwannee River.
Initial development
Originally incorporated in 1891 as the Starke and Sampson City Railway Company, early attempts stalled after grading between Starke and Sampson City. In 1892, ownership of the right-of-way was transferred to Ambler Lumber Co.
The Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railroad (ASR&G) was established under Florida statutes in 1893. It obtained the previously graded right-of-way from Ambler Lumber and engaged Atlantic Lumber Company to lay down tracks. By August 1893, rails reached Sampson City; LaCrosse followed by March 1894; Alachua by July 1896; and Buda by July 1897. In 1899, ASR&G was leased by the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad (FC&PR), which extended the line an additional 22 miles to Wannee by 1902, completing a 57-mile standard-gauge single-track railway.
Under FC&PR management, operations ran from Starke to Buda while Atlantic Lumber controlled service between Buda and Wannee. The railway primarily facilitated timber and lumber transportation for FC&PR’s freight business.
Seaboard Air Line Railroad era
In the early 20th century, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) acquired the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad. SAL assumed control over both FC&PR and ASR&G operations in July 1900 and formally absorbed them by June 1903. The route was designated as SAL’s Wannee Subdivision, providing mixed freight and passenger services for much of its operational lifespan.
During the 1930s, SAL dismantled track between Wannee and Bell but preserved the Wannee Subdivision designation.
Corporate mergers and line reductions
Following SAL’s merger with its rival Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) in 1967, most of the track west of Brooker was abandoned. The segment stretching from Buda to Bell persisted as a spur off the former ACL West Coast Subdivision until it was removed in the 1980s.
The Seaboard Coast Line, SAL’s successor entity, eventually became part of CSX Transportation during the 1980s. In the 1990s, CSX reconstructed a portion of the Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf line extending to Hainesworth to reconnect with surviving sections of the former Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad. This portion currently operates as CSX’s Brooker Subdivision, with its junction to CSX’s S Line continuing under the name Wannee Junction.
Historic stations
}| Milepost | City/Location | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SN 679.0 | Starke | Wannee Junction | Intersection with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Southern Division (SAL) |
| SN 685.6 | Sampson City | Sampson City | Connection point for Georgia Southern and Florida Railway (SOU) and Gainesville and Gulf Railroad (SAL) |
| Wainright's | |||
| SN 689.5 | Clayno | ||
| Atlantic | |||
| SN 693.7 | Brooker | Brooker | |
| SN 696.0 | Darby | ||
| SN 699.0 | La Crosse | La Crosse | |
| Getzens | |||
| SN 702.3 | Hainesworth | Connection with Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad (ACL) | |
| Alachua | Burnett's Lake | Link to Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad (ACL) | |
| SN 706.5 | Alachua | ||
| Hodges | |||
| SN 711.9 | Arno | ||
| SN 715.2 | Buda | Junction with Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad (ACL) | |
| SN 720.3 | Neals | Neals | |
| SN 725.5 | Williford | Williford | |
| Harvard | |||
| SN 730.3 | Bell | Bell | |
| SN 733.2 | Curtis | Curtis | |
| SN 735.7 | Wannee | Wannee |