Live Oak and Rowland's Bluff Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Live Oak and Rowlands Bluff Railroad |
| Founded | 1884 |
| Founder | Henry B. Plant |
| Fate | Absorbed by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Florida |
The Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad was a railroad in Florida established by businessman Henry B. Plant as a continuation of his Live Oak and Rowlands Bluff Railroad. These railroads collectively linked Live Oak, Florida to Gainesville, Florida through High Springs, Florida, with completion achieved in 1884.
History
The Live Oak and Rowlands Bluff Railroad connected Live Oak to Rowlands Bluff (present-day Branford, Florida) situated on the Suwannee River, finalized in the early 1880s. This line formed part of the Florida Division of Plant's Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad, which began in Lawton, Georgia (now known as Du Pont, Georgia), having been acquired from the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad in 1879.
Subsequently, Plant chartered the Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad to extend the route southward toward Charlotte Harbor, Florida. During this period, rival plans emerged from the Florida Southern Railway, which intended a similar line stretching from Lake City, Florida to Charlotte Harbor with an additional branch reaching Palatka, Florida. The Florida Southern had already completed tracks between Gainesville and Palatka and was constructing the segment from Gainesville to Hague, Florida heading toward Lake City.
To address this competitive challenge, Plant sought to acquire the Florida Southern but instead reached a compromise: the Florida Southern would manage operations south of Gainesville, while Plant’s railroad would control the northern section; both companies agreed to share trackage rights. Plant assumed responsibility for finishing the northern portion of the Florida Southern’s line and provided funding for its southern construction. After legal disputes arose from Lake City over being circumvented, Plant constructed a branch line extending northwest of Fort White, Florida directly to Lake City.
In 1893, an additional branch was built running from High Springs, Florida southward through Newberry, Florida to Archer, Florida.
Later years
The Plant System was absorbed by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The segment north of High Springs was designated as the DuPont—Lakeland Line, while the stretch south to Gainesville became known as the High Springs—Croom Line. In 1913, the Atlantic Coast Line extended the branch from Archer to Morriston, where it connected with the former Silver Springs, Ocala and Gulf Railroad. This connection created a more direct route along Florida’s west coast to Lakeland. This corridor was recognized as the Atlantic Coast Line's High Springs—Lakeland Line, serving as a significant freight artery with High Springs acting as a major freight hub that handled at least three daily round-trip freight trains by 1949.
In 1948, the Atlantic Coast Line shifted its Gainesville route from Main Street to 6th Street and constructed a new depot along what had been the Gainesville and Gulf Railroad right-of-way.
After merging into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967, the Branford to High Springs track (continuing north to DuPont) was renamed the DuPont Subdivision; meanwhile, the Archer branch and its extension became known as the West Coast Subdivision; additionally, tracks running from Burnett's Lake to Gainesville were split into Ocala and Gainesville Subdivisions.
In 1980, Seaboard Coast Line’s parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating CSX Corporation. Although Chessie and Seaboard Systems operated independently for several years following this merger, they combined operations under CSX Transportation in 1986.
Current conditions
During the late 1980s, CSX discontinued much of the Live Oak, Tampa, and Charlotte Harbor Railroad's main line; however, tracks still exist between Burnett's Lake and just north of Gainesville, now incorporated into CSX's Deerhaven Subdivision. The West Coast Subdivision was purchased by the short line operator Florida Northern Railroad in 1988. Although the segment from High Springs to Newberry was dismantled in 2014, rail service remains active from Newberry down to Dunnellon.
Certain sections of the former railroad corridor have been transformed for leisure activities, including the Suwannee River Greenway located in Branford and the Heritage Trail situated south of U.S. Route 90 in Live Oak.