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The Florida Northern Railroad

The Florida Northern Railroad (FNOR), based in Plymouth, Florida, is a division of the Pinsly Railroad Company and has been in operation since the late 1980s. The railroad operates former CSX trackage and was Pinsly's last section of line it obtained from the Class I (in the mid-1980s it acquired trackage northwest of Orlando it named the Florida Central and soon after it picked up three small nearby branches became the Florida Midland). Like its counterpart shortlines, the Northern operates on former Atlantic Coast Line trackage along part of the fallen flag's former main line in the western part of the state. The FNOR is also the Pinsly's largest shortline in the state as it runs on more than 100 miles of unconnected lines north of its counterpart, the Florida Central.

The history of the Pinsly Railroad Company dates back to 1938 when it was founded by Samuel M. Pinsly to do something rather radical for the time, operate and revive unwanted branch lines and/or railroads if there was potential profitable available with them. Mr. Pinsly got his start in the business when he purchased the unwanted Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad in 1937 allowing him to set up his business officially a year later. He was able to turn a profit with this 25-mile line although by the early 1970s its viability had run its course and the remaining portion was abandoned. Still, by that point Pinsly had become a respected in business in the shortline industry, particularly when the idea of owning a family of small railroads was rather unusual.

After deregulation in 1980 the Pinsly company began to expand its operations significantly as the Staggers Act allowed Class I systems to more easily abandon branches and secondary lines which were either no longer profitable or did not meet expected return. It began in 1982 when it took over two branches from Conrail. A few years later in 1986 it purchased the first ACL branch from CSX (the Florida Central), and in the following two years picked up two additional segments (the Florida Midland in 1987 and finally the Northern in 1988).

The trackage that CSX sold Pinsly to become the FNOR was part of the Atlantic Coast Line's western Florida route connecting Dupont, Georgia with Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Naples. However, this track dated back much further than the ACL and has its beginnings as part of The Plant System, which became part of the Coast Line in 1902 (the Plant lines would make up most of the ACL's Florida trackage). To learn more about the history of these lines please click here to visit the Florida Central's page.

Upon CSX's start-up in the mid-1980s it was looking to reduce duplicate or unprofitable routes and branches all across its system. Being that the Class I had so much trackage in Florida of ACL and Seaboard Air Line origin it downsized property it felt that it no longer needed. In doing so, the FNOR got two sections of ACL trackage; between High Springs and Red Level Junction (it connected to CSX at Newberry), and between Lowell and Candler (with an interchange to CSX at Ocala). For more information about the Florida Northern Railroad please click here to visit the Pinsly Railroad Company's official website, which includes a full-sized and interactive map of its three systems. Also, for a complete roster please check out the below table (please note that all three lines use power from this roster and also are painted in virtually identical liveries, save for different reporting marks).

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The Florida Northern Railroad Diesel Locomotive Roster

Builder	Model Type	Road Number	Notes	Quantity
EMD	CF7	47-50, 53, 56, 63-65	Ex-AT&SF	9
EMD	GP7u	55, 57	Ex-AT&SF GP7	2
EMD	GP9	60	Ex-AT&SF	1

For more reading on shortlines like the Florida Northern Railroad consider the book American Shortline Railway Guide from author Ed Lewis. The book has gone through several updated editions to keep up with the ever-changing world of the shortline industry. Today, the publication highlights almost 600 shortlines across the country with general background information about each (such as roster information, rail line history, radio frequencies, etc.). If you have any interest in shortlines you will very likely enjoy this book. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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