Try Folkston, Georgia, about

Try Folkston, Georgia, about an hour northwest of Jacksonville. Home of the famous Folkston funnel.

Danny Harmon

Look for some videos on you tube by Danny Harmon. I think he goes by railfan danny. Anyway he has many raifanninig videos from Florida. I'm sure you will see somewhere familiar.                    Happy Railfanning, Alan

Distant Signals

I gave you the wrong name. The guys name is Distant Signals, and his latest video should be right up your alley. He was up around Jacksonville and points north in FLA.

Alan

There's lots to see on the

There's lots to see on the FEC between those two cities. The FEC group on Yahoo is great for telling where and when trains are going. The FEC roughly parallels US-1. On the other side of the St. John's River, you'll find the CSX between Sanford and Jacksonville, roughly paralleling US-17 (the A-line, former ACL). There is quite a bit of Amtrak activity on that side, including the impressive AutoTrain in the morning and the evening.

The roughest areas I can think of are Jacksonville's Northside. Stay south of downtown Jacksonville, and I can't think of any places where you're putting your life at risk.

Folkston is a good suggestion, but another hour northwest of Jacksonville, up US-1.

The FEC group on Yahoo will give you lots of ideas for picturesque locations. One of my favorites is in St. Augustine, where the railroad is between US-1 and a large marsh/tributary to the Matanzas River. Take a look at:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=St.+Augustine&ll=29.893253,-81.32211&spn=0.003414,0.005558&oe=UTF-8&hnear=St+Augustine,+St+Johns,+Florida&gl=us&t=h&z=18

Another favorite spot is just south of Bowden Yard in Jacksonville:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Sunbeam+Rd,+Jacksonville,+FL&hl=en&ll=30.20681,-81.579425&spn=0.004812,0.005558&sll=29.903609,-81.320951&sspn=0.013653,0.02223&oq=Sunbeam+Rd.&t=h&gl=us&hnear=Sunbeam+Rd,+Jacksonville,+Florida&z=18

The grassy area between Historical Kings Road and the tracks makes for a nice place to park, and trains roll by slowly as they enter and leave the yard. There's a gymnastics studio on the street, with parents coming and going as they drop off and pick up their kids. I've never been bothered there by the police.

There's another place north of St. Augustine by the airport, with roadway on both sides of the tracks, so you can pick and chose sides depending on the light:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=St.+Augustine,+FL&hl=en&ll=29.946494,-81.338418&spn=0.013647,0.02223&sll=30.206996,-81.579621&sspn=0.002406,0.002779&oq=St.+&t=h&gl=us&hnear=St+Augustine,+St+Johns,+Florida&z=16

Avenue A on the west side of the tracks, US-1 on the east side, and nothing between. I have only been bothered by the cops once here. They asked what I was doing, and I was honest and told them - waiting to take pictures of the trains. "Nothing wrong with that!" he said, and left me alone the rest of the day.

Jacksonville is a "target rich environment," and I'm not all that interested in GEVOs on coal trains, so I don't get out much. That and the stiffling heat and humidity that's upon us, it's no longer fun. So I'm not familiar with much south of St. Augustine on the FEC, or Palatka on the CSX.

Hope this helps,

- Arved

From a little too close to CSX milepost 666

Railfanning map

If you would, go to Google Maps and do a search for Railfanning and Wi Fi Hotspots in Jacksonville, FL.

I put together a map of over 3 dozen locations around Jacksonville along with some good wi-fi hotspots that you can use. 

John

Folkston, Ga.

http://www.trainwatch.com/

Danny also is on Yahoo Group

OKEFENOKEERAILFANS

which has a lot of folkston train videos and train movements posted.

I am about an hour from Jax and occasionally visit Folkston. Anyone  interested in meeting up at Folkston drop a line. We can make a day of it.

St. Augustine is one of my favorite spots to spend the weekend also and train watching there is great. Anyone up for lunch at O.C. White?

Need map

John,

  I've just arrived from the pacific and am looking for some good railfanning sites a little closer to my home in St Augustine.  We've been up to Folkston already so I like to try a new place.  I tried searching google maps with your suggestion but I got nothing.  Can you tell me where to find your maps?

Thanks,

Ray