Recently while photographing trains in Lakeland, FL, we noticed the old Lakeland station. This is west of the wye (where the old Lakeland yard was), and also west of the present Amtrak station in Lakeland. When was the old station closed, and why was the location moved?

-- Wes Woodruff (wes.woodruff@ftiorlando.com), June 21, 1999

Answers

The old station you refer to, was built by the ACL in the sixties and is(was)identical to the St.Pete station.The original ACL stations were downtown,wher the park is now.Over the years there were at least three stations at that location.About a year ago Amtrak opened the station now in use.It was (will) be used as an intermodal site,and more central to downtown,as were the first stations. The station west of downtown was the only place that I know about where you could ride the train and pass the same location twice do to the odd route of the "Silver Palm".When they opened the new station this became just a memory.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@gte.net), June 21, 1999.