The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-07-10

The Board Of Trades move Friday
night toward securing a union pas
senger station for Oca1a has naturally
caused considerable speculation as to
where this ornament to our city should
be placed.
The logical point seems to be the
crossing of the Seaboard and Coast
Line, but this place, while it would be
all right for the first named road is
open TO two grave objections from the
latter The first is, being at the bot
tom of a long grade, it would give a
heavy train no chance to gather head
way before commencing to climb the
incline The second, and greater one,
is that once in a while car gets away
at the top of the hill and runs amuck
through the yards, sometimes not stop
ping for mile or two While no ser
ious accident has ever occurred on
this account. the danger would be ten
fold Increased by an often crowded
passenger station at the crossing.
Some have advocated the Coast Line
changing its line al the junction at the
north end Of town, following the line
OF the Dunnellon branch to the Sea
board, then crossing and running
parallel with the Seaboard to the lime
works south of town, where it could
use its lime kiln track back TO the
main line, and when this was done Tor
the union station TO be built at the
Exposition street crossing of the two
roads, where the Ocala Northern and
Ocala Southwestern could join them
also. the Coast Line abandoning the
present line through town.
The principal objection to this is
that it would virtually confiscate the
Coast Lines valuable property right in
the center of the city. We have no
idea that the railroad would do this
OF its own accord, and the only way
the city could have it done would be to
condemn and pay for the property. We
don't know that any law exists FOL
such step, and we are quite sure the
city can't raise the necessary money.
The lime kiln branch of the Coast
Line was never intended for a main
line. IT has two grades on it. one as
steep and the other sleeper than the
one up from the Seaboard crossing
and in order to make the track prac-
tieable for through traffic cutting a
least twenty feet in depth would have
to be made through Orange avenue an6
bridged. The Star hasn't consulted any
railroad man about it, but it doesn't
believe the route could be changed fol
less than 100000.
The Coast Line would have to bear
the brunt of any of the changes.
already has a line that suits it very
we'll and an adequate passenger sta
tion in the center of the city. 1t woult
be foolish to give up it's advantages
and we doubt that it could be COMPEL
ed to do So
On the other hand, any of the pro
posed changes would probably suit th'
Seaboard very we'll 1t ought to built
a new passenger station anyway, fo
the present one is entirely out of har
mory with the size and good looks o
the city; and a union station either a
its own crossing, or on Exposition
street would be comparatively Httl
trouble and expense for it. But i
would be more just to require, it t.
build a line up town-it already ha
a track over half the distance-and rul
it's trains into the Coast Line station
and back them out again; than to re
quire the Coast Line to rebuild at tn
Seaboard crossing and stop its pas
senger trains there.
The Star sees no chance of an union
station, with anything like justice 70
the two roads, except in the far nortl
of town; and that now, and for man.
years to come, would be. very incon
venient for the travelling public. I
would suit people able to pay hazel
fare, but it would mean a long, tire
some walk for a majority of the trav
cling public.
And while we are talking on tn
subject of railroad routes, we woul
remind the Coast Line that it is pas
time for it to build that new freigh
depot, take the old one out of the mid
, die of Osceola avenue and strighten it
line through the south end of towr
Both the railroad and the city wi
look and feel better when this is done.