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Gold Coast Railroad Museum - "History in the Making" - Pg. 3 |
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MORE EQUIPMENT ARRIVES: March 1959: Florida East Coast Railway donated passenger coach #136. 1960: Atlantic Coast Line donated wooden caboose #0322. Late 1960: The switch and 50 feet of track on north leg of the wye connecting to Seaboard Air Line Railroad were removed. 1961: Frisco Line donated a Gondola freight car #60053. 1961: Southern Railway System donated Baggage-Express car #359. This became the "museum car" filled with small railroad items on display. 1962: Florida East Coast donated a Track Section Car. 1965: Southern Railway donated freight boxcar #260909. This became the "spare parts" storage car. MISSILES / THE C.I.A. / LIABILITY: Everything seemed to be rolling along nicely. The public was invited to come ride the train on certain Sundays. Plans were being made to erect a shelter for the steam engine to allow work to be done out of the weather. The MRHS was increasing its membership. Then, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. The G.S.A. determined that some of the land leased to the University would be needed for a large "listening post" for the C.I.A. The University, under pressure from the G.S.A., and raising the issue of liability of running a steam locomotive, informed the MRHS that the museum would no longer be able to operate the "Gold Coast Railroad" on the South Campus and would have to look elsewhere to find a new home for its activities. As a result, on November 13, 1966, at 11:30 a.m., the Gold Coast Railroad (MRHS) chugged off the South Campus property heading for a new found home in Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County. The UM transferred ownership of all rail locomotives, cars, and rail objects to the MRHS. The train was pulled by the #153 under steam. SHIPS AND TRAINS: While arrangements were being made for a long-term home in Broward County, the Beekmans made arrangements with the Broward Port Authority to call Port Everglades, at least temporarily, the museum's new home. There was no running of the locomotive at the port. The museum had become a static display. The name of the organization was changed to the Gold Coast Railroad, Inc., (GCRR) on January 4, 1967. |
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