Sugar Express and the American Association of Private Rail Car Owners, Inc. (AARPCO) will operate a series of private passenger trains throughout the South Central Florida region beginning this weekend.
Chartered by members of AAPRCO, the steam-powered Sugarland Limited will feature eight vintage railroad cars from the 1920s through the 1950s, and the train will welcome hundreds of visitors from around the country on a multi-day tour of the area.
The special will originate as a diesel-powered Amtrak special in Miami on Saturday April 23, arriving in Sebring midday for a handoff to Sugar Express steam locomotive No. 148. The steam-hauled AAPRCO train will then head south to Clewiston, with a midday stopover in Lake Placid.
On Sunday, April 24th, the train will operate between Clewiston, Lake Harbor, Belle Glade, and Port Mayaca with a return to Clewiston that evening. On Monday, April 25th, the train will operate between Clewiston and Okeelanta. The AAPRCO train will return to Sebring on Wednesday, April 27th, hauled by a US Sugar diesel-electric locomotive, and the charter train will return to Miami with Amtrak power.
All departures from Clewiston are scheduled for between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM for each day of operation. Times and routing are subject to change.
For those who wish to photograph or view the steam train, please watch from public property and stay at least 25 feet back from the railroad tracks at all times. Think safety!
For more information, times and details, click here.
