More FEC Key West Extension Updates

I am starting to put the real teeth back in the Key West Extension.

Here are some of the changes I have taken to or will be taking to soon.

• The route is the Florida East Coast Railway Key West Extension, not the FEC Little River Belt Line or FEC Miami Terminal. Much less, it is not the CSX GPC Spur. The FEC up to N Miami was part of the line and so was the CSX GPC Spur, as the Krome Quarry could be one of the rock pits used for rock trains to Key West. But I nixed the CSX connection, leaving it down to SW 312th Street where there's enough space to emit a train. Soon I will be pulling all boards north of Bird Road on the Little River Line and north/east of NW 27th Avenue on the mainline. The Buena Vista-Port operations may be included in a separate edition depending on if/how I roll this one out first. This will keep it focused on the completely nonexistent trackage while offering sufficient mileage to play with Tri-Rail trains as far as Vizcaya. Regardless, if there was to be a Tri-Rail coastal link incorporated in this, it would still be an incomplete service.
• Spanish Harbor Siding, one of Nikos's first locations on the route, has been extended north to suit longer FEC Trains. With the times, computer performance has increased enough to accomodate 7,000' intermodals. The new trackage extended north butts against the Bahia Honda truss bridge. The gravel road and other crossings are also using Jointed Rail boards instead of the older boards.
• To enhance the realistic track layout, a new siding was added at Long Key. As for turnouts, the SE now reads "Long Key" and the NE reads "Fiesta Key". This turns a 30 mile space between Marathon N and Whale Harbor S to a 10 mile gap for Marathon. This siding is 11,000 feet long approximately.
• Track between Long Key and Whale Harbor is straightened and level above ground. No more plowing sand, Richard!
• Plantation Key Industrial Park is being built. I'm using my noggin to make some use out of a couple of buildings of interest there. There's a lumberyard at MM88, and a marina/boat warehouse at the 89. In a patch of trees I've added an Amerigas and also used a natural greenhouse-ish area to be a fertilizer industry on the side. The area's perfect for a local to do easy switching but some customers and the lead stem from single track. Ouch! Can't delay mainline hotshots. In fact it's possible that "Old Highway" was the former FEC alignment.
• Ballast will be updated to the two tone JR-grey and sand (for the patches of sand-ish material by the roadbed), like pretty much all other routes. This will enhance the quality and freshness of the route.
• IM High Cube trains can only run single track as doublestack HCs won't fit under the Bahia Honda Bridge.
• On the Mainland, Tri-Rail stations will be installed at: Southland Mall, The Falls, Naranja, and City of Homestead. 
• Amtrak Stations will be added at: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key, and Key West.

Some of the URLs above link to recent screenshots, so enjoy those little previews of what's to come! This route is going to be fantastic and I'm glad I'm getting back to it. As of now in my routemaking department, there's only two routes to be focused on, the Tampa Terminal and the Key West Extension.

More Key Lime Pie, Please? KWE Progress!

I felt a bit motivated to pick up on the FEC Key West Extension project. Lots of the work I managed to do was to clean up some messy roadways, like the South Miami area. US-1 and Sunset is kind of sort of up to date with freshly programmed signals and a new station.

Also, what I'd call part 2 of the Dadeland area, part 1 completed last year, is almost done. This involves a fully functional crossing-intersection at SW 71 AV and SW 84 ST. Put a railroad in the picture and the intersection, with the garage of a Tri-Rail and Metrorail station behind, can be extremely busy. The traffic light design at 71st and 84th proper is partly inspired by International Drive and Conventon Way in Orlando, FL due to its feel and function.
Also, to answer the absence of a rail platform on the Belt line side, as I plan to operate a Tri-Rail line on this line, I'll be adding a station to the south (right) of 84th Street.

Also, I'll add that a more up to date road system will be developed over the coming months, as well as the possibilities of getting the crossings fitted with Ryan's new system. Traffic lights will also be done with hopefully LED coronas.

While the first two pics brought out the roadgeek in me, I saw fit to balance it with a pure railroad scene. I did a rough job of the Homestead Intermodal and Automotive Ramp in the throat between US-1 and Card Sound Road. The original working was skew to both, but I chose to have it parallel Card Sound more instead in a redo that was done the other day. Your pure Florida railroad scene of a FEC loco switching the ramp will be coming to a computer screen near you!

It is also from here where the Turkey Point Coal Trains will have a place to go. An equally level extension to the game map was made two miles east of here, allowing for a loop reasonably close to the actual power plant. That loop is connected to the looping IM yard lead via a spur and turnout by the interchange between US-1 and Card Sound. (This fourth image predates the third image)

More to come, including an ops session with JR's new FEC engines!