The FEC North End in 2011

Over the past five decades the Florida East Coast Railway has had a most fascinating ride as it went from a railroad that had never paid a dividend, to one of the most profitable, and for many years the fastest growing rail line in North America. FEC’s trains today have an incredible mix of truckers’ containers and trailers on them. To its historian, the FEC of the last 50 years has been America’s greatest railroad – a maverick who went its own way and developed many of the operating practices now common on all railroads today. However labor groups fifty years ago held a contrarian view. The great recession still grips most of Florida with housing starts and construction way down from the level of five or so years ago. This video shows how this dynamic and once controversial little railroad is faring in the fall of 2011 on the north end of its system. As you will see, the Florida East Coast, currently owned by the Fortress Investment Group who also owns short line conglomerate Rail America, has fought back with fewer but longer trains and maintained its profitability.  The FEC North End in 2011 is 49 minutes in length.  This DVD has the option of being watched with or without narration.