79° M/CLEAR, 
Train Delays Auto Traffic
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 7:04 a.m.
I opened my windows and switched off my motor. I wonder how many gallons of fuel were wasted by the 100 or more backed-up cars and trucks that continued idling to keep cool? It can only get worse in Plant City and Lakeland because of the proposed Winter Haven CSX facility.
A friend told me that while gassing up that the pump display blinked, then showed a 20-cent price increase.The pump stopped and restarted. He was charged partly the beginning price and the higher price for his full tank. Fair?
OPEC officials are no fools. Aslong as our oil companies continue gouging outrageous profits, they intend to get their share. Perhaps if U.S. oil companies showed good faith by lowering their take, OPEC might be willing to lower theirs. But don't hold your breath.
REV. CLIFFORD L. HALFORD
Plant City
Comments
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May 17, 2008 8:26:42 am
RE: Read the article
Only four additional trains would run through Lakeland as a result of the new CSX facility in Winter Haven. These four trains would run between midnight and six am. What would the good reverend be doing out at those hours?
May 17, 2008 8:35:09 am
As a priest, your job isnt 9-5. People in the hospital or such places may call for a priest when their time is near.
But the article doesnt mention what time the reverend was driving. But from him saying 100 cars, sounds more like mid day or even rush hour time.
Welcome to Lakeland, the city of lights. Most of them being stop lights.
May 17, 2008 12:47:02 pm
Several years ago, before Polk Parkway opened, we were stuck at the RR crossing on Recker Highway.
A freight train slowed and came to a stop and we sat for what must have been the best part of an hour. We kept thinking it would move any minute, but it didn't. Otherwise we would have gone out of our way to search for another route to Auburndale.
Because of that we missed our flight out of Tampa. More overpasses as well as double tracks will be needed IF the proposed ILC comes to Polk County. Remember - those trains will be twice as long.
May 17, 2008 1:11:22 pm
As of now, NO new trains are running because of the, as yet unbuilt, CSX facility in winter haven! What this person describes is NORMAL, right now! And only 4 new trains? Bull****! I lived in Orlando! 4 trains my ***!
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Max M. Haiflich, Jr. Help with dealing with DCF Hoefflich/Haflich/Haiflich Family Genealogy"Change is inevitable, but growth is optional" Tracy Morning
May 17, 2008 2:11:21 pm
True Singledad.
No additional trains for RIGHT NOW.
And the ILC trains can be 10,000 feet long - nearly two miles. So you might as well double the wait time. Also, those arriving and departing the ILC will not be going full speed so you might want to quadruple the wait time on 60 and Thompson Nursery Road!
May 17, 2008 3:04:09 pm
1 time I was driving on knights griffin in north lakeland. Sat at a RR crossing for I dont know how long as the train would go forward, then back up, then forward, then back. It was like someone was trying to parallel park
Welcome to Lakeland, the city of lights. Most of them being stop lights.
May 17, 2008 3:06:05 pm
Do you work for CSX???????????? There have been a few times I waited 20 minutes in Polk County for a Phosphate train to pass a crossing........
After my religion period, I took up with a swindler: Allardyce Merriwhether. After Mrs. Pendrake his honesty was downright refreshing. ???????????
May 17, 2008 4:20:31 pm
Where is it written that these 4 new trains would run at night?
May 17, 2008 4:58:28 pm
where is it written that there will only be 4 new trains?
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Max M. Haiflich, Jr. Help with dealing with DCF Hoefflich/Haflich/Haiflich Family Genealogy"Change is inevitable, but growth is optional" Tracy Morning
May 17, 2008 5:49:30 pm
It's called building a train. That will probably cause issues around the new yard. You have to split the train up. Back down one rail drop cars and then pull back out and then back down another track drop cars then pull out. With trains 2 miles long I doubt they will all fit in this yard on one track.
May 17, 2008 6:02:26 pm
So Banditman, are you saying that type of thing is likely to happen on Old Bartow Road and Thompson Nursery Road?
Anyone know how far away 60 is? I hope Route it is more than two miles away. Between the trucks and the trains, that would be bedlam!
May 17, 2008 6:15:10 pm
They used to always do that at the train yard at Hwy. 60 at Nichols. Don't know if they do it anymore. Used to have to wait forever for them to put those trains together.
May 17, 2008 6:31:24 pm
I can vouch for that. I've waited for what seemed an eternity and once got caught twice by the same train while going from Willow Oak to New Wales.
May 17, 2008 6:38:36 pm
I'm not sure how this will play out there. I just know how they build the trains from working at a phosphate chemical plant. We were a long way from a public road and the rail came in on a huge sweeping curve. It was rare for the train to get out to HW 640 while doing this. But it did happen from time to time.
May 17, 2008 7:39:46 pm
LOL I grew up in Mulberry more than 50 years ago. Y'all can't imagine what it was like then. Never left the house without getting caught by a train. People just took it in stride. Didn't know life any other way. No air conditioning, just sit there for half hour or more.
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