We would Like to thank J & B Painting Plus for donating the paint, and their volunteers: Lauren & John Benning (Owners), Kennedy, Sol Terchner, and Billy Whalen. Color Master’s Painting and their volunteers: Robert Bennett, Ashley Lecas, Jeremy Gray, Sam & Andrew. FL Painting Pros-Nick Tolliver. We would also like to thank those that contributed to buy pizza for the volunteers: Alberto’s Pizza Shop (Angelina & Alberto Strickhouser), Andrew Puc, Katie Farrell, Amanda Weston, and David Headley. The story of how this came about is below.

We had the pleasure of having a booth next to the J&B Painting Pros of Port Orange at the 2023 POCT’s Spring Brew & Food Fest and they got the opportunity to learn that our non profit organization is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the 𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗧 surviving Florida East Coast Railway depot.

The Port Orange Florida East Coast Railway Depot is ①③⓪ years old this year We are currently working with the City Of Port Orange Parks And Recreation Department to make this Depot and Park into what we will call “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙊𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚” We approached J&B Painting Pros on a whim after the event, and explained the first step of this project would be getting the depot painted with virtually little to no funds, with the expectation of getting a big fat 𝐍𝐎! After a year of diligently planning and collaborating we are proud to announce that J&B Painting Pros said 𝐘𝐄𝐒 !

They will be collaborating with their friends from Fl Paint Pros and Color Masters Painting LLC to 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐓!

The project was set to begin Saturday, March 16th! For more information you can visit our Facebook Page.

Port Orange Railway Society and Florida Adventures in Railroading Inc. (FLAIRR) were founded at about the same time. We soon learned we were both working on similar projects. Working together just came naturally.  We decided to create a partnership and officially work together.

The depot sits near the FEC mainline in Port Orange Depot Park at 415 Herbert St.

Our Partnership

Over the last year, both Port Orange Railway Society and Florida Adventures in Railroading Inc. have been sharing contacts and other resources and soon found we were working together on the same projects.  So during the summer, it was decided that we should form a partnership and work on the Port Orange Depot jointly.  Our respective board members voted and agreed. As a result, FLAIRR President Mark Frazier was added to our board, and our President Larry Powers was added to the board of FLAIRR. We are excited about this new alliance. www.flairr.org

The FEC 806

It all started with a phone call, “There is a Florida East Coast caboose listed for sale on Ozark Mountain Railcar.”  The conversations that followed would result in Mark being our consultant. An apportionment for an inspection was made.

The Inspection

On August 30, 2022, Larry Powers, Bill Bates, and Mark Frazier ventured to an undisclosed location on U.S. Sugar property to meet the seller and inspect the last metal caboose to run on the FEC, the 806.

We will take it.

The inspection did reveal that much work needs to be done. Most of it is cosmetic. The caboose is riding on BX express box car trucks with NFL roller bearings.  The brake system is intact but ends a current test date. the decision was made to purchase 806 and bring it to Port Orange Railway Park to become part of the Port Orange Railway Experience.

Roundhouse South

Tony Rotunda, owner of Roundhouse South Electric Trains in Port Orange became a supporter of this project almost immediately. He contacted MTH a model train manufacturer and got them to make a model of the 806 caboose in O Gauge as a fundraiser. This model is being sold exclusively by Roundhouse South. Tony is donating a portion of the proceeds to Port Orange Railway Society. www.roundhousesouth.com

The Port Orange Railway Experience More than just a park with trains

Things are just getting started and plans are being drawn up. Soon the FEC caboose #806 will be arriving at Port Orange Depot Park.  Along with the caboose will be a 40’X60’ restoration area. It is within this area that the training of the skills of historic railway preservation and restoration will begin.

THE PORT ORANGE RAILWAY EXPERIENCE

Our Mission

From the beginning, we wanted more than just a park or a stale museum.  What we wanted was a fuller immersive experience.  

The Experience

Starting with the idea that something more needed to be done with the historic Port Orange FEC Railway Depot. The vision is that this site will become a center of activity in the neighborhood and the Port Orange community overall.  

Our Approach

Taking the concept to the community, over the past year members of both organizations have been taking the message of this project to both public and private meetings.

DAYTONA BEACH STATION BENCHES

Port Orange Railway Society President Larry Powers is sitting where many a traveler has sat Before him. This is one of two station benches that were saved from the Florida East Coast Railway Station in Daytona Beach by the Root Family before the station demolition, in 1986.

Surplus at the Museum of Arts and Science.…

MOAS was deaccessioning these benches and donated them to us. With the restoration of the Port Orange Depot, they will be preserved in Volusia County. 

Massive is the only way these benches can be described.  They are really emblematic of the railroads as everything to do with railroads is big.

https://www.podepot.org