Florida East Coast Railway Locomotion Shop
Sound
On/Off
[ Date ]
02 13 2026
A rail corridor runs beneath an overpass at the edge of town, where freight, highway traffic, and remnant scrub meet.
[ Geographic Features ]
Coastal Plain, Scrub Habitat
[ Patterns of Land Use ]
Transportation corridor
[ Data Set ]
5:20 PM EST
29.022833, -80.926444
64° F, 17.7° C, 68% RH
Sunny
Wind 9mph, Gusts 16 mph, Direction 20° NNE
The tracks run straight ahead, then begin to bend, their steel catching light in narrow bands. Gravel is packed between the ties. Fallen palm fronds lie caught in the gaps. To one side, service boxes sit on a strip of cut grass. Behind them, cabbage palms and scrub form a dense margin. The growth presses close to the rail corridor but does not cross it.
A freight train passes beneath the concrete bridge. Its headlights are steady against the flat sky. The numbers on the engine are fixed and legible; the cars follow in measured sequence. Above, vehicles cross the overpass without pause. Two movements, one elevated, one on the ground, neither interrupting the other.
Signal towers stand along the line, ladders bolted to their sides. Their metal surfaces catch the light.
Behind the corridor, cabbage palms rise above a dense edge of scrub and oak. The vegetation is thick but contained — held back from the tracks by gravel and clearance. The sun is low enough to outline fronds and leaves. The site feels provisional rather than wild — a maintained passage bordered by trees, defined by steel, shaped by the steady exchange of transit.
[ Plants ]
Brazilian Pepper Tree
Common Names: Brazilian Pepper, Florida Holly
Botanical Name: Schinus terebinthifolia
Brazilian pepper tree is an invasive evergreen shrub or small tree introduced from South America. It forms dense thickets that outcompete native vegetation. Glossy compound leaves and clusters of bright red berries make it visually striking, but it disrupts native ecosystems, particularly in coastal and disturbed areas.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Family: Anacardiaceae
Genus: Schinus
Species: Schinus terebinthifolia – Brazilian Pepper Tree
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Little Bluestem
Common Names: Little Bluestem
Botanical Name: Schizachyrium scoparium
Little bluestem is a native warm-season grass common in sandy soils and coastal uplands. It forms upright clumps with blue-green blades that turn copper and rust tones in fall. It provides habitat for insects and birds and is well adapted to drought and poor soils.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Schizachyrium
Species: Schizachyrium scoparium – Little Bluestem
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Swamp Titi
Common Names: Swamp Titi
Botanical Name: Cyrilla racemiflora
Swamp titi is a native evergreen shrub or small tree found in wetlands and along freshwater margins. It produces slender, drooping clusters of small white flowers in late spring to early summer. It thrives in saturated soils and contributes to wetland structure and habitat.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales
Family: Cyrillaceae
Genus: Cyrilla
Species: Cyrilla racemiflora – Swamp Titi
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Southern Live Oak
Common Names: Southern Live Oak
Botanical Name: Quercus virginiana
Southern live oak is a large, long-lived native tree common in coastal landscapes. It has a broad, spreading canopy with thick, horizontal branches and evergreen leaves. Often draped with Spanish moss, it provides shade, wildlife habitat, and structural presence in hammocks and developed areas alike.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Species: Quercus virginiana – Southern Live Oak
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Deergrass
Common Names: Deergrass
Botanical Name: Muhlenbergia capillaris
Deergrass (often called pink muhly grass) is a native ornamental grass found in sandy coastal habitats. It forms fine-textured clumps and produces airy pink to purple flower plumes in fall. It is drought tolerant and supports pollinators and small wildlife.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Muhlenbergia
Species: Muhlenbergia capillaris – Deergrass
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Common Blanket Flower
Common Names: Common Blanket Flower, Indian Blanket
Botanical Name: Gaillardia pulchella
Common blanket flower is a native wildflower found in sandy coastal soils and open fields. It produces bright red and yellow daisy-like blooms and is tolerant of heat, drought, and salt exposure. It attracts pollinators and contributes seasonal color to coastal landscapes.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Gaillardia
Species: Gaillardia pulchella – Common Blanket Flower