The Sarasota Sub. went from Durant to Venice, a total of 69.7 miles. This line had one crossing with the Atlantic Coast Line in Bradenton, where the Topicana Plant now stands under the US-301 birdge today. It also had a connecting spur with the ACL that connected both railroads to a phosphate mine in the 1940's. The line had nine stations, the mager ones being Sarasota and Venice. These nine stations in order heading south are: Durant, Wimauma, Parrish, Palmetto jct., Bradenton, Oneco, Sarasota, Bee Ridge, and Venice. Durant had a wye, Parrish a passing siding that crossed US-301, Bradenton a diamond that crossed the ACL, a wye, and a small yard. Sarasota and Venice both had wyes, Sarasota's was 1.7 mile before the station and Venice's was 2 miles after the station.
The Sarasota sub. is no longer all together, CSXT has abandoned it from Durant to north Parish. The track is still there with all the bridges and grade crossings with cross bucks that show signs of over 50 years of neglect, except for 1 mile of track in Sun City that was taken up due to construction. South of Parish the track is still used very rarely to access the FPL power plant. The track through Palmetto was redirected to the ACL line north of the Manatte River. To where it reconnects to the SAL line south of the Tropicana Plant. The new US-301 is built on the old ACL road bed from the US-301 bridge over the Trop. yard south to 63rd st. where it is still somewhat there. The SAL line in downtown Sarasota is was riped out to Shade Ave. The ACL line still runs through downtown to where it was riped out east of Shade Ave. and now connects to the SAL line at Shade Ave. There was a two ACL tracks that paralled the SAL track from Shade Ave. to Beneva Rd. On ACL track at Beneva turned north to Fruitville for the Ringling Circus grounds and the other went straight to Belspur and Arcadia.
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