The Brewster Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Florida. The line runs from Edison Junction (just west of Mulberry south through Bradley Junction to a point just north of Arcadia for a total of 47.2 miles.CSX Jacksonville Division Timetable Prior to 1981, the line was known as the Boca Grande Subdivision when the line continued beyond Arcadia as far as Port Boca Grande on the south end of Gasparilla Island.Seaboard Air Line Railroad South Florida Division Timetable (1951)

Route description The Brewster Subdivision begins at Edison Junction near the community of Keysville at a wye that branches off the company's Valrico Subdivision. From Edison, it proceeds southeast to Bradley Junction. At Bradley Junction, the line connects with the Achan Subdivision to the north and the Agricola Spur to the east., and connects to the Seminole Gulf Railway in Arcadia.

The Brewster Subdivision continues south from Bradley Junction through Agrock, Fort Green Springs, and Ona before coming to its southern terminus at point just north of Arcadia. Track from the terminus south into Arcadia is now owned by Seminole Gulf Railway, a shortline that continues south from Arcadia to Punta Gorda and Fort Myers on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's former Lakeland—Fort Myers Line.

Historically, the line continued southwest from Arcadia along the Peace River to a point near Fort Ogden where it crossed the river. From here, it continued southwest through Port Charlotte, El Jobean, and Placida to Gasparilla Island.

Operation

The Brewster Subdivision is CSX's second busiest line through the Bone Valley after the Valrico Subdivision. The line is dispatched through Track warrant control.

The line serves three phosphate facilities operated by The Mosaic Company. Mosaic's New Wales processing plant is located near the north end of the line between Edison and Bradley Junction and is considered by Mosaic to be the world's largest phosphate processing facility. Four Corners Mine is located a short distance behind Agrock yard south of Bradley Junction. Agrock yard is used by Mosaic as a staging area for Four Corners Mine and operates their own locomotives and equipment from the mine to the yard.

The southernmost phosphate mine on the line is Mosaic's South Pasture Mine in Fort Green Springs which was previously operated by CF Industries before it was bought by Mosaic. South Pasture Mine is currently not operating and has been idle since 2018. Though Mosaic plans to reactivate it at some point in the future. When active, South Pasture is the southernmost point of CSX's Bone Valley operations.

The only traffic on the Brewster Subdivision that runs south of South Pasture is twice-weekly mixed freight from Winston Yard to Arcadia for interchange with Seminole Gulf Railway. This traffic is the only non-phosphate related rail traffic on the Brewster Subdivision.

History

Edison to Agricola The northern segment of the Brewster Subdivision from present-day Edison to Bradley Junction and east to Agricola was built as a branch line by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in 1910. It was built to further extend the Seaboard Air Line's network into the Bone Valley's growing phosphate industry.

South of Bradley Junction

The Brewster Subdivision south of Bradley Junction was originally built by the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway (CH&N). The CH&N was owned by the American Agricultural Chemical Corporation (AACC) and at its greatest extent, it ran from Port Boca Grande to Mulberry via Arcadia and Bradley Junction. It was built from Boca Grande to Arcadia in 1907 and extended north to Bradley Junction in 1910 and to Mulberry in 1911. Bradley Junction was named after AACC President Peter B. Bradley.

Consolidation The Seaboard Air Line named Edison Junction after inventor Thomas Edison. The Seaboard named it after Edison because they had planned to use the junction to launch an expansion southwest to Fort Myers where Edison had a winter home (the Edison and Ford Winter Estates). However, the nearly simultaneous construction of the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway led to the two railroads making a deal to avoid having competing tracks through the area.Lithia's former Edison SAL depot in 1969 (Flickr) In 1925, the Seaboard Air Line leased the Charlotte Harbor and Northern and fully acquired it from the AACC the following year. This expanded the Seaboard’s network further south and provided access to Port Boca Grande. Almost immediately after the acquisition of the Charlotte Harbor and Northern was complete, the Seaboard began construction of a branch from the line at Hull south to Fort Myers and Naples.

For many years, the Seaboard Air Line designated the line from Edison Junction to Port Boca Grande via Bradley Junction as the Boca Grande Subdivision. Former CH&N track north of Bradley Junction was known as the Agricola Subdivision (which was later renamed the Achan Subdivision).Seaboard Air Line Railroad South Florida Division Timetable (1951)Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Tampa Division Timetable (1973)

Later years The Seaboard Air Line operated passenger trains on the line to both Boca Grande and to Fort Myers and Naples (the latter destinations were provided by Orange Blossom Special and West Coast Limited).Seaboard Air Line Railway South Florida Division Timetable (1940) Passenger service to Fort Myers ended in 1933 and the Fort Myers Subdivision was completely abandoned by 1952. The Seaboard Air Line generally operated two passenger trains a day to Boca Grande, though by 1951, only one daily passenger train was running. Passenger service to Boca Grande was discontinued in 1958 shortly after the opening of the Boca Grande Causeway, which was the last regular passenger service to ever operate on the line.

The line once had a spur track to the former Payne Creek Mine east of Agrock Yard. Payne Creek Mine has since been redeveloped by Mosaic into the Streamsong Resort and golf course.

In 1967, the Seaboard Air Line and the Atlantic Coast Line merged to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation.

Track south of Arcadia to Boca Grande was abandoned in 1981 after the closure of Port Boca Grande. The remaining line was subsequently renamed the Brewster Subdivision, which is named for the defunct ghost town of Brewster that was located just south of Bradley Junction. The town existed from 1910 to 1962 and played a role in the area's phosphate industry. Remnants of the town include a smokestack and a few abandoned buildings.

Historic Seaboard Air Line stations + Edison to South Boca GrandeMilepostCity/LocationStationConnections and notesSVC 835.8EdisonEdison Junctionjunction with Valrico SubdivisionSVC 843.3Bradley JunctionBradley Junctionjunction with Achan Subdivision & Agricola SpurSVC 846.5BrewsterBrewsteroriginally ChicoraSVC 849.3CottmannSVC 851.2Agrock yardAgrockoriginally BairdSVC 855.6GarwoodSVC 856.2Fort GreenFort GreenSVC 858.0Fort Green SpringsFort Green SpringsSVC 865.5OnaOnaSVC 870.6BridgesSVC 873.6LimestoneSVC 875.3KinseySVC 881.0Bunker-LansingSVC 884.5ArcadiaArcadiaconnection to Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Lakeland–Fort Myers Linejunction with East and West Coast Railway (SAL)SVC 888.4NocateeNocateeSVC 891.6Wells JunctionSVC 893.4HullHulljunction with Fort Myers SubdivisionCarrSVC (VK) 898.8Plattjunction with Tampa Southern Railroad (ACL)SVC (VK) 908.7Port CharlotteMurdockSVC (VK) 909.1Port CharlotteSVC (VK) 914.5El JobeanEl Jobeanoriginally SouthlandSVC (VK) 916.5Charlotte Beachoriginally McCallSVC (VK) 923.6PlacidaPlacidaSVC (VK) 926.3Gasparilla IslandGasparillaSVC (VK) 930.1Boca GrandeSouth Boca Grandeserved Port Boca Grande

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