South Eastern Railcar Operators, Inc.

Florida Central Railroad
Florida Northern Railroad

South Eastern Railcar Operators, Inc. will sponsor a motorcar excursion on the Florida Central and Florida Northern Railroads, both of which are a part of the Pinsley Railroads group who have graciously allowed us to operate.

FRIDAY - Florida Central Railroad - Eustis, FL The railroad will soon be upgrading track in the area and plans call for the bridge over the Dora Canal to be replaced close to the date of our run. We don't believe the project will take place until later, but we will plan for the possibility of having to work around a missing bridge. Update - We're about 95% sure at this point that the bridge will not be an issue.

Friday, we will set-on at Ferrin Park in Eustis beginning at 09:30 am. Safety/Job briefing at 10:45 am, with departure at 11:00 am. We'll go South to Wooten Park in Tavares where we will have an opportunity to ride the Tavares, Eustis & Gulf LLC, steam train.

We'll park our motorcars, have some time to look over Tavares and the steam loco, and then board the train for a 12:30 PM departure The train operator will discount the normal $25 fare to $20 for excursion participants and their friends. Just tell the ticket agent that your from Narcoa. The round trip in our own "private" car will take about two hours. After returning to Tavares, we'll then run to Mount Dora, arriving there about 3:30 pm, take an hour break to look the town over before returning to Eustis at about 6:00 pm.

The first Friday in each month, Eustis Main Street Inc, puts on the First Friday Street Fests. There is not a flyer for the March one yet, but here is a link to their Facebook page. There are a number of good restaurants in walking distance of the set-on site.

There are several hotels in the Eustis - Tavares area

Comfort Inn - 15000 US Highway 441, Eustis, FL, US, 32726 Phone: (352) 742-8022 map
Inn On The Green Florida- 700 East Burleigh Boulevard, Tavares, FL 32778 (877) 220-2687
Quality Inn & Suites - 16630 US 441 W., Mount Dora, FL, US, 32757 Phone: (352) 383-3400map

For those traveling in an RV or camper:

Southern Palms RV Resort - 1 Avocado Lane, Eustis, FL 32726 (352) 357-8882 ‎map

Below is an interactive map to the Set-On site in Eustis.

Plan B: If the bridge is out of service, We will set on at the Railroad Museum in Winter Garden and run North to the bridge which is less than a mile from our normal turn around spot in Tavares. If we do this, we'll have to set-off after Friday's run. At the moment, this option appears unlikely. At this time, It does not appear we will need Plan B.

After setting off, we can head for Sunday’s run in Ocala. Ocala’s many hotels include:

Days Inn of Ocala, 3811 NW Bonnie Heath Blvd, Ocala FL 34482 (352) 629-7041map
Ramada Inn Conference Center, 3810 NW Bonnie Heath Blvd, I-75 Exit 354, Ocala, FL 34482 (352) 732-3131map
Holiday Inn Express of Ocala, 1212 SW Pine Ave, (Hwy 441, 301 & 27) Ocala FL 34474 (352) 629-7300
La Quinta Inn and Suites, 3530 SW 36th Ave, (near SR200 & I-75) Ocala FL 34474 (352) 861-1137

SUNDAY - Florida Northern Railroad - Ocala, FL We will set on in downtown Ocala, Florida, North of Highway 40 grade crossing in an area where the track runs down the middle of the street for several blocks starting at 08:00. Click HERE for a picture of the set-on site, or HERE for a spherical photo.

Departure at 09:00. We will run South to Candler (14 miles each way) and return to the set on location for a lunch break. Anyone on a tight schedule can set off at this time. In the afternoon, we will cross the CSX main line on the diamond at the Ocala station and run North to the end of the track near Lowell (11 miles each way). It is a very pretty run. There are a number of busy crossings that we will have to flag. We will also have to cross the CSX main on the diamond at the Amtrack station in Ocala.

SPECIAL NOTE: All cars must be on the track and inspected prior to the Safety Meeting. This means you need to
arrive at the set-on location at least 30 minutes before the scheduled Safety Meeting. The Pinsley Railroad Company requires safety glasses and safety vests for all participants.

NARCOA Insurance is required. NARCOA Operating Rules and Regulations will be in effect. A NARCOA Certificate of Examination is required.

Cost is $150.00 per Motorcar for any or all three days. Make checks payable to:

Mackey International
c/o Keith Mackey
9000 SE 70th Terrace,
Ocala, FL 34472

BE SURE AND INCLUDE AN EMAIL ADDRESS AND CELL PHONE NUMBER
All confirmations, etc. will be by email - Nothing will be sent via regular mail.

Keith Mackey 352-347-0770 keithm@gate.net
On the day of the meet contact at 352-502-5021.