Petticoat Junction Railroad in Panama City Beach, FL

[unclemymy]

I saw a number of posts from 2005 concerning the Petticoat Junction Railroad. I was an engineer on the railroad, fulltime for many seasons, with at least some scheduled runs in each of 9 seasons. I visited the later owner, Fred Hallmark, at his home in Warrior, Alabama, before any of the locomotives had been restored. Some Hallmark fellow, maybe his son, even posted to the board in 2005. I'd really like to hear from anyone about these trains, and especially pictures by Wilbur Golson or any other pictures that may have been taken from 1975 til the train's last run in 1984.

If you got to ride in the cab, or run the engine during that time, chances are I was the guy that brought you up there.

Looking forward to hearing from you folks.

[p51]

What kills me is that I grew up in Tallahassee (born in 1969), not that far away from PC. We knew that the operation was there, but none of us realized they had steam running. Nobody in my family ever saw any TV commercials about the place or heard from anyone who had ever visited the place to know they had running steam. Heck, we even went to PC before the operation folded but never went by the place. It kills me to this day to know my early childhood days were spent that close to running steam and I wouldn't know about it for many years after the tracks were taken up.

[Tommy Gray]

This was the railroad that really got me into narrow gauge steam. I rode the cab of the #7 several times. I climbed all over the #5 & #9 whenever they were on the siding by the depot. I took many photos with my little Kodac 110(?). I got to know Mr. Golson as a pen pal. He sent me several photos he had taken, a mock up of flier he was putting together to tell the story of the locomotives, and several postcards of his photos. Here's the Disney railroad tie, Mr. Golson interviewed with Disney and even went out on several runs, but according to him, Disney preferred people with no experience as they wanted to train them in the Disney way. This little pike was a great place for little steamers. You can always find PJRR postcards on Ebay. I have tried for years to locate any video that may have been taken, but none has turned up. I live within an hour from where the locomotives are now, at the Hallmark estate. #5 & #9 have not moved in years. I can't see the 7 but believe it is under a pole barn there. I don't know what has happened to the cars and the caboose. I would really like to visit these locomotives again, but don't know how to go about that. It was always my childhood dream to buy either the 5 or 9 and set up my own little railroad. Glad to see this operation hasn't been totally forgotten.

[Tommy Gray]

Thought of one more thing. I saw in post that a commercial was never seen. I do remember see a commercial for PJ Amusement Park that WJHG TV channel 7 produced and ran for a summer. The train, of course, was a major feature in the opening of the commercial. I did write the tv station many years ago to inquire about obtaining a copy of that commercial, but they didn't seem to want to dig through all their stuff to find it. I do know the local country radio station WPAP did live spots from the park for a full summer. During the radio spots you could hear the whistle blowing as the train returned from Old Larado. It was a shame this park was overshadowed by the Miracle Strip park. I always wondered if the Churchwell family just grew tired of running the park and kind of "let things go" toward the last years. At least, as I've been able to discover, much of the PJ park was auctioned off and now resides in different places. And now, the Miracle Strip Park is no more, been gone many years. That park had a Chance C P Huntington running out into the woods behind that park. Lots of good memories of both parks and their trains. Well, there was one more little train at PC Beach at Tombstone Territory. Again, a Chance CPH running out through the woods to a western town.

[unclemymy]

Tommy Gray, glad to see you still attend the board, as I'd seen your posts from 2005. I turned out the fire on the last paying passenger train on 3 September, 1984. I moved to Prattville, AL after, and in 1987 visited Mr. Hallmark and the trains on his estate. A group in Calera ran #7 for awhile, I believe, though I had moved back to PC before that.

My brother had married the daughter of Guy and Lois Churchwell, and they were like my second parents. Sadly, Mr. Churchwell passed away a few years ago, and Mrs. Churchwell just two weeks ago. They ran the railroad themselves for its last 10 years, but the property value was escalating, and that property sold with Long Beach Resort in 1984. Mr. Wilbur Golson was a very good friend of mine. He even made many sound recordings of my signature whistle call. I'd really like to get those. In the triple-header photos, I'm driving #7.

Since we didn't have digital cameras back then, I have very few pictures of my participation from 1975 to 1984, but a lot of good memories. You know, you lament being that close to live steam and not knowing about it, let me tell you - I begged the local model railroad club members to come out and learn to drive the train (I needed relief help in the worst way), but couldn't get a dang soul interested! Guess they just wanted to play.

Now, my company magazine is doing an article on me, because I'm a mechanical engineer who happens to be a REAL engineer also. Unfortunately, I don't have a single good picture of me on the train that I can find. Somebody out there has one, cause I gave a LOT of people cab time. Seems like somebody in Montgomery even told me they had video. Anyway, happy to chat about it ANYTIME!

[Tommy Gray]

Would your first name be Myron? Mr. Golson spoke of you in his letters to me. Mr. Golson and I wrote back and forth when I was in High School. He even wrote in one of his letters the start up process, running, and shut down process he followed at PJRR. As a High School senior, I wanted to go to PC and talk with the Churchwells about learning to run the train, as I lived about an hour and half from PC. Mr. Golson encouraged me to do that and said there might even be a cottage on property there that I might be able to stay for the season. My parents didn't encourage me in that, now I wish I had at least tried, oh well. The fact that you gave many cab rides seems to confirm that the whole operation was really friendly. I just wish I had walked the line and taken photos, never did that. As to photos, Mr. Golson did give me one of the triple header, but in order to get all three locomotives in the picture, you can't really make out facial features of the crews. If you ever do find any video, please let me know, I'll gladly pay for a copy. Do the Hallmarks ever steam up the 7 anymore? I would really like to be there for that.

[unclemymy]

Yes, I'm Myron. Mr. Golson was highly regarded at the PJ & GT RR, and one of the best guys you could know.

I was always looking for somebody to teach, as I'd mentioned in an earlier post, we always needed help. It wasn't something you could do for a living, but it was the coolest second job/hobby in the world! We did have a number of college kids take up with us in the summertime. We had one great big teenager from Norcross, GA, who came so often, and worked on the engine so faithfully, that I was allowed to not only teach him to drive the train, but even to let him make one full run by himself to earn his complete "license". He was 15!

I've got belt buckles given to me by real trainmasters, as I'd always bring railroad people up to the cab. They all got to ride for free. Of course, I'll have to admit that pretty girls had the best chance of riding in the cab (so sue me). And everybody got to blow the whistle.

Next time you're coming near PC, drop me a line. We can walk some of the old ROW, and I have found spikes in years past.

Good talking to you, Tommy.

[p51]

Have you seen some of the shots that the FL state archives has?
http://www.floridamemory.com/solr-search/results/...

You know, you lament being that close to live steam and not knowing about it, let me tell you - I begged the local model railroad club members to come out and learn to drive the train (I needed relief help in the worst way), but couldn't get a dang soul interested! Guess they just wanted to play.

I wouldn't have been much help to you had I known of your plight. I wasn't yet ten years old when that operation went under, I think!
But yeah, it pains me greatly to know there was real steam not that far away and we never went. The only steam I saw in Florida until the NS started bring excursions to Jacksonville was 4501 passing through on a one-time-only ferry move on the SCL through Tallahassee and the Freedom Train pulled by 4449 I think the fall of the year after that. I would have been 6 and 7 when those runs occured.

[Tommy Gray]

Thanks for the reminder of the FL state resources. There are some really good black & white photos of the early days of the PJ operation. I believe there are some mislabled photos there, too. Tombstone Territory is/was listed as trains at PJRR.
Myron, Mr. Golson spoke highly of you in one of his letters. Speaking of Mr. Golson and his Disney trip, he took several photos of the Disney trains. He sent me several copies, one of which is the Lilly Belle and the others are of the Fort Wilderness RR. I believe Mr. Golson's son has all his father's photos.