Overseas Railroad

Overseas Highway and Railway Bridges
Florida East Coast Railway
Key West Extension
express train at sea
crossing Long Key Viaduct
Overseas Railroad is located in Florida
Overseas Railroad
Overseas Railroad is located in the United States
Overseas Railroad
LocationBridges on U.S. 1 between Long and Conch Key, Knight and Little Duck Key, and Bahia Honda and Spanish Key, Florida Keys, Florida
Coordinates24°42′42″N 81°7′23″W / 24.71167°N 81.12306°W / 24.71167; -81.12306
Area30.2 acres (12.2 ha)
Built1905–1912
ArchitectFlorida East Coast Railway; Overseas Highway & Toll Bridge Comm.
Architectural styleArch, Girder & Truss Spans
NRHP reference No.79000684[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 13, 1979

The Overseas Railroad (also known as Florida Overseas Railroad, the Overseas Extension, and Flagler's Folly) was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city located 128 miles (206 km) beyond the end of the Florida peninsula. Work on the line started in 1905[2] and it operated from 1912 to 1935, when it was partially destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane. Some of the remaining infrastructure was used for the Overseas Highway.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Born GW (2003)Historic Florida Keys: an illustrated history of Key West & the Keys, HPN Books P47