Jessup, GA   May 9

Just north of Callahan mountains of dark brown earth arose to my left. Tractor-trailers loaded with what looked like dirt were pulling in amongst the mountains. Bulldozers and backhoes lumbered around the trucks as they dumped their loads. This was George B. Wittmer’s Agricycle Farm. Wittmer supplies The Scotts Company/Miracle Grow, GreenLeaf, Jungle Grow, Purcell Soils, and others with the essential bulk components of their top soil, potting soil, bedding, ornamental, and related consumer product lines found at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and various other retail outlet chains. The field was a 200-acre steaming compost heap, some of which you will likely use or have used.

I passed out of Florida and into the piney woodlands of southeastern Georgia.   For miles on both sides of the road millions of pines marched in orderly fashion into the rising morning mist.

I was intrigued enough by the billboard as I entered Folkston, GA that I stopped and asked why the town claimed to be the “Best place to train watch.”  I was directed two blocks over to the rail tracks “…and ask anybody who’s sittin’ there to tell ya’.” 

Mike Lynch was sitting there, there being a very well constructed train observation platform within 20 yards of two sets of tracks. Lynch had a notebook computer resting on the railing and had www.trainwatch.com and www.trainviewer.com on the screen. The platform speakers were on so he could hear train engineers talking to their command centers. The websites keep track of every train in the country, and some even have cameras so you can see the trains as they pass particular points.

“The next one through will be a small CSX freighter going south,” he told me.  Less than a minute later the crossing gate bells sounded to the north of us and the approaching diesel let go with several long blasts.

More than 70 trains (passenger, freight, coal, tankers, automobile) a day pass through the Folkston Funnel, a convergence of tracks from the Northeast and Midwest, all heading into or out of Florida. ‘You can see the (Tropicana) Juice Train move through here every evening headed for New Jersey. Every morning it returns empty, headed for Bradenton to pick up another load,” said Lynch.

Folkston also claims to be the entrance to the Okefenokee Swamp.

According to the platform registration book people come from all over the country to train watch in Folkston. They do so comfortably: the platform has ceiling fans for the hot days and warm nights; lights and electric outlets are available; and flood lights shine on the tracks from each end of the platform for night viewing. A picnic table and grill are also available.