Fate, if not concerted human intervention, has preserved this old FEC depot. The town of Princeton was a stop on the FEC's Florida City branch, and its depot was removed in the 1960's to Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. This was where a very narrow-guage tour train encircled a charming little zoo. The depot acted as a station for the train and kept company with an old Atlantic Coast Line caboose also moved there. By the 1980's the zoo eventually ran down and was closed, the narrow guage tracks were removed, and local railroad activists suceeded in getting the depot and the caboose moved to its present site at the Gold Coast museum around 1985, thus preventing their destruction (Click here to see what's left of the original railroad at Crandon Park today).

Famous FEC survivor #113 rounds out her years with sister #153 at the museum. Built in 1913, this 4-6-2 saw plenty of action on the Overseas Extension before 1935. Both locomotives did later service at a sugar factory and would have been doomed if not donated to the museum at the end of their service years. Before the hurricane in 1992, service meant sharing tour trip schedules with an old GM diesel switcher. Presently 113 is out of service.

View of the museum's tracks just opposite the shed view above. The GCRR Museum has a rich assortment of locomotives and rolling stock under their care, besides the ex-FEC equipment. The tracks curve to the right to meet the ex-SCL Florida City branch beyond the trees.