WINTER PARK, Fla. — A video production telling the story of Florida’s historic trains will premiere at Mead Botanical Garden in Winter Park at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13. The one-hour documentary, Selling Sunshine: Florida Trains, is produced by Rich Luckin of Luckin Productions in conjunction with Kalmbach Publishing’s Trains Magazine and Pete Hansen.
The program explores why railroads moved to Florida and will tell the story about two major Florida rail developers — Henry Flagler and Henry Plant. Another chapter will discuss some of the brightly colored diesel streamliners that rolled over Florida rails in the late 1930s.
The film is narrated by television star Michael Gross from Family Ties.
In addition to its October debut, the film will be circulated throughout PBS affiliates statewide and across the country beginning in late fall. The DVD is also available from Trains Magazine.
Hopefully, BrightLine will restore some of the lost glory of Florida passenger trains.