Railroad. The lease of the SAL's Silver Springs Branch was transferred on August 19, 1915. A short branchline was built from Rodman Junction to Rodman. and many logging lines were built to connect to the OVRR. Passenger service was also provided. H.S. Cummings no doubt knew of 'Billy' the railroad goat. Billy belonged to the daughter of the railroads chief engineer and the day after the family's arrival in Fort Mc Coy the goat escaped and reboarded the next train out. The railroad crew knew who the little critter belonged to and promptly returned him on another train, further investigation proved Billy performed the entire feat without human assistance, in fact, it became a habit. The legend quickly spread and H.S. Cummings snapped it up as a marketing tool. New settlers along the railroad were given their own baby 'Billy The Ocklawaha Valley Railroad Goat.' The truth may be stranger than fiction but Florida's first documented railroad enthusiast had 4 legs. The mill closed in 1922, and Cummings had grown ill. The railroad was sold at a bankruptcy auction. Each major railroad wanted the line, but they were all afraid of a bidding war, so they agreed to allow an independent company to win the auction unopposed. Unfortunately for them, that independent company, Assets Realization of New York, had bought it for scrap value. Residents and companies along the line and connecting railroads protested, and brought the case all the way to the Supreme Court, which ordered that it would not be abandoned. However, Assets Realization disobeyed the court and tore it up anyway in December 1922, leaving the Florida Railroad Commission "no recourse but to declare the Ocklawaha Valley Railroad abandoned". Today Several station foundations remain, and large parts of right-of-way are visible on aerial photos and on the ground. Parts of the right-of-way were used for CR 315 from Orange Springs to Kenwood and SR 19 into Palatka. Connections Connections were provided to every major railroad and one area shortline: Seaboard Air Line Railroad at Silver Springs Junction and Ocala (via leased trackage) Atlantic Coast Line Railroad at Palatka and Ocala (via leased trackage) Florida East Coast Railway at Palatka Southern Railway at Palatka Ocala and Southwestern Railroad at Ocala (via leased trackage) Stations References Sources All below sources are dead links. External links Ocklawaha Valley Railroad History Defunct Florida railroads 1914 establishments in Florida 1922 disestablishments in