Gulf & Ohio Railways

Wiregrass Central Railroad

812 North Main Street

Enterprise, AL 36330

The Wiregrass Central Railroad (WGCR) is a 23.2-mile shortline running from the CSX Dothan Subdivision interchange at Waterford, AL to the city of Enterprise, AL to the west. Primary traffic includes inbound grain for a major feed mill at Enterprise and shipments of peanut products in and out of the large peanut processors that also call the western most town home. G&O Railways owner Pete Claussen, a Memphis, TN area railroad attorney, purchased it from Seaboard System RR (predecessor to CSX) in 1987. At its start-up, WGCR became the third railroad in a triad of lines Claussen used to establish what is now known as the Gulf & Ohio Railways group of shortlines that are now spread across five states. The other two lines of this triad were the Mississippi Delta Railroad (MSDR) based in Clarkesville, MS (his first) and the Alabama & Florida Railroad (AFLR) out of Opp, AL (now sold).

Typical train movements have remained much the same as from the beginning with M-F switching of Enterprise area industry and movements to and from the CSX interchange wye at Waterford several times a week as needed. Enterprise still maintains its original depot, now maintained as the Coffee County Historical Society. WGCR is headquartered just west of downtown in a spartan block building complete with a semaphore order signal. Power lying over can usually be found at the headquarters building, or several hundred yards west at the open-air service siding near the physical end of the line (The line used to continue west to Clintonville, AL but was taken up soon after the WGCR started operations.). For those seeking traces of history, WGCR still maintains an ancient Georgia Railroad 40FT boxcar as a storage barn on trucks left by Seaboard System RR when it vacated the property.

The paint scheme of the WGCR has changed several times in the years since 1987. It originally shared a common scheme with the MSDR and the AFLR, consisting of solid red with yellow and/or white accents. Bold white hood-door length locomotive numbers on the end of the long hood of each unit gave the original Claussen scheme its own distinction, and bound each variation by unit or railroad to a common theme. THE WGCR operation was launched from the neighboring AFLR, and its first units were a collection of GP-9s from SP or Chessie (B&O/C&O). Where AFLR got many of the former Chessie units and used bright reddish orange with yellow accents complementing an L&N-like emblem, WGCR received mostly ex-SP units in oxide red with white using a stylized lettering version of their name as a logo. Power over the years included several ex-ICG and MKT Geeps, a former GA GP-7, an ex-ICG GP-40, and its current complement of former NS and NSRR (the shortline) GP-38s. The influx of black former IC-Paducah units during the early 1990s changed the red scheme to black and then to charcoal gray. At that point, the respective logos of each operating railroad in the Claussen fold were traded for a new GM&O inspired winged logo, which Claussen used as his corporate identity known as Gulf & Ohio Railways. G&O railroads are now only distinguished by the cursive spelling of their name applied under the G&O wings below the cab windows. Despite these changes, G&O still uses the tall white hood numbers that historically make Claussen's railroads unmistakable.

WGCR frequencies are 160.500 and 161.190. The track is jointed 80-110lb rail and is restricted to 10- 20mph over its length, taking a train nearly three hours to make a single trip from Waterford to Enterprise. Trains rate 3-4 units and max out between 20-50 cars due to the weight of the large cuts of grain hoppers carried. Railfanning can be done from the many side roads that follow the line through Enterprise, and between the Ft Rucker military reservation (the Army helicopter school is here with a great museum) and Waterford. Most decent photo opportunities exist in Enterprise, as most of the sections between Daleville and Waterford are partially obscured by houses or trees. The best pictures occur when taken south and east of the trains, making eastbound trains best for facing or three-quarters shots incorporating the train. Good shot are easily taken from public areas, making no need for trespassing. Crews and managers both friendly and determined, and this reflects in the continued success of the road.

CURRENT ROSTER

Unit Number	Type	Horsepower	Notes (heritage-general-paint)

3872	GP-9E	p3	1750	ex-SP unit –last operable of
original roster—Charcoal and

white in G&O winged	scheme

2886	GP-38	2000	ex-NS, exx-NSRR—came
from AGLF operation with
nose chopped there—NS patch
black with partial G&O winged
scheme (no logos)

2882	GP-38	2000	ex-NS, exx-NSRR—came from
AGLF operation—retains high
hood—NS patch black with
partial G&O winged scheme

2883	GP-38	2000	ex-NS, exx-NSRR—came from
AGLF operation—retains high
hood—full G&O winged scheme

2876	GP-9E p3	1750	ex-SP—stripped for parts and stored
near service area due to major failure
not listed officially—original oxide
red scheme—last unit so painted

WGCR also owns a few pieces of MofW machinery along with a WGCR lettered 50FT boxcar (storage), former GA 40ft MofW boxcar, and an unlettered 50ft tool car. The long hood of one of the original oxide red units was located on the AGLF in Albany, GA at this writing. It is noted that all remaining G&O owned equipment not sold in the Railnet purchase of the AGLF will be returned to the WGCR by early spring. This may include additional locomotives and rolling stock currently being used by Railnet while replacements can be found.