Wiregrass Central

[SCL]

The Wiregrass Central runs on 18 miles of track from a connection with CSX to the small town of Enterprise, Ala. They used to run out to the tiny hamlet of Clintonville to retrieve pulpwood racks and grass seed hoppers, but that stopped in the early 1990's.

Early power was a mix of ex-SP GP9E and GP9R locomotives. Also present was a Georgia GP7, which retained its GA paint throughout its service.





(Both taken by Lon Coone, part of my slide collection)



(Alan Miller photo, also part of my collection)


The days of the GP9's are long gone, now they run an assortment of ex-C&O and ex-B&O straight GP40's.





I know it is a bit hard to see, but look at the size of that spark arrestor! Also note that dynamic brakes and the turbocharger has been removed.

Additionally, they have a pair of ex-SOU high hood GP38AC locomotives. #2829 and #2866.



And finally, an ex-CN GP40-2LW. Quite the ugly duckling of the fleet, but man does it look sharp in the G&O paint scheme! This locomotive is probably the first ever on this railroad to have a snowplow.



Unfortunately for these folks, I believe this railroads days are numbered. Their biggest customer receives unit grain from somewhere in Michigan, and they are relocating to the CSX mainline. We'll have to see how things pan out for these guys..

Quite the little shortline, I hope to model one of their GP40's and a couple older GP9 units.

[NCCR 2580]

Nice photos! I hope they hang around for a while! That would be a nice little thing to model! I always thought it was neat as hell they had the Georgia 1026 and kept in such good condition. There were a few of those old geeps on the GFRR that the red paint from those schemes were beging to show through. With the G&O at the helm there now, may be they will make it, I hope... I like those old NS GP38ACs, They are perfect for that line. I think it was the 9702 which that is it's old CSXT MofW number, Any way. I think it was the one I caught on a south bound CSX train south of Manchester a few years back. It had just been repainted.

[CIOR]

I grew up running the NS 2800 series GP38AC's. They could keep their own on the locals (made good solid reliable power for that type work).

Before I scrolled down too far I could tell by the numbers that it was a G&O operation.
Interesting to see.

[gtw4633]

If the grain trains are all CSX hoppers, mostly former SBD cars I've seen those cars a lot. They come off a shortline here. The Great Lakes Central, or the Former Ann Arbor line. Although I think the specific place the cars go is off the old NYC? Line

[Randy Earle]

Neat shots! I like that wide cab.

[SCL]

Time to take the defibrillator to this thread..

Atlas announced it will produce GP38s in the Wiregrass Central paint scheme, covering #2829 and #2866. Ironically, #2829 left the property now that traffic is dead. I have not seen #2866 at Enterprise, so it must have left as well.

www.atlasrr.com/HOLoco/hogp38406.htm

Looking at the graphic, some of the details are wrong, looks like it will need quite a few SOU specific details, as well as some G&O modifications (giant spark arrestors anyone?).

[SCL]

Jun 25, 2009 15:52:46 GMT -5 @cp9302 said:

You can probably expect them to do the 9519 in the future when they officially announce the GP40-2W's.

Nice photos. I love CN widecabs, no matter what road they currently roam...

They actually have two more widecabs, 9554 and 9580. I would not mind seeing Atlas put the WGC paint scheme on the new 40LWs, saves me the trouble of kitbashing one. I appreciate their recognition of the railroad, but I doubt producing this paint scheme is going to net them much in terms of sales...