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44-563: Industrial customers include Pilgrim's Pride , Wayne Farms , and the Sessions Company . Primary commodities include peanuts, peanut oil, corn, soy, and grass seed, generating approximately 8,200 annual carloads in 2008. In April 2011, the Wiregrass Central was named as one of the three railroads being acquired by RailAmerica from Gulf and Ohio for $ 12.7 million following employee votes to unionize. In 2012, RailAmerica

88-436: A bright red paint scheme with large white identifying numbers on the long hoods of their units. As the parent G&O group rapidly expanded its locomotive fleet in the early to mid 1990s, it became uneconomical to repaint all new additions red, thus a flat black scheme was instead created while maintaining the large white long hood numbers. As the year 2000 neared, GP38 model locomotives became favored for day-to-day operations of

132-404: A derail at the entrance near Newton. The remaining portion of the line was sold by CSX to Gulf & Ohio subsidiary Wiregrass Central on December 11, 1987. The railroad was initially operated by L.A. Transportation and traffic included pulpwood, aggregates, and grain. On July 10, 1992, an additional segment running approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) from Clintonville to Enterprise was abandoned by

176-726: A strain of Listeria monocytogenes in the drain of one of their facilities. It was the largest food recall in the US at the time. The outbreak killed 7 people, sickened 46, and caused 3 miscarriages. In 2003, Pilgrim's Pride acquired Pierce Chicken (formerly owned by ConAgra Foods and before that part of Hester Industries). Pierce Chicken is best known for its brand-name Wing Dings, Wing Zings, and various other prepared food products. In May 2004, Pilgrim's Pride experienced an outbreak of avian influenza in Hopkins County in northeast Texas; 24,000 breeder hens were destroyed to contain

220-481: A woodyard near Clintonville (west of Enterprise), as well as additional peanut mills in Enterprise proper. With the decline in popularity of smaller volume railcar shipments during the 1990s, in addition to trucks being favored as a more flexible alternative to pulpwood shipment via railcar, these on line customers soon ceased rail shipments. This left only the current pair of feed mills and single peanut processor as

264-427: Is a supplier of Kentucky Fried Chicken and was named its "supplier of the year" in 1997. Other customers include Walmart , Publix , and Wendy's . By 2012, Pilgrim's was the exclusive rotisserie chicken supplier for Costco , supplying 50 million 3-pound marinated chickens, ready to be placed into a rotisserie . On October 12, 2002, Pilgrim's Pride recalled 27.4 million pounds of sliced deli poultry after finding

308-486: Is provided by a pair of Genesse & Wyoming corporate SW1500 locomotives. Under previous ownership, the Wiregrass Central utilized corporate Gulf & Ohio covered hopper cars carrying sister railroad reporting marks of AGLF or MSDR, and later LXOH, the reporting marks of another G&O operation in Kentucky. The Genesee & Wyoming acquisition of the short line included the fleet of covered hoppers, which converted

352-413: Is served daily by the railroad. Other traffic sources include temporary railcar storage and occasional transloading operations near the physical end of the property. Historically the shortline was operated by an assortment of EMD GP9 , GP38 or GP40 locomotives. Other models, such as GP7s and a GP8 were also present during the course of Gulf & Ohio ownership. Originally, the Wiregrass Central maintained

396-598: Is the largest manufacturer of refrigerated van trailers in the United States. Utility was founded in 1914, by brothers H. C. Bennett and E. W. Bennett. Before founding Utility, the two brothers had previously owned a lumber business in Phoenix, Arizona . After selling off that company, the two purchased the assets of a wagon company in Los Angeles and incorporated a new company there. The name Utility

440-690: The Clearfield, Utah , Atkins, Virginia , and Piedras Negras, Mexico plants.  Utility's dry vans are manufactured at the Glade Spring, Virginia and Paragould, Arkansas plants. Utility also manufactures several flatbed models including an aluminum/steel combination flatbed, an all-steel flatbed, drop decks, and curtainsided trailers, all produced at the Enterprise, Alabama facility. The company's manufacturing plant in Clearfield, Utah,

484-579: The Seaboard Coast Line the railroad was operated in a similar fashion to the ACL, with a local freight daily, with the exception of Sundays. Under the SCL, the local train numbers changed to 639 and 638 respectively. Employee timetables of the era scheduled departure of the local in the early morning from Dothan , exiting the mainline at Waterford - a wye junction near Newton - beginning its journey on

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528-718: The 1960s, when it began its gradual expansion east of the Rocky Mountains. By the mid-1990s, most of the company's business was in the East Coast as opposed to the west, although its base of operations remained in the City of Industry in Los Angeles County . Utility has six trailer manufacturing facilities in North America. Utility's single temp and multi-temp refrigerated trailers are manufactured at

572-539: The Enterprise Subdivision was placed under the Mobile Division, and scheduled trains based on timetable and train order authority were replaced by direct traffic control systems. CSX maintained the tradition of predecessor railroads by launching a daily local train from Dothan to work the branch then return the same day. With the relinquishment of the line from CSX control, interchange service

616-477: The Gulf & Ohio group came and went frequently throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the Wiregrass Central remain unchanged. However, in 2011, along with fellow Gulf & Ohio subsidiaries Conecuh Valley Railroad and Three Notch Railroad , RailAmerica took ownership and responsibility of the Wiregrass Central. The following year, the large, rapidly expanding Genesse & Wyoming group acquired RailAmerica, placing

660-738: The Pilgrim's Pride plant in Cold Spring, Minnesota , which employs about 1,100 workers. On the same day, 75 to 85 cars filled with workers drove around the plant, honking horns and demanding over a loudspeaker that it be closed for two weeks. At least one worker tested positive at the Pilgrim's Pride plant in Chattanooga and other workers tested positive at the company's plant in Timberville, Virginia , where dozens of workers protested in early April 2020. The company has declined to release

704-654: The Pilgrim's Pride plant in Lufkin, Texas . On May 8, a worker at the Lufkin plant was found dead in her home after being diagnosed with COVID-19. After the West Virginia National Guard conducted coronavirus tests of 520 (out of 940) workers at the Pilgrim's Pride plant in Moorefield, West Virginia , 18 workers tested positive. By May 11, 2020, 194 COVID-19 cases had been diagnosed among workers at

748-562: The Wiregrass Central under new corporate ownership. As of early 2015, G&W continues to operate the shortline. Passenger train service was provided until August 16, 1954, when the Atlantic Coast Line cancelled mixed train operations over the branch. Instead, a local freight originated from Dothan as train 539 westbound, and returned eastbound as train 538 after making the trip to Elba. Train order offices were located at Daleville, Enterprise, and Elba during this period. Under

792-481: The Wiregrass Central, prompted by the closure of a woodyard at the end of the line. Shortly after the Genesee & Wyoming acquisition of the line, another short portion of the extreme west of the railroad was administratively abandoned, as rails had been removed to repair other spots on the line years prior. From 1987 until 2011, ownership was maintained by parent company Gulf & Ohio. Although sister operations in

836-529: The appointment of Fabio Sandri as CEO, replacing Jayson Penn. Penn went on leave in June following an indictment earlier this year on charges of price-fixing and bid-rigging. In February 2021, Pilgrim's Pride agreed to pay a $ 107 million fine on charges of bid rigging and price fixing. In May 2023, undercover footage taken by Joey Carbstrong at a Pilgrim's Pride pig slaughterhouse in the United Kingdom

880-440: The bags of feed they sold, thereby expanding their business. Bo, wearing traditional Pilgrim clothing, with a pet chicken named "Henrietta" under his arm, was featured in Pilgrim's Pride advertisements. He became the president of the company after Aubrey died of a heart attack in 1966. Today, Pilgrim's Pride is vertically integrated , meaning the company has its own divisions for every process from "egg to table". Pilgrim's Pride

924-401: The bird. Protein conversion uses techniques to convert inedible parts of the animal, for example keratin in feathers and skin, into digestible protein to be used for livestock and pet food. On December 4, 2006, Pilgrim's Pride announced the successful acquisition of Gold Kist (formerly the third largest chicken company) for $ 21.00 a share. Although there was initial resistance from Gold Kist,

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968-801: The board members of both companies voted unanimously to combine the two companies. On December 17, 2007, Pilgrim's Pride's CEO , O.B. Goolsby Jr., died after suffering a stroke while on a hunting trip in South Texas with customers. On April 16, 2008, after an investigation US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided plants in Batesville, Arkansas ; Live Oak, Florida ; Chattanooga, Tennessee ; Mount Pleasant, Texas ; and Moorefield, West Virginia . Officials arrested 311 foreign national employees on suspicion of identity theft . Of those employees, 91 were formally charged. On December 1, 2008, Pilgrim's Pride filed for bankruptcy. On May 27, 2014,

1012-477: The branch to Enterprise in order to deliver the train to the feed mill and is promptly unloaded for the return trip. Corn and soybean products are blended at the mills to produce animal feed, and this combined rail traffic provides the bulk of the volume the Wiregrass Central moves on an annual basis. In addition to feed mill operations, peanut products originate from the Sessions mill on the west side of town, which

1056-457: The capacity to process about 36 million birds per week resulting in almost 9.5 billion pounds of live chicken annually. Pilgrim's Pride products are distributed primarily through foodservice and retail outlets. Pilgrim's traces its origins to a feed store opened in 1946 in Pittsburg, Texas , by Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim and his older brother, Aubrey. They were known to give away free chicks with

1100-498: The cars to carry the namesake reporting marks of WGCR. These cars are primarily utilized by the Sessions Peanut Company, with additional cars held in reserve near the end of the Wiregrass Central's property in Enterprise. Pilgrim%27s Pride Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is an American, multi-national food company, currently one of the largest chicken producers in the United States and Puerto Rico and

1144-502: The company announced a $ 6.4 billion cash and debt offer to acquire the shares in Hillshire Brands . A rival bid from Tyson Foods came two days later. On June 9, 2014, the company announced it was withdrawing its bid for Hillshire after Tyson Foods had increased its offer to $ 8.55 billion. On July 21, 2017, the company's co-founder, Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim, died at the age of 89. On September 23, 2020, Pilgrim's Pride announced

1188-480: The company following the incident; none of the employees faced any criminal charges. Pilgrim's is also a supplier of cattle feed to various ranching operations in East Texas . The supply of cattle feed was criticized because of the alleged use of "inedible" chicken parts being used for protein content. This is a common practice in the poultry industry known as protein conversion, so as to profit from all parts of

1232-606: The creation of the Seaboard System. Dorsey trailers operated one of the largest trailer manufacturing facilities in the U.S. at Elba, and provided many piggyback trailers for the SCL among other railroads. Later, Utility Trailer opened a plant at Enterprise and constructed a piggyback ramp served by the railroad. Shortly following creation of the Seaboard System railroad from the Family Lines conglomerate,

1276-577: The designated Elba subdivision of the Waycross division. The local train, or "turn" as it was commonly referred to on account of the train being turned (either via wye or runaround track) at the end of the line. The "Elba turn" ended its westbound trip at the large Dorsey Trailer facility at the namesake city, Elba, where an additional wye allowed the train to be turned for the return trip east towards Enterprise and eventually Dothan. This routine as established by timetable remained relatively unchanged through

1320-678: The largest meat processor in the world, and the largest by revenue. Currently JBS USA Holdings, Inc. owns 78.5% of the company. As a result, Pilgrim's Pride closed its corporate offices in Texas and Georgia and moved its headquarters to Greeley, Colorado . The move caused the former headquarters in Pittsburg, Texas , and a location in nearby Mt. Pleasant, Texas , to cut employment by a total of 160 people. Other locations which lost jobs included sites in Atlanta , Dallas , and Broadway, Virginia . In late April 2020, an outbreak of COVID-19 began at

1364-413: The line from 1902 until 1967 when it was merged with the Seaboard Coast Line . Additional changes came in 1983 with the creation of the Seaboard System and in 1986 it became CSX Transportation . The Seaboard System formally filed to cut the line back 16.1 miles (25.9 km) to Clintonville on August 13, 1984 and designated the remaining 22.3 miles (35.9 km) as an industrial spur , protected by

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1408-703: The number of cases in Timberville. Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company is an American semi-trailer truck dry van, flatbed , and refrigerated van trailer manufacturing company, with its headquarters in the City of Industry , Los Angeles County, California , and sales office in Alpharetta, Georgia and a Parts Distribution Center in Batavia, Ohio . The company also designs and manufactures dry freight vans, curtainsided trailers , and aerodynamic technologies. It

1452-505: The outbreak. On July 20, 2004, PETA released a video showing cruelty to chickens at a Pilgrim's Pride plant in West Virginia . The video showed Pilgrim Pride employees strangling, stomping, and flinging live chickens into a wall. Pilgrim's Pride investigated, dismissed 11 employees including managers, and has provided ongoing animal welfare training to its work force after KFC owner Yum Brands threatened to cease purchasing from

1496-420: The railroad, with the remaining older locomotives placed in storage or scrapped at Enterprise. Following acquisition of the line by Genesse & Wyoming in 2012, a pair of Larry's Truck Electric (LTEX) GP15-1 locomotives were used for day-to-day operations, while CSX locomotives, typically a trio of six axle power, bring unit corn trains to and from the feed mill located in Enterprise. Currently, motive power

1540-562: The remaining source of daily traffic by 1996. The Wiregrass Central supports unit corn trains destined for the Wayne Farms mill at Enterprise. As of early 2016, unit corn trains arrive weekly during the off season, with corn being purchased locally during harvest periods, negating the need for unit train deliveries during that time. Under the terms of the standard Grain Express unit train contract, six-axle CSX run through power traverses

1584-560: The second-largest chicken producer in Mexico . It exited bankruptcy in December 2009 and relocated its U.S. headquarters to Greeley, Colorado , in 2011. It is majority-owned by JBS S.A. Pilgrim's Pride purchased Gold'n Plump for $ 350 million in late November 2016. Pilgrim's Pride is a multi-national corporation and employs about 38,000 people with sales of $ 8.1 billion in 2012, and has operations in 12 states, Mexico and Puerto Rico. It has

1628-486: The subdivision. A local road switch engine was maintained at Enterprise through much of the 1980s in order to service local industries within the city limits and to lighten the workload for the daily local turn that operated over the branch. CSX Transportation briefly operated the line from its creation in July, 1986 until December 1987, when it was sold to the current shortline operator, Wiregrass Central railroad. Under CSX,

1672-477: The tracks between Elba and Clintonville were abandoned. The last train movement over this portion of the branch line occurred in 1984. By 1985, the abandoned portion was removed from SBD timetables. As a result of this abandonment and corporate reorganization, the subdivision was placed under the Jacksonville division in 1985, with the remainder of the branch being designated the Enterprise subdivision as Elba

1716-585: Was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming , which is the current operator of the railroad. The Southwestern Alabama Railway was a Plant System subsidiary and completed its line in 1898, connecting Elba to the Alabama Midland Railway ; both companies were later absorbed by the Atlantic Coast Line . Prior to the arrival of the SWA the region surrounding Elba and Enterprise had only hosted logging railroads. The Atlantic Coast Line maintained control of

1760-462: Was adopted after the company had pivoted toward the manufacturing of trailers for the burgeoning diesel truck market of the early 20th century; most of Utility's clientele were California's original utility companies , and the name stuck. Ownership of Utility has remained within the Bennett family since its founding. The company's operations remained localized within the western United States until

1804-441: Was instead made at Waterford, with the local road freight picking up or setting out cars for the shortline to retrieve. This practice continued unchanged through 2016. Current rail customers served by the Wiregrass Central remain relatively unchanged from the initial startup of the operation in 1987. However, during the first five years of existence, the railroad served an aggregates consumer closer to Daleville, carried pulpwood from

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1848-432: Was no longer served by the railroad. Under the Seaboard System, the northbound local was numbered 742, with the return trip to Dothan via Waterford numbered 743. The Seaboard System designated the branch as an industrial spur, protected by a derail at Waterford. This exempted the local train operating the line from timetable and train order authority while on the branch and allowed free movement to work various industries along

1892-544: Was opened up in 1993, occupying a 58 acres (230,000 m ) plot of land. In 1994, they opened up the Atkins, Virginia, plant, occupying 55 acres (220,000 m ) there. After the city of Clearfield denied them a permit to expand their operations beyond their plot of land in 1998, Utility opened up the Glade Spring, Virginia, facility in 1999. The company also has an independent dealer network in over 100 locations in

1936-440: Was released. The video shows pigs being lowered into carbon dioxide to stun the animals prior to being slaughtered. The investigation showed that many pigs remain conscious throughout the process. Campaigners described the treatment as "utterly inhumane". On September 17, 2009, JBS USA Holdings, Inc. announced the purchase of 64% of the shares of Pilgrim's Pride. JBS USA. is a subsidiary of Brazilian multinational JBS S.A. ,

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