Short Line Railroads in Kansas
Short Line Railroads are the first and last mile of a rail network, according to Ed McKechnie who represented Watco. In this segment of his oral history interview, McKechnie explains why they are vital to Kansas. They are essential for carrying a large volume of freight that would otherwise end up on the highways.
There are five operating short line railroads in Kansas, the largest being Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (KO), a subsidiary of Watco which took over the operations of the Central Kansas Railway (CKRY) on June 29, 2001. The CKRY property (which by this time included the merged Kansas Southwestern Railway) was purchased from OmniTRAX and named the Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad.
The KO consists of trackage radiating north and west from their headquarters at Wichita, Kansas. Most of this trackage was originally operated by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, although a few segments were originally operated by the Missouri Pacific.
The tracks Kansas & Oklahoma RR operates on also include portions of the former Missouri Pacific Kansas City to Pueblo main line in western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
This excerpt of an interview talks about the short line railroads in Kansas and their usefulness in a transportation system. Students can use the map to see which communities the Kansas & Oklahoma Short Line Railroad services. What other rail services, such as passenger service are available in these communities? How has the utilization of railroads changed in the last 100 years? Why does Mr. McKechnie believe that short line rail service will reduce congestion on the highways. Can you give examples of how transportation has changed in your life time? In your parents? Your grandparents?