Southeast Kansas

Company History: SEKR opened in 1987 when local interests bought the 104 mile former Missouri Pacific branch between Coffeyville, Kansas and Nassau Junction, Missouri from Union Pacific. In 1990, they added a 26 mile former M-K-T route from Coffeyville to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Traffic included coal, coke, grain, sand, lumber, and plastics. Four GP7’s, three CF7’s and an RS-3M were used on the line. In 1999, the railroad was sold to the Watco shortline group who merged it with their South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad.

Successor/Parent History: The SKOL was established in 1987 by the Watco shortline group to take over more than 300 miles of former Santa Fe branchlines in Oklahoma and Kansas. In 1999, the Southeast Kansas Railroad was merged into SKOL. Today the network exceeds 400 miles requiring a fleet of 30 locomotives to keep things moving. Traffic includes grain, cement, coal, chemicals, steel and plastics. They also do a brisk business in oversize loads.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.