BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

CHERRYVALE — City councilors on Monday threw their support for Watco, Inc., which is the parent company of the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, to seek a federal grant that, if awarded, would help the company relocate the railroad company’s switching yard.

Councilors learned that Watco was applying to the Federal Railroad Administration for funds that would be used to buy property and erect a switching yard in an area generally located between U.S. 169 and U.S. 400 northwest of Cherryvale. Watco’s current switching yard, located in the middle of the downtown business district, has been the subject of consternation and frustration for community residents and the railroad company because of blocked crossings and long delays in switching cars.

Last year, Watco announced plans to seek property north of Cherryvale for a possible switching yard. However, the area along SKO lines between Cherryvale and Neodesha may pose a better option for a switching yard’s location, councilors learned on Monday.

Watco officials were in rural Cherryvale on Monday to begin the process of talking to property owners in the planned area about the prospects of locating the switch yard to that vicinity. Watco officials envision having all switching taking place in that new rail yard, which would eliminate the blocked crossings and long delays in the downtown business district. However, the SKO Railroad would still use the main line in the downtown railroad yard to send trains to various destinations in Kansas and Oklahoma.

The City of Cherryvale is not contributing any money to Watco’s plans, however councilors approved a resolution attesting to their support for the company’s plans to seek federal government funds for the switching yard’s relocation.