BY ANDY TAYLOR

chronicle@taylornews.org

CHERRYVALE — The Cherryvale area as well as South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, which has Cherryvale as its headquarters, will be the primary beneficiaries of a $10.2 million federal grant designed to enhance the railroad’s system in southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma.

The Kansas Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that it had been awarded a $10.2 million federal Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery II (TIGER II) grant that will be solely used to assist the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad with its rail operations in the Cherryvale area.  The South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is headquartered in Cherryvale and extends through southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma. The short-line railroad is a subsidiary of Watco Transportation, Inc., which is based in Pittsburg, Kan.

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BY ANDY TAYLOR
chronicle@taylornews.org

CHERRYVALE — Construction of the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad’s new railyard began Tuesday when the first clumps of dirt were turned at a ceremony attended by dignitaries and dozens of railroad employees.

The new switch yard — where freight cars will be switched on a daily basis — will be built at an area four miles north of Cherryvale. The switch yard will be located easet of U.S. 169 highway and south of U.S. 400 highway between county roads 5800 and 6000. The switch yard will include as many as six miles of switching tracks for the transfer and exchange of as many as 50,000 rail cars per year, said Rick Webb, chief executive officer of Watco, Inc., the parent company of the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad.
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COFFEYVILLE — Flames heavily damaged an abandoned railroad warehouse structure in Coffeyville early Tuesday morning, Aug. 11.

The rear portion of the former Missouri Pacific freight house, located at South Walnut and 12th streets, was destroyed by fire, leaving only the original freight house offices remaining intact.

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INDEPENDENCE — County commissioners Monday cleaned up language in its recent decision to close county road 5800 north of Cherryvale.
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BY ANDY TAYLOR

CHERRYVALE — Voices of protest concerning the proposed closure of county road 6000 north of Cherryvale has prompted the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad to seek another possible location for its rail switch yard.
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