Spirit of America Bookstore

Watco  Companies  [est. 1983]
Shortline Railroad Holding Company

Spirit of America's Shortline Railroads Page shortline history links shortline railroads shortline operators shortlines by state books & other media

short history transportation division mechanical division services division compliance division company executives links

Watco Transportation Services, LLC [est. 1983] based in Pittsburg, Kansas is the largest privately-owned shortline operator in the United States.
Watco Transportation is one of four divisions of Watco Companies; it operates 43 shortline railroads on 5,400 track miles in the U.S. and Australia.

Watco Companies official website
Watco Companies entry at Wikipedia

Watco Companies formed a strategic partnership in December 2010 with Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP [est. 1997] whereby Kinder Morgan will invest up to $150 million over the next year in Watco Companies in exchange for a preferred equity position in the company. Kinder Morgan purchased an initial $50 million in preferred shares in January 2011 and a further $50 million equity investment in December 2011; Kinder Morgan will receive 3.25% quarterly distribution on their equity investment.
official Kinder Morgan website • Kinder Morgan entry at Wikipedia

Watco Companies formed a strategic partnership in January 2019 with Oaktree Capital Management LP [est. 1995] of Los Angeles, California
Oaktree invested $450 million of private equity capital in the short line operator and gets two seats on the Watco board.
official Oaktree website • Oaktree entry at Wikipedia

Watco Companies signed an agreement in May 2019 with Meridian Energy Group, Inc. as rail logistics and management services provider
for the Davis Refinery in Belfield, North Dakota.
official Meridian Energy USA website • there is no Meridian Energy USA entry at Wikipedia

Watco  Transportation  Division

ABS: Alabama Southern Railroad [KCS lease 2005] in Louisiana & Mississippi
103-mile line originally contructed as part of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad in 1848; later part of Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O),
Illinois Central Railroad, the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, MidSouth Rail Corp., and the Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCS).
official Alabama Southern homepage at Watco website
Alabama Southern entry at Wikipedia

ABWR: Alabama Warrior Railway [acquired 8/2009] in Birmingham, Alabama
24-mile terminal service railroad built in 1895; formerly the Jefferson Warrior Railroad (JEFW), 1985-2005.
official Alabama Warrior Railway homepage at Watco website
Alabama Warrior Railway entry at Wikipedia

AA: Ann Arbor Railroad [purch 1/2013] in Michigan & Ohio
50-mile rail line from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Toledo, Ohio; portion of a rail line built in 1895; independent until 1905, then owned by Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railway (DTI),
Wabash Railroad (WAB), Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), Penn Central (PC), ceased operation in 1976; also owned by Conrail (CR) and the Michigan Interstate Railway (AA);
re-opened in 1988 as Ann Arbor Railroad; purchased by Watco in January 2013.
official Ann Arbor Railroad homepage at Watco website
historic Ann Arbor Railroad entry at Wikipedia
modern Ann Arbor Railroad entry at Wikipedia

ARS: Arkansas Southern Railroad [KCS lease 10/2005] in Arkansas & Oklahoma
62-mile line in two segments, leased from the Kansas City Southern in October 2005.
official Arkansas Southern Railroad homepage at Watco website
Arkansas Southern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

AWRR: Austin Western Railroad [contract 10/2007] in Texas
181-mile rail line built in 1871 as the Houston & Texas Central Railroad (H&TC), 1871-1927; owned by Texas & New Orleans Railroad
(T&NO), 1927-1986; trackage is now owned by Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Watco has a contract with them since October 2007.
official Austin Western Railroad homepage at Watco website
Austin Western Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Austin Western Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

AUT: Autauga Northern Railroad [NS lease 4/2011] in Alabama
53.7-mile rail line in two segments, both formerly GM&O; leased from Norfolk Southern & C.S.X. since April 2011.
official Autauga Northern Railroad homepage at Watco website
Autauga Northern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

BRS: Baton Rouge Southern Railroad [est. 11/2008] in Louisiana
1½-mile terminal services and car storage operation west of Brooklawn, Alabama.
official Baton Rouge Southern Railroad homepage at Watco website
Baton Rouge Southern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

        
BHRR: Birmingham Terminal Railway [purch 2/2012] in Alabama
76-mile rail line west of Birmingham; formerly Birmingham Southern Railroad [built 1879]; purchased by Watco in February 2012.
official Birmingham Terminal Railway homepage at Watco website
Birmingham Terminal Railway entry at Wikipedia

BLU: Blue Ridge Southern Railroad [purch 6/2014] in western North Carolina
93-mile rail line of three segments, each formerly Southern Railway & Norfolk Southern; 19.8-mile Pisgah Forest branch is out of service (2020).
official Blue Ridge Southern Railroad homepage at Watco website
Blue Ridge Southern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

BBAY: Bogalusa Bayou Railroad [est. 1/2015] in Louisiana
1-mile shortline that connects a paper plant with the Canadian National mainline.
official Bogalusa Bayou Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Bogalusa Bayou Railroad entry at Wikipedia

BVRR: Boise Valley Railroad [11/2009] in Idaho
68-mile shortline over two segments plus trackage rights from Nampa to Caldwell on the Union Pacific RR.
official Boise Valley Railroad homepage at Watco website
Boise Valley Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Boise Valley Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

CERR: Cicero Central Railroad [est. 10/2015] in Stickney, Illinois
1-mile shortline 'spun off' from the Canadian National mainline in October 2015
official Cicero Central Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Cicero Central Railroad entry at Wikipedia

DREI: Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad [est. 9/2018] in Illinois & Indiana
182-mile shortline made from two subdivisions purchased from C.S.X. in September 2018.
official Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad homepage at Watco website
Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

EIRR: Eastern Idaho Railroad [est. 11/1993] in Idaho
359-mile shortline made of two unconnected segments purchased from Union Pacific Railroad in November 1993.
official Eastern Idaho Railroad homepage at Watco website
Eastern Idaho Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Eastern Idaho Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

GOGR: Geaux Geaux Railroad [contract 1/2018] in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
26-mile shortline owned by Amzak Capital Management, LLC of Florida that is operated under a January 2018 contract with Watco.
official Geaux Geaux Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Geaux Geaux Railroad entry at Wikipedia

GDLK: Grand Elk Railroad [NS lease 3/2009] in Indiana & Michigan
151-mile shortline running from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Elkhart, Indiana
official Grand Elk Railroad homepage at Watco website
Grand Elk Railroad fansite {last update 2014?}
Grand Elk Railroad entry at Wikipedia

        
GRNW: Great Northwest Railroad [purch 3/2004] in southeast Washington State
77-mile shortline built as part of Camas Prairie Railroad Company [1909-2004]; purchased by Watco in March 2004.
official Great Northwest Railroad homepage at Watco website
Great Northwest Railroad entry at Wikipedia

ITHR: Ithaca Central Railroad [NS lease 12/2018] in New York & PA
48.8-mile shortline leased from Norfolk Southern Railway since December 2018.
official Ithaca Central Railroad homepage at Watco website
Ithaca Central Railroad entry at Wikipedia

JXPT: Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad [purch 3/2017] in Florida
10-mile shortline formerly Talleyrand Port Terminal Railroad [est. 7/1996]; purchased by Watco in March 2017.
official Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad homepage at Watco website
Talleyrand/Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad entry at Wikipedia

KNWA: Kanawha River Railroad [NS lease 5/2016] in Ohio & WV
315-mile shortline that runs south from Refugee, Ohio to Maben, WV; leased from Norfolk Southern Railway since May 2016, except for 6 miles leased from C.S.X.
official Kanawha River Railroad homepage at Watco website
Kanawha River Railroad entry at Wikipedia

KO: Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad [7/2001] within Kansas
840-mile shortline; formerly Central Kansas Railway (CKRY) purchased from OmniTrax in 2001; multiple segments and trackage rights obtained from
AT&SF and Missouri Pacific and Marion & McPherson Railroad [1879-1969].
official Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad homepage at Watco website
Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

        
KAW: Kaw River Railroad [purch 6/2004] in Missouri
KCT/KCTL: Kansas City Terminal Railway [purch 5/2006] in Missouri & Kansas
43-mile Kaw River Railroad was purchased from Kansas City Southern Railway in June 2004, and later expanded; Watco/KAW purchased
85-mile Kansas City Terminal Railway [est. 1906] in May 2006
official Kaw River Railroad homepage at Watco website
Kaw River Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Kansas City Terminal Railway entry at Wikipedia
Kaw River Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

LAS: Louisiana Southern Railroad [KCS lease 9/2005]
188-mile shortline made of two segments leased from Kansas City Southern Railway since September 2005.
official Louisiana Southern Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Louisiana Southern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

        
LBWR: Lubbock and Western Railway [purch 5/2015] in West Texas
163-mile shortline formerly the West Texas & Lubbock Railroad [built in 1910, purchased by AT&SF in 1915; sold to RailAmerica in November 1995
and to Iowa Pacific Holdings in 2004; purchased by Watco in May 2015 and renamed.
official Lubbock and Western Railway homepage at Watco website
West Texas & Lubbock Railway [1910-2015] entry at Wikipedia
Lubbock and Western Railway entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

MMT: Mission Mountain Railroad [purch 12/2004] in NW Montana
26-mile shortline built in 1904 as Great Northern mainline; purchased in December 2004 by Watco;
BNSF took back control of the 14-mile southern segment at Kalispell in April 2020.
official Mission Mountain Railroad homepage at Watco website
Mission Mountain Railroad entry at Wikipedia

MSR: Mississippi Southern Railroad [KCS lease 4/2005]
29-mile shortline operated by Watco on an April 2005 lease from Kansas City Southern.
official Mississippi Southern Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Mississippi Southern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

PSRR: Pacific Sun Railroad [BNSF lease 10/2008] in California
68-mile shortline running along the coast from San Onofre to Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Miramar in San Diego County, California with a branch inland to Escondido; line often
operates at night to accomodate Amtrak & MetroLink passenger trains; railroad service purchased in October 2008 from B.N.S.F., on lease for use of physical track.
official Pacific Sun Railroad homepage at Watco website
Pacific Sun Railroad entry at Wikipedia

        
PCC: Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad [100-year lease 1992] in Washington State
230-mile shortline formerly Spokane & Palouse Railway [1888-1996], Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway (WI&M) [1907-1962], Milwaukee Road [1962-1980], and Burlington Northern (BN) [1980-1996]; operated by PCC on a 100-year lease from Union Pacific Railroad, 1992-2006; operated on contract by W&IR, 2006-2019; new operator
Spokane, Spangle & Palouse Railway (SSP) took over in August 2019; PCC has trackage rights on U.P. to Wallula; PCC also operates a 7-mile railcar storage branch in Oregon;
Watco lists the PCC as owned by them (6/2020).
official Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad homepage at Watco website
Washington & Idaho Railway entry at Wikipedia
Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

PVS: Pecos Valley Southern Railway [U.P. lease 9/2012] in southwest Texas
33-mile shortline built in 1910; formerly operated by Capitol Aggregates; Watco leased line from Union Pacific Railroad in September 2012.
official Pecos Valley Southern Railway homepage at Watco website
Pecos Valley Southern Railway entry at Wikipedia
Pecos Valley Southern Railway entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

PSWR: Pennsylvania Southwestern Railroad [est. 4/2003] in western Pennsylvania
12-mile shortline primarily connecting the Allegheny Ludlum steel mill in Midland, PA with the Norfolk Southern Railway.
official Pennsylvania Southwestern Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Pennsylvania Southwestern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

SAC: San Antonio Central Railway [est. 9/2012] in Texas
8-mile shortline within Port San Antonio’s East Kelly Railport.
official San Antonio Central Railway homepage at Watco website
there is no San Antonio Central Railway entry at Wikipedia
San Antonio Central Railway entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

SVHO: Savannah & Old Fort Railroad [C.S.X. lease 8/2019] at the Savannah Wharf in Georgia
6.45-mile shortline formerly Golden Isles Terminal Railroad subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming; filings of August 2019 do not specify duration of the new lease from C.S.X.
official Savannah & Old Fort Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Savannah & Old Fort Railroad entry at Wikipedia

SKOL: South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad [est. 3/1987, merger 7/2000] in Kansas & Oklahoma
511-mile shortline that operates out of the historic Cherryvale Depot; SKOL merged with Southeast Kansas Railroad (SEKR) in July 2000.
official South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad homepage at Watco website
South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad entry at Wikipedia
South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

SLWC: Stillwater Central Railroad [leases 7/1998, 1/2002 & 1/2005] in Oklahoma
250-mile shortline in Oklahoma that runs from Sapulpa (Tulsa) south and west to Oklahoma City, Lawton/Fort Sill, Snyder, and Duke,
with a separate 25-mile branch from Pawnee to Stillwater.
official Stillwater Central Railroad homepage at Watco website
Stillwater Central Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Stillwater Central Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

SRRR: Swan Ranch Railroad [est. 12/2011] in Cheyenne, Wyoming
17-mile shortline built at Swan Ranch industrial park; expanded from 3¼ miles of track to current 17 miles.
official Swan Ranch Railroad homepage at Watco website
Swan Ranch Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Swan Ranch Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

        
TXN: Texas & New Mexico Railway [purch 5/2015]
111-mile shortline built 1928-1930 to serve the oil fields of west Texas and southeast New Mexico; runs from a Union Pacific connection at Monahans, Texas to Lovington, New Mexico; owned by Texas & Pacific Railway (TP) 1927-1976, Missouri Pacific Railroad (MP) 1976-1982, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) 1982-1989, RailTex 1989-1999, RailAmerica 1999-2002, and Permian Basin Railways 2002-2015; purchased by Watco in May 2015 and renamed.
official Texas & New Mexico Railway homepage at Watco website
Texas & New Mexico Railway entry at Wikipedia
Texas & New Mexico Railway entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

TIBR: Timber Rock Railroad [purch 1998] in Texas & Louisiana
43-mile shortline from Kirbyville, Texas (BN) to Deridder, Louisiana (KCS).
official Timber Rock Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Timber Rock Railroad entry at Wikipedia

VSOR: Vicksburg Southern Railroad [KCS lease 1/2006] in Mississippi
24-mile shortline built in 1884 north and south of Vicksburg, Mississippi
official Vicksburg Southern Railroad homepage at Watco website
Vicksburg Southern Railroad entry at Wikipedia

        
WIRR: Wisconsin Rapids Railroad [WCL lease 9/2019]
1.1-mile shortline that serves the Nine Dragons Paper factory.
official Wisconsin Rapids Railroad homepage at Watco website
there is no Wisconsin Rapids Railroad entry at Wikipedia

WSOR: Wisconsin & Southern Railroad [purch 1/2012] in Wisconsin & Illinois
802-mile Class II regional railroad formed in 1980 & 1992; the Northern Division is made up of two segments connected by trackage rights;
the larger Southern Division around Madison is connected by different trackage rights; purchased by Watco in January 2012.
official Wisconsin & Southern Railroad homepage at Watco website
Wisconsin & Southern Railroad entry at Wikipedia
Wisconsin & Southern Railroad entry at Union Pacific RR Short Line Profiles Directory

YSVR: Yellowstone Valley Railroad [BNSF lease 8/2005 expired] in Montana & North Dakota
began as transcontinental mainline constructed by the Great Northern Railway (GN) and subsidiary Montana Eastern Railway, and mainline of the Northern Pacific Railway (NP)
- built 1911-1915; 171-mile shortline leased from successor BNSF in August 2005; that lease seems to have expired, as the Watco homepage shows only a 4-mile branch from BNSF
to the town of Dore, North Dakota where Watco operates a transload facility.
official Yellowstone Valley Railroad homepage at Watco website
Yellowstone Valley Railroad entry at Wikipedia

        
Watco Rail Australia [est. 2010]
official Watco Australia homepage at Watco website
Watco Australia entry at Wikipedia

In 2009, the C.B.H. Group [est. 1933] grain-growers coφperative in southern Western Australia, decided to switch from using government rail services and operate independently;
C.B.H. invested AU$175 million in new railroad locomotives and grain wagons, and sought outside contractors for day-to-day operations; they awarded a ten-year contract to Watco WA Rail in December 2010. The contract officially commenced in May 2012.

In November 2016, Watco Australia was awarded a contract with Brookfield Rail {later renamed Arc Infrastructure} to operate ballast and rail work trains.
In December 2016, Watco Australia acquired a majority stake in Intermodal Group of Western Australia, an intermodal container transport group.
In July 2017, Watco Australia took over the operation of the Forrestfield to Fremantle Harbour intermodal container service from S.C.T. Logistics.
In late 2019, Watco Australia commenced operations in southeast Queensland under a seven-year contract with GrainCorp [est. 1917].

Watco  Mechanical  Division
Watco Mechanical Services
facilities located in AR, FL, GA, IN, KS, KY, LA, NE, OK, TX, WA, WI, WV, and Ontario, Canada (2018)

Watco  Terminal  &  Port  Services  Division
Watco Terminal Services
Watco Switching Services
Greens Port Industrial Park [est. 2004] in the heart of Houston’s heavy industrial eastside

Watco  Compliance  Division
Watco Supply Chain Services [est. 2000] in Springdale, Arkansas

Company  Executives
Charles R. 'Dick' Webb, Founder & Chairman [1938-2009]
Richard B. 'Rick' Webb, Executive Chairman
Dan Smith, Chief Executive Officer
Rick Baden, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Nick Coomes, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Railroad  Links
Watco Companies official website
Watco Companies entry at Wikipedia

U.S.A.  Shortline  Railroads  Links

American Short Line & Regional Railroad Database
Norfolk Southern Railroad directory of shortlines (by state)
U.P. Railroad Shortline Railroad Profiles for the USA

here on the Watco Companies Shortline Railroads Page at Spirit of America Bookstore

top of page    •    short history    •    transportation division    •    mechanical division    •    services division    •    compliance division    •

company executives    •    links

back to Spirit of America's Shortline Railroads Page
top of page • short history • links • Class III / shortline railroads •
shortline operators • shortlines by state • books & other media

Genesee & Wyoming Shortline Railroads Page
OmniTRAX Shortline Railroads Pages

Spirit of America Bookstore's American Railroads Pages

on page one:  top of page • links • museums • Class I railroads • Class II railroads • shortline railroads

on page two:  top of page • games • RR history • narrow gauge RRs • historic RR lines • books

on page three:  top of page • transcontinental railroads • railroad moguls • railroad recordings

Spirit of America Bookstore's 'Railroads in Fiction' Pages
Spirit of America Bookstore's Railroads in Fiction - Books For Young Railfans Page

Spirit of America Bookstore's 'Non-Fiction Books About Railroads' Pages

Spirit of America Bookstore's Railroad Equipment Pages
Spirit of America Bookstore's Geared Steam Locomotives Page
Spirit of America Bookstore's Private Railcars U.S.A. Page

Spirit of America Bookstore's Railroad Film Festival Pages

Spirit of America Bookstore's Scale & Toy Trains Page

G.E. Nordell's Arizona Travel / Railroads Links Page
G.E. Nordell's California Travel / Railroads Links Page
G.E. Nordell's Colorado Travel / Railroads Links Pages
G.E. Nordell's Nevada Travel / Railroads Links Page
G.E. Nordell's New Mexico Travel / Railroads Links Page
G.E. Nordell's Utah Travel / Railroads Links Page

G.E. Nordell's Travel U.S.A. / Railroad Museums Page

Visiting this webpage from outside the U.S.A.? It is possible to make purchases from these coded Amazon (USA) links
via other Amazon sites: just follow these instructions.

Online sales in association with  

top of this page      back to Nostalgic Americana Page      back to Spirit of America Bookstore homepage