OKT I

The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad (OKT) , was originally created on May 29, 1980 after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...

 on March 31, 1980. A subsidiary of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad

Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad

The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy"....

, it operated 767 miles (1,234.4 km) of the former Rock Island's Herington, KS to Fort Worth, TX North-South line, as a cooperative venture with local shippers providing 3 million dollars in initial start-up costs. The original OKT North-South route ran from St. Joe, Missouri, to Topeka, Kansas, south through Herington, Wichita, Enid and El Reno to Fort Worth. It also originally operated several of the former Rock Island's branch lines including: Ponca City to Enid; Chickasha to Anadarko and Lawton; and from Waurika to Walters. In addition a small portion of the Rock Island's East-West mainline was operated between El Reno and nearby Oklahoma City.

During the original version of the OKT, a total of 61,891 cars were moved during 1981, with the first train leaving Dallas, the company's headquarters, on June 6, 1980. Although the MKT supplied the bulk of operating equipment during OKT I, additional leased equipment was obtained for use on the line, including leased GP38's from Conrail and a number of cabooses leased from Conrail and from the Alaska Railroad. However, due to poor financial performance, MKT management sought reduced rentals from the Rock Island Trustee, with both sides going back and forth until MKT shut down its original OKT operations on December 31, 1981. The State of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Rail Users' Association helped the two sides to reach consensus on a purchase price. On October 20, 1982, U.S. District Judge Frank McGarr approved the sale of the Herington, Kansas to Ft Worth, Texas line to MKT subsidiary OKT for 55 million dollars consisting of 645 miles (1,038 km) of line.

Interim Operations between OKT I and OKT II

During negotiations in 1981 and 1982, North Central Texas Railway (NCTR) operated portions of the line between Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 and Chico, Texas

Chico, Texas

Chico is a city in Wise County, Texas, United States. The population was 947 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chico is located at ....

, Enid Central Railway (ENIC) operated line between Enid, Oklahoma

Enid, Oklahoma

Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...

 and El Reno, Oklahoma

El Reno, Oklahoma

El Reno is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States, in the central part of the state. A part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, El Reno is west of downtown Oklahoma City...

 and between Enid and Ponca City, and North Central Oklahoma Railway (NCOK) operated Chickasha, Oklahoma

Chickasha, Oklahoma

Chickasha is a city in and the county seat, business and employment center of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,850 at the 2000 census. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and hosts an annual Festival of Light celebration located at...

 to El Reno, Oklahoma, as well as the branchline between Chickasha and Anadarko. NCTR, NCOK, and ENIC all were owned by the same corporation.

OKT II

After the line was finally purchased from the Rock Island Trustee, the second version of the OKT reinstated operations on November 1, 1982. Somewhat similar to the first OKT operation, the second version still included the Herington to Dallas mainline; the El Reno to Oklahoma City secondary main; the Chickasha to Lawton branch; and the Waurika to Walters branch. In addition the line also acquired the Herington to Abilene branch as well as the Rock Island's trackage rights over the UP between Abilene and Salina. Notably absent during the second OKT operation was the Enid to Ponca City branch line and the Topeka to St. Joe line, both of which were quickly abandoned. The start up of OKT II displaced the NCTR, NCOK, and ENIC. The ENIC ceased operations on February 28, 1983, and the NCTR on October 31, 1982. NCOK began operating a westward line from El Reno to Geary, Oklahoma and then northward through Watonga, Oklahoma

Watonga, Oklahoma

Watonga is a city in Blaine County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,658 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Blaine County.-Early History:...

, Okeene, Oklahoma

Okeene, Oklahoma

Okeene is a town in Blaine County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,240 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Okeene is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

 and Homestead, Oklahoma

Homestead, Oklahoma

Homestead is a small unincorporated community in northern Blaine County, Oklahoma, United States. Platted along the Rock Island railroad line before statehood, the Homestead Post Office opened April 19, 1894. Homestead had a population of 150 residents in 1905, according the Oklahoma Territorial...

 on March 1, 1983 until it became under AT&L control in 1985.

The OKT proved to be a valuable addition to the MKT Lines and generated thousands of carloads annually. The main commodities shipped on the line were wheat and corn from Kansas and Oklahoma, and sand, gravel and other aggregates from several on line facilities including Chico, Richard's Spur, Waurika and Dover. Although the line utilized the majority of its equipment from the parent MKT, the line did receive its own jumbo wheat hoppers lettered OKKT as well as several GP39-2's, GP38's which also displayed a small OKT logo.

Operations

Primary trains on the route consisted of daily Wichita to Ft. Worth freights, Trains 503 (southbound) and 504 (northbound). An occasional second section was operated (usually a unit grain train) which were assigned Trains 603 (southbound) and 604 (northbound). A five day a week "El Reno Turn" was operated between Oklahoma City and El Reno as Train 537 (westbound) and Train 538 (eastbound). The 7 day a week Oklahoma City to Richards Spur rock trains were Trains 521 and 531 (southbound empties) and Trains 522 and 532 (northbound loads). These trains also provided all local switching to any on line customers at Anadarko, Apache and Lawton. Locals on the Walters Branch were operated as "extras". The seven day a week "Chico Turn" rock trains (Dallas-Ft. Worth to Chico) were assigned as Train 550 (northbound empties) and Train 551 (southbound loads).

Mergers

Like its parent corporation the MKT, the OKT became a part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company (MPRR) on August 12, 1988. On January 1, 1997, MPRR merged into the Union Pacific.