Ex-Santa Fe

The Story of a Prairie Regional: Central Kansas Railway, 1993-2001

The rail network across the southern Great Plains was dramatically changed in 1993 by creation of the Central Kansas Railway, a regional formed from 800 miles of branch line trackage previously operated by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. This book tells about both the CKRY and its “sister” short line, the Kansas Southwestern, the latter created from cast-off Union Pacific branch lines. Together the two companies provided essential freight service to Wichita and many agrarian towns in the surrounding region of Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The combined system was sold to Watco, Inc. in 2001, and operations continue today. Ex-Santa Fe tells how CKRY continued to have a close association with AT&SF following the sale, with details on traffic operations, motive power and facilities. Included are 115 color photos, along with maps and engine rosters.

ISBN: 978-0-9908767-8-6