AOK Railroad reconnecting track at McAlester By Brian Brus The Journal Record Published: Friday, March 23 2012 10:04 a.m. MDT Summary Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad Co., or AOK, is expected to complete bridge track over the North Canadian River this summer to re-establish a dormant section of railroad between McAlester and Shawnee, said Chad Donoley, AOK's vice president of marketing and government affairs. a.. May 11, 2011 WILBURTON, Okla. - Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad Co., or AOK, is expected to complete bridge track over the North Canadian River this summer to re-establish a dormant section of railroad between McAlester and Shawnee, said Chad Donoley, AOK's vice president of marketing and government affairs. The AOK, based in Wilburton, is a family-owned short-line railroad that operates a route along a 118-mile corridor between McAlester and Howe at the eastern state line. The company also has a long-term lease to use track owned by Union Pacific Railroad that extends west from McAlester to Shawnee, and that, in turn, links to more line into Oklahoma City. Lately, the connection at McAlester has been inoperative because of a bridge that hasn't stood up well to the rain-swollen river. The AOK has repeatedly tried to shore up the banks since the mid-1980s, Donoley said, but erosion keeps causing problems. He said it is the only major rail connection in the state that is currently inoperative. Shawnee Economic Development Foundation officials said the washout had far-reaching effects on economic development in Seminole, Wewoka, Holdenville, Calvin, Stuart and McAlester, because businesses in those areas were forced to default to road-based transportation instead of being able to choose between two modes. "This connection will open commerce to some of the poorest parts of the state and will once again allow them to use a lower-cost form of transportation to move raw materials and finished goods," said Tim Burg, foundation executive director. Burg and Donoley said the Citizen Potawatomi Nation is developing an industrial park in Shawnee that would benefit from restoration of the rail line and contracts are already in the works, but specific details were not immediately available Thursday. Donoley said AOK has recently spent about $200,000 to prepare the foundation. Approval for the work is expected shortly from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he said. Burg said that although there hasn't been any federal, state or municipal funding committed to repair the bridge, help has come from an unusual source. "There have been some crazy, small things that have made a difference," he said. "The city of Shawnee had a large rubble pile of broken concrete and soil that they have let the Donoleys take out to the bridge area. There's also a large parking lot reconstruction project going on near the Expo Center and the contractor has been taking more broken concrete to the Donoleys. "So one man's trash is another man's treasure when it comes to holding back a river," Burg said. Information from: The Journal Record, http://www.journalr ecord.com
They seem to be a go after the business type operation. Hope it all comes together. Maybe someone in that area can check it out this summer? A few photos.....
It looks like the A-OK is getting it done! This change in operators and lease approval covers the portion of the line which crosses the river to just east of Branagus Road. The Branagus Road crossing is paved over from Google earth. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35655] Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad, Inc.—Lease and Operation Exemption—Line of Union Pacific Railroad Company Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad, Inc. (AOK), a Class III rail carrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 C.F.R. § 1150.41 to lease from Union Pacific Railroad Company and to operate approximately 1.5 miles of rail line between milepost 446.5, at/near Shawnee, and milepost 445.0, east of Shawnee at Brangus Road, in Pottawatomie County, Okla. AOK states that consummation of the transaction will occur on or about September 4, 2012. The earliest the transaction can be consummated, however, is September 5, 2012, the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the exemption was filed).
... There's an interresting article about AOK in latest June's issue of Trains. All what is told about here is accurately described in that issue.:wink: Dom
Found this new youtube video on Shawnee railroads. It has lots of AOK in action and details the work to restore the bridge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC_GscAF4V0 From the video, the bridge is complete and AOK is show hard at work laying new rail on the western approach. As you can see from the video, they shifted the right of way over 20 or 30 yards north in the 600 or so feet that had been completely washed out on the western approach grade. The bridge and approach spans (new are in steel vice wood of originals) are in the same place so there has to be a slight tangent to the north (when coming from the east) to meet the new track placement.
From the journal record. The article is locked behind a firewall but it looks like the approach is complete with the AOK pushing a rock load across.
