The AT&L Railroad was started in May 1985 by Wheeler Brothers Grain Company operating about of former

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...

(CRI&P) track in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. It replaced the North Central Oklahoma Railway, which operated the track between 1983 and 1985. The ATLT is based in

Watonga, Oklahoma Watonga is a city in Blaine County, Oklahoma. It is 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The population was 5,111 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Blaine County. History Watonga is located on former Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Res ...

. It is owned by Wheeler Brothers Grain Company. The railroad is named for Austin, Todd and Ladd Lafferty, grandsons of E. O. (Gene) Wheeler, who founded the railroad. ATLT operates freight service from

to Geary to

El Reno, Oklahoma El Reno is a city in and county seat of Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 16,989, marking a change of 1.55% from 16,729, recorded in the 2010 census. The city was begun shortly after the 1 ...

and from Geary, Oklahoma to Bridgeport, Oklahoma. It also passes through

Calumet Calumet may refer to: Places United States *Calumet Region, in northern Illinois and Indiana **Calumet River **Calumet Trail, Indiana ** Calumet (East Chicago) * Calumet, Colorado *Calumet, Iowa * Calumet, Michigan *Calumet, Minnesota * Calumet ...

and Greenfield. The line transports grain, fertilizer and agricultural products, with outbound shipments typically running in 110-car unit trains. Ultimately, the most prominent destination for the cargo is the US Gulf coast export market. The Choctaw Northern Railroad built the Watonga-to-Geary segment in the 1901-1902 timeframe, before that railway was acquired by the

Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (CO&G), known informally as the "Choctaw Route," was an American railroad in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The company, originally known as the Choctaw Coal and Railway Company, completed its main li ...

(CO&G). The Choctaw Coal & Railway Company built the east end of this rail line during the 1880s, then leased it in October 1894 to the CO&G. That route was then leased to the CRI&P in 1904. After CRI&P abandoned the line, it was acquired by the State of Oklahoma, and operated by the North Central Oklahoma Railway. "Race the Rail" is an annual bicycle event that began in 2010, held during the Watonga Cheese Festival. Bikers ride 34-miles round trip from Watonga to Geary and back. A locomotive travels from Geary to Watonga traveling approximately 10 mph. The train and the bikes leave Watonga at the same time. The bikers ride along US Highway 270/281 (which is parallel and very close to the railroad tracks) from Watonga to Geary, and try to catch the train on the return trip.

References

External links

Wheeler Brothers Grain Co. history
Oklahoma railroads Railway companies established in 1985 1985 establishments in Oklahoma {{Oklahoma-transport-stub