The M-K-T’s Texas Special EMD E7 locomotives.
(GM-EMD, W. Lenheim Collection, cropped)
MISSOURI-KANSAS-TEXAS RAILROAD
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (reporting mark MKT) was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Southern Branch, it came to serve an extensive rail network in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. In 1988, it merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad; today, it is part of Union Pacific.
In the 1890s, the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", because for a time it was the Kansas–Texas division of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and "KT" was its abbreviation in timetables as well as its stock exchange symbol. This soon evolved into the nickname "the Katy".
The Katy was the first railroad to enter Texas from the north. Eventually, the Katy's core system linked Parsons, Emporia, Fort Scott, Junction City, Olathe, and Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City, Joplin, Columbia, Jefferson City, and St. Louis, Missouri; Tulsa, Wagoner; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, Temple, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Galveston, Texas. An additional mainline between Fort Worth and Salina, Kansas, was added in the 1980s after the collapse of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad; this line was operated as the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad (OKKT). Former Rock Island trackage rights acquired by the Katy also gave it access to Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa.
At the end of 1970, MKT operated 2,623 miles (4,221 km) of road and 3,765 miles (6,059 km) of track.
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway system map, 1918.
(No machine-readable author provided. NE2 assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
A vintage advertisement for the line from Cosmopolitan magazine. (M-K-T, Cosmopolitan, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
Share of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, issued 1904. (Edhac-Edham, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
History
Formation and construction
The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway was incorporated in May 1870 in Junction City, Kansas. The company received government land grants to build a supply railroad connecting the frontier military posts of Fort Riley, Fort Gibson, and Fort Scott; and eventually Fort Worth, as well as establishing connections with other railroads that served Fort Leavenworth, Fort Wallace and Fort Smith — but its broader ambitions were to connect Chicago and New Orleans. Upon its incorporation, the MK&T acquired the Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch (est. 1865) and its 182 miles (293 km) of track in Kansas.
At the time of its incorporation, consolidations were also made with the Labette & Sedalia Railway Co. and the Neosho Valley & Holden Railway Co.; MK&T also acquired the Tebo and Neosho Railroad, the St. Louis & Santa Fe Railroad Co., and the Hannibal & Central Missouri Railroad Co. Combined with the UP Southern Branch, these small, newly built railroads formed the foundation on which the Katy built. In the late 1890s, a subsidiary once called the Missouri-Kansas-Eastern railroad was established to run from existing MKT rails approaching Kansas City into St Louis via the Missouri River basin.
Congress had passed acts promising land grants to the first railroad to reach the Kansas border via the Neosho Valley. The Katy portion of the former UP Southern Branch, which had begun building from Fort Riley just north of Junction City, Kansas, was in a heated competition for the prize. On June 6, 1870, Katy workers laid the first rails across the Kansas border, winning the race. Congress' promised land grants were never made, as the courts overturned the grants because the land was in Indian Territory and was the property of the Indian tribes.
The Katy continued its push southward, laying track through the territory and reaching Texas in 1872, acquiring other small railroads while extending its reach to Dallas in 1886, Waco in 1888, Houston in April 1893, and to San Antonio in 1901.
When the Katy railroad reached Houston, its joint ownership of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad gave it immediate access to the Port of Galveston and its ocean-going shipping on the Gulf of Mexico.
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad bridge over Red River postcard, c. 1911. (University of Texas at Arlington, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Sectional Map of Texas Traversed by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, 1904. (S. H. Kress & Co., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Revenue freight traffic, in millions of net ton-miles
Year Traffic
1925 3,317
1933 1,827
1944 7,256
1960 3,980
1970 4,999
Source: ICC annual reports
A Missouri-Kansas-Texas Gallery
M-K-T Station, McAlester, OK, c. 1910. (Union News Co., New York, NY, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T Machine Shops, Parsons, KS, c. 1911. (Southwest News Co., Kansas City, MO, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T 4-4-0 No. 311, built by Baldwin in 1890, on display at the Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, MO. (Charm Craft, St. Louis, MO, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T Director's Special led by 81-C operates for the intellectually challenged children from Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, shown near Parsons, KS, October 4, 1968. Photo by Mac Owen. (Audio-Visual Designs, Earlton, NY, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
The Owens Corning Plant at Waxahachie, TX, a large industry on the M-K-T. Original painting by Howard Fogg. (Curt Teich, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
An M-K-T freight train passing the birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower at Dennison, Texas. Original painting by Howard Fogg. (Curt Teich, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T Train No. 1, the new Texas Special. Original painting by Howard Fogg. (Curt Teich, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
Missouri-Kansas-Texas yards at Christmastime. Original painting by Howard Fogg. (Curt Teich, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
Katy cars being loaded at Pittsburg and Midway Mine No. 19, West Mineral, KS ꟷ a large industry on the Katy Railroad. Original painting by Howard Fogg. (Curt Teich, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
An interior view of the M-K-T's dining car "Alamo", built by ACF for use on the Texas Special. Retired in 1964. Photo courtesy Ronald B. Peterson. (© Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, via W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T GP38-2 No. 310 leading a freight as it approaches MoPac Tower 55 at Fort Worth, TX, September 27, 1981. Photo Credit: Ed Seay, Jr. (© Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, via W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T EMD E8 No. 55-C preparing to leave Dallas, TX in the 1960's. Now, who's not being honest? The M-K-T sold their E8's to the Florida East Coast Railroad through dealer Precision National once, but the FEC couldn't remember purchasing them so no deal. (c www.railcards.com, Alameda, CA, Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T No. 350, a General Electric U23B at the Parsons, KS yard. Photo by Mac Owen. (Audio-Visual Designs, Earlton, NY, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T 72-C, 90-A, and 65-A leading a Katy Extra North with 146 cars at Vinita, OK on July 2, 1960. Vinita is where the M-K-T's mainline crosses the Frisco's St. Louis to Lawton, OK mainline. Photo courtesy Walter R. Evans. (© Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, via W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T EMD GP40 No. 200 with caboose in Bi-Centennial colors, ca. 1976. Photo courtesy Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company. (© Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, via W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T EMD E8 No. 53-A and EMD FP7 No. 81-A, both passenger units, await assignment at Parsons, KS, July 1, 1960. Photo by Walter R. Evans. (© Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, via W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T EMD GP40 No. 176 at Dennison, TX in November of 1977. Photo Credit: Jim Shepherd. (© Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, via W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T EMD SW-1200 No. 6 at Dennison, TX, January 18, 1976. Photo by Mel Lawrence. (© Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Inc., Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, via W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T GP40 No. 174 at Welch, Oklahoma in 1978. Note the vintage signals. (c www.railcards.com, Alameda, CA, Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, W. Lenheim Collection)
M-K-T No. 126 was a Baldwin AS416 that was re-powered by EMD. Shown here at Kansas City in 1972. (c www.railcards.com, Alameda, CA, Fair use, Title 17, Section 107, W. Lenheim Collection)
Operations
A Katy train was robbed by the Dalton Gang on July 14, 1892, at Adair, Oklahoma, in what was then Indian Territory. The gang escaped capture after a gun battle.
In 1896, as a publicity stunt set up by William Crush, the Katy crashed two locomotives head-on, pulling loaded trains, at a site that came to be known thereafter as Crush, Texas. The collision occurred before more than 40,000 spectators, three of whom died (and several were injured) by debris from the exploding boilers. Ragtime composer and pianist Scott Joplin, who was performing in the area at the time, commemorated the event in his piano piece, "The Great Crush Collision March" (which he dedicated to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway).
The Katy acquired the Beaver, Meade, and Englewood Railroad in 1931. This trackage, like the length between Altus and Forgan, was abandoned in January 1973.
From 1915 until January 4, 1959, the Katy, in a joint venture with the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway (popularly known as the Frisco), operated the Texas Special from St. Louis to Dallas, Ft. Worth, and San Antonio. It sported rail cars with names including Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, David Crockett, and James Bowie after prominent men of the state.
MKT No. 1006, a Baldwin DS-4-4-1000, on display in Parsons, Kansas.
(Doug Wertman, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Merger and legacy
On August 12, 1988, the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MoPac) and its owner, Union Pacific Corporation, purchased the Katy with approval from the Interstate Commerce Commission. The merging and restructuring of railroads during the 1980s had cost the Katy much overhead traffic, and it had been seeking a merger partner. On December 1, 1989, the Katy was merged into the MoPac, which is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad system.
In the "rails to trails" program, much of the Missouri track line has been adapted for use as the Katy Trail State Park, including a spur to Columbia, a Missouri State Park, which runs along the Missouri River for the major portion of its route. In downtown Dallas, a 3.5-mi-long section called the Katy Trail is being converted into a multiuse trail linking Southern Methodist University to the American Airlines Center.
In 1997, the segment linking Katy, Texas, to downtown Houston was abandoned, and stripped of rails soon after. The section between Katy and Interstate 610 was purchased by the Texas Department of Transportation in 1998 for the expansion of Katy Freeway. The line that went into Houston was purchased by the city's Parks and Recreation Department. In 2009, it was adapted and paved as the Heights Bike Trail.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the 8.1 miles (13.0 km) Katy trail follows an old corridor of the railroad between the northwest edge of downtown Tulsa and its suburb of Sand Springs.
As part of a new heritage program, in July 2005, Union Pacific unveiled a new EMD SD70ACe locomotive, Union Pacific 1988, painted in traditional MKT colors.
The Katy Limited circa 1910. (UNICO or UN CO, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Katy Flyer in 1911. (Unico, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Passenger trains
The Katy operated these named passenger trains: (On its main line routes, trains originated in St. Louis or in Kansas City, linking in Parsons, KS, split in Denison, TX, with sections going via either through Dallas or Fort Worth, linking again in Waco, then heading south to either San Antonio or Houston.)
Train numbers 1 and 2: The Texas Special:
St. Louis, Missouri - San Antonio, Texas (March 4, 1917 – 1959) jointly with the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway), then
Kansas City-San Antonio (1959-July 26, 1964), then
Kansas City-Dallas (July 27, 1964 to June 30, 1965)
Train numbers 3 and 4: Katy Limited
Kansas City-Dallas, with sections to Oklahoma City, Fort Worth and San Antonio
Train numbers 5 and 6: Katy Flyer
St. Louis and Kansas City originating trains, south to San Antonio
Train numbers 7 and 8: Bluebonnet
Kansas City to San Antonio via Dallas, and Kansas City to Houston via Fort Worth
Train numbers 23 and 28: Sooner
Kansas City - Oklahoma City
Company officers
Presidents of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad*:
Judge Levi Parsons, prior to 1878
Jay Gould, 1880
George J. Gould, 1886–1887
Henry C. Rouse, –1904
Frederick N. Finney, 1904–1906
Adrian H. Joline 1906–
Charles E. Schaff, 1912–1926
Charles N. Whitehead, 1926
Columbus Haile, 1927–1930
Michael H. Cahill, 1930–1934
Matthew S. Sloan, 1934–1945
Donald V. Fraser, 1945–1956
William N. Deramus III, 1957–1961
Charles T. Williams, 1961–1965
John W. Barriger III, 1965–1970
Reginald N. Whitman, 1970–1975
Harold L. Gastler, 1975-1988
* This list is incomplete.
Overview
Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
Reporting mark: MKT
Locale Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas
Dates of operation: 1870–1988
Successor: Union Pacific Railroad
Technical
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge