Dispatch
the
The newsletter for Watco Companies, L.L.C. and Watco Transportation Services, L.L.C.
July 2011, Volume 12, Issue 7
By Tracie VanBecelaere
Managing Editor
T
he SD40 locomotive that rolled
into the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad’s Cherryvale, Kan.,
depot on Tuesday, June 28, wasn’t that different from the normal SD40’s that run on
the line - if you had your eyes closed. The
crowd that gathered at the depot to view
the freshly painted locomotive was awestruck when seeing the majestic blue engine
with the contrasting white stripe. What
really makes the unit rare are the other
graphic features that the locomotive boasts,
the wording “Cherryvale Chargers” and the
logo of the knight riding a powerful steed.
The townspeople of Cherryvale can now
say that not only do they have a beautiful
historic depot but they also have a one of a
kind locomotive painted to represent the
local schools.
Chad Jasmin, South Kansas and Okla-
Cherryvale home to
rare locomotive
Above: South Kansas and Oklahoma general
manager, Chad Jasmin, Greg McDanel, Cherryvale
superintendent Randy Wagoner and Deputy
Police Chief Perry Lambert release balloons to
celebrate the completion of the Cherryvale Chargers
locomotive.
homa (SKOL) general manager said, I’ve been in
the rail business for almost 10 years and worked
in many different regions across the country and
I have never seen a locomotive in that time that
had been painted with the local school’s colors
and logo.
“I was speechless when I first saw the locomotive and that doesn’t happen often,” laughed Cherryvale’s
school superintendent Randy Wagoner.
The mood was festive as people of all ages gathered
to view the newest addition to the South Kansas and
Oklahoma Railroad’s locomotive fleet.
Jerry Wilson, a photography buff and long-time
Cherryvale resident was busy snapping photos of the
locomotive and trying to get the perfect angle which
would include both the depot and the new locomotive.
“This is a great thing that they’ve done for the
town,” said Wilson. “We have the new rail yard up
north that has made a big difference in the traffic flow
and now this - they’re working to make things better
for our community.”
Because Cherryvale serves as a hub with trains
coming in from five different directions there have
been issues in the past with blocking traffic while trying to switch out trains. With the new rail yard north
of town the number of trains that travel through the
town has decreased dramatically.
“It’s reduced the rail traffic within the town by
about 75%. There is a night and day difference
between what we dealt with before and now,” said
Greg McDanel. “All the work to find a solution to
the congestion issues in town have paid off and the
relationship between the city of Cherryvale and the
railroad grows stronger everyday. We’re grateful that
Watco and the SKOL has been, and remains, involved
in our community.”
The idea of a Cherryvale Chargers design for a
locomotive was the brainchild of Deputy Police Chief
Perry Lambert. Lambert has been a railfan for many
years and enjoys visiting the depot in his free time.
During a conversation in
(Continued on page 2)
Dispatch page 2
the
Cherryvale home to rare locomotive
(Continued from page 1) February with the newly
the more expensive pieces of the project but when
negotiating the pricing for the decals the vendor
offered to provide the work for the cost of materials
alone.
“Since we were doing this for a school he generously offered to donate his work and all we paid for
was the material so it saved us some money on that
portion. We also used a new paint that costs more
than what we normally use but it covered more area
appointed general manager Chad Jasmin Lambert
and has an additional graffiti-proof feature so it
mentioned the idea of a Chargers themed locomoevens out in the end,” said Jasmin.
tive. Jasmin asked if he had anything drawn out so
“The graffiti-proof feature was a big bonus. We
he could get a better idea of what he had in mind
don’t want any rivals defacing the locomotive as a
and a few days later Lambert showed up with a renjoke. If something does happen to get on the locodering of what he envisioned the locomotive would
motive the supplier gave us a product that we just
look like.
apply to the graffiti and wipe off. They actually tried
Jasmin said, “I thought it was a great
it out at the Coffeyville shop, I couldn’t
idea and Lambert did a good job of putting
bring myself to try it but I trust them.”
together an eye-catching design. It was
Although the official presentation was at
something that had never been done before
two on Tuesday, throughout the day there
but thought it would be a great tribute to
were people stopping to take pictures and
the site of Watco’s first railroad. I handed
to look at the locomotive. The school has
the project over to our chief mechanical
already expressed interest in having the
officer James Andrews and he did all of
locomotive available for team photos. For
the legwork to make sure that everything
safety reasons, it is required that visitors
got completed according to schedule. I
to the Cherryvale property check in at the
think one of the hardest parts of the project
office upon arrival.
was getting the right color of blue. The
The railroad tracks in Cherryvale run
school didn’t have any hats or shirts to use
right past the football stadium and the
to match the color so we ended up using
locomotive will be sure to give a long, loud
the school’s office door as a match. The
whistle anytime a team is on the field as it
Thompson Brothers in Coffeyville, Kan.,
chugs by.
supplied the paint for the project and
Anyone wishing to see the newest addithey were kind enough to send over some
tion to the SKOL team in action can catch
samples. We then went to the school and
it operating on the Coffeyville-CherryvaleRichard Johnson (l) and Joseph Brooks at the Coffeyville, Kan., mechanical
had the ladies working in the office pick the shop work on taping off the “Cherryvale Chargers” to prepare for the blue
Chanute route delivering commodities that
final color.”
are essential to the economy of Southeast
coating. Johnson painted the locomotive and Brooks assisted with sanding
The decals on the locomotives are one of and other prep work.
Kansas.
MECHANICAL TOUR
Stacie Kultgen, accountant, Lyndsey Normand, process improvement manager and
Carlita Guiles, mechanical controller, (l-r) all from the Pittsburg, Kan., office toured the
mechanical shops in Neodesha and Coffeyville, Kan.
Kultgen and Normand recently joined the Watco team and will be providing financial
services regarding the mechanical groups. The tour was planned to provide some
insight to the operations at the different facilities.
KAW general manager
celebrates 25 years
Kaw River Railroad (KAW) general manager Mark McClellan
puts the team relationship front and center so the obvious choice
to commemorate his 25 year anniversary was at a reception
following the June KAW Town Hall Meeting. This allowed all
team members to be present to show their appreciation for his
leadership and service.
He was presented with a
model train painted in the
original Watco color scheme
and 25th anniversary logo
acknowledging his years of
service.
McCellan shared he started
with Watco in 1986 with a great
man, Dick Webb, our founder.
He also noted he has had a good
career with the company during
its tremendous growth, and
stated that under the leadership
of Rick Webb there are great
Mark McClellan, KAW general
things happening today and
manager with his 25 year anniversary locomotive and caboose. planned for the future.
McClellan worked for several
switching operations in various roles until he was made general
manager of the KAW in 2004. The celebration ended with an
enormous round of applause honoring McClellan for his years of
service.
Dispatch page 3
the
Honoring the military
By Andy Schaffer
Watco Mechanical Services Chief Operating Officer
I had often thought about building or customizing a motorcycle over the years but never took the
opportunity to do so. What would we build or how
would we customize it were always the questions
that just didn’t seem to have the right answers.
When our son Ryan joined the Air Force a few
years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to
witness his graduation from Basic Training as well
as his graduation from Special Operations training. Standing there with all of those young men
and women you could feel
the patriotic spirit and pride
they had for this country
and it was truly a moving
experience. We often hear
on the nightly news about
all of the negative things
that happen in this country
or how the younger generation is going to the dogs.
Well, I can tell you, if you
ever get the opportunity to
attend one of these graduation ceremonies, you will
see firsthand that there are
a lot of good things going on with our youth and
our country as well, it just
doesn’t make the nightly
news.
We also had the opportunity to visit with Ryan
and several of his buddies
as they were sitting in the
Baltimore, Md., airport in early 2010 on their way
to Afghanistan for their first deployment. You
could tell that even though they were going into
unknown and hostile territory, they knew what
they were doing was critical to maintaining the
freedoms that we experience in this great country
of ours every day. Yes, they were probably a little
scared (or probably if the truth were known, scared
out of their minds) but they were willing to step
up to the plate and do their part so you and I could
live the lifestyles that we have come to expect in the
United States.
It was then that it hit me, what better way to
honor our son and everyone else who has served
this great country of ours,
than by building a patriotic
themed motorcycle.
The motorcycle is a 2010
Harley Davidson Street
Glide that has been custom
painted and chromed from
front to back. Our goal was
that every time someone
saw this motorcycle that
they would think of these
young men and women and
the freedoms we enjoy on a
daily basis because of their
sacrifices and to also think
about how lucky we are to
live in such a great country.
Based on some of the
comments we received so
far, I think we achieved our
goal.
Front and back views of the Harley Davidson motorcycle that Andy Schaffer, Watco Mechanical Services COO
had painted to honor those in the miliary.
Green
Dispatch
the
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read online all about it. Do
you patiently wait each month for the next issue of
The Dispatch to arrive at your house? No need to
wait, anyone with a computer can take advantage
of the opportunity to read their copy of The Dispatch newsletter online. Not only do you help the
environment by going green - there are a few other
benefits as well.
Number one is timeliness. Each month a link
to a PDF version of the newsletter is added to the
Watco web site. Once that link is added, a copy is
sent to the printer, proofed, printed and then on to
the mailing center to have postage applied and finally delivered to your home. The process can take
up to two weeks between the time the newsletter is
finished until it lands in your mailbox.
The second advantage to reading your newsletter
online is the cost savings. More than 2,000 copies
are printed and mailed out each month, for each
one that we don’t send out that money can be put
to work somewhere else in the company. Each
penny that we save is an extra penny that we will
have to put towards the EVA bonus pool and it all
adds up.
The third advantage is what we can do for the
environment. Railroads are the environmentallyfriendly way to move freight and we need to carry
on our green reputation by following best practices
when we are able to in order to produce less waste.
Paper, chemicals and fuels are just a few of the
items that we can reduce the use of if we read the
newsletter online.
So how can you help out? If you would like to
opt out of receiving the newsletter in a print version send an e-mail to chuskey@watcocompanies.
com and put in the subject, Green Newsletter.
Include your name, address, the location you work
at and the e-mail address that you would like to
have your notice sent to when the latest edition of
the newsletter is available online. Each month a
link will be sent to you as soon as the newsletter is
posted online. At anytime you can go to the Watco
web site under the News link and read current and
past issues of the newsletter.
Don’t worry though, if you or your location is
featured in the newsletter and you would like a
printed version all you need to do is send an e-mail
and the printed version will be on its way.
Also, remember if you would like to see a particular subject matter covered in The Dispatch just
send an e-mail with your story idea or photograph.
Items don’t have to be work related, just let us
know what you and your families are doing. Watco
has a number of team members that not only do
great things while they’re on the job but who also
do great things when they’re off the job, we’d enjoy
reading about your accomplishments.
Dispatch page 4
the
When disaster strikes, Watco Team Members step up to the plate
By Tracie VanBecelaere
Managing Editor
stunned as the news came in of the multivortex twister that tore a six mile long,
mile wide path through Joplin. A short 20 minute drive from Pittsburg, Joplin is
the home of home of several Pittsburg team members.
“I think everyone in Pittsburg knows of someone who was effected by the tornado, we all go over there all the time,” said Sara Hanson, Pittsburg accountant,
who spearheaded volunteer efforts.
A group of 19 volunteers consisting of Watco Team Members and their
families spent Memorial weekend in Joplin cleaning up the property of Bob and
Linda Kimbrough and their son Colby.
“We drove over to the volunteer center and were assigned a quadrant to go
to. Once we got there it was up to us to find something to do or someone to
help. We noticed a yard that had an extra roof in it so we started cleaning it up,
a little later the family showed up and we offered to help them get their property
cleaned up,” said Hanson.
The family said they were outside their home observing the weather and when
the flag flying out front changed directions within a matter of seconds. They
rushed to safety in a crawl space in their garage and rode out the twister. After
being trapped in the space, they had to wait for neighbors to remove the debris
blocking their exit. There were a few walls left standing of their house and parts
of a neighbors house had blown onto their property.
Hanson said, “Basically we cleaned up two houses because they had to clean
up everything on their property. We worked for three days and when we left
there were two rooms to go, there were some other groups helping out and when
I went back a few days later it was completely cleared off. I was hard to see all the
devastation in Joplin and I did really good keeping it together - until we found
the family cat. She had been missing for eight days and as we were cleaning she
ran from the son’s closet to under what was left of the bed in the master bedroom. I went to tell the owner and when he heard we had found her alive he
gave me the biggest hug, that’s when the tears started rolling.”
Pittsburg volunteers from Watco included: Sara and Adam Hanson and her
mother Donna Polchlopek; Carlita Guiles, her husband Keith and their children
Peyton and Alex; Teri Kinyon and her children Michaela and Ryan; Dena and
Will Patterson and their daughter Amanda; Lois Ziesenis and her husband Tim
and daughter Jessica; Penny Wood and her husband Jeff and daughter Emily.
One casualty of the Joplin tornado was the South Joplin Little League. The
league lost their fields and more than 230 of the players lost everything they had,
including their baseball equipment.
As a former relief pitcher in the major leagues, Dan Smith, Watco senior vice
president of Greens Port Industrial Park, was contacted to see if he knew of anyone who could help the league out. After numerous phone calls he came upon
the organization, Pitch In For Baseball (PIFB). PFIB is a Pennsylvania based
non-profit organization who collects new and gently used baseball and softball
equipment to share with those in need. Within three days of hearing of the need
in Joplin, PIFB director David Rhode made
sure a semi was loaded
and headed to Joplin
with equipment for the
kids.
“How great is it that,
not only does such an
organization exist, but
that there was such
a quick turn-around
time and the season
was able to continue
and give the kids part
of their life back that
had been taken away
from them,” said Smith.
Eight-year old Eli
Morgan (right) was one
of the recipients of the
Eli Morgan, 8, of the Fundraising Works baseball team
donated equipment.
from the Joplin South Little League uses his new glove to
As Steven Theriot and his son Cody eyed the sky near Birmingham, Ala., on
April 27 something didn’t quite look right. Unable to rely on the sirens to warn
them of approaching storms because of power outages, they scanned the horizon for possible tornados. Cody soon saw a twister heading their way and ran
to the house to take cover in a closet, not far behind him, Steven watched as his
neighbors house exploded into pieces after being hit. As Steven closed the door
on the closet it was ripped from his hand and the floor of his home was lifted up.
“It didn’t sound like a freight train,” said the seasoned railroader, who is a
leadman on Watco’s Alabama Warrior Railway in Birmingham, Ala. “It sounded
and felt more like a million buffalo stampeding, something you really just can’t
describe.”
As soon as Steven as his son were able to leave the closet they headed out to
help dig out their neighbors. The neighbors across the road didn’t survive the
storm but they were able to help others who were buried in their homes. Because the amount of debris in the area they were basically trapped in the same
location for three days and by the time they were able to get out, food was getting scarce.
At the same time the tornado was hitting Steven’s home, a passenger train was
leaving Wichita, Kan., to celebrate the Kansas and Oklahoma’s 10 year anniversary. CEO Rick Webb was on the train and announced that dangerous storms
were hitting fellow teammates in Alabama and a collective gasp was heard
throughout the railcars. Before the cars completed their two hour trip many
on-board were checking on team members and their families to ensure that
everyone was safe and accounted for. Immediately team members from across
the country wanted to know what they could do for their co-workers in the
aftermath of the disaster.
A disaster relief fund had been set up a few years ago when the Gulf Region
was hit by the hurricanes and many team members took advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the fund after the tornados hit Mississippi and Alabama
in late May. The Watco Disaster Relief Fund assists team members who have
experienced difficulties brought on by the wrath of Mother Nature. Steven was
able to receive help rebuilding his home thanks to the generosity of the Watco
team and our Customers.
“Because the floor was moved four inches off the foundation I’ve basically had
to rebuild from the bottom up,” said Steven. “I didn’t have any insurance but
thanks to the money I’ve received I’ve gotten started in the process, which is going to take some time. I’m very thankful to those who have helped all of us out.”
While tornados were threatening the eastern part of the state, flooding was
threatening the western part of Mississippi. The Vicksburg Southern Railroad
was shut down due to the rising water levels and a portion of the track actually
had to be temporarily removed to allow for the installation of a piece of a flood
wall.
Then,
less than a
month after
the devastating tornados
went through
the Gulf
states, Joplin,
Mo., was hit
by what has
been called
the nation’s
deadliest
tornado in
more than
six decades.
Those at
Watco’s Pittsburg, Kan.,
Carlita Guiles, Alex Guiles and Michaela Kinyon help clean-up the
offices were
yard of a Joplin, Mo., family after a tornado hit the city.
(Continued on page 5)
field a hit ball.
Dispatch page 5
the
Watco Team steps up to the plate Watco Customers pitch
in to help disaster areas
(Continued from page 4)
Eli was home with his parents when the tornado struck Joplin
on May 22. His family had just finished an afternoon barbecue when they decided to take
cover from the impending weather in their basement. The tornado went directly over their
brick house and completely destroyed their home but they were all safe.
Eli’s coach, Kevin Parker said, “When we resumed baseball games a few weeks later, Eli
missed the first game. I called his dad to let him know we missed Eli and I let him know
that South Little League had received a generous donation of baseball gear. This was good
news, because Eli had lost all of his personal belongings including his baseball gear. Eli
joined us the next day for a Joplin Outlaws baseball camp and it was great seeing him
again. He’s a very happy and positive little boy - not to mention a good second baseman
and great hitter. When asked by my son about the tornado, Eli said “I liked the way it
sounded but I sure didn’t like what it did”.
“Eli rejoined our team to finish the season. We won 5 of our remaining six games to
finish the season 5-5. I had two other boys on my team with similar stories. We appreciate the kindness that was demonstrated by the donation of the baseball equipment. It was
helpful in getting the boys back to the business of baseball despite all of the destruction our
town has experienced.”
While the city of Joplin was cleaning up from a disaster, the city of
Minot, N.D., was preparing for one.
Melting snow and unusually large
amounts of rainfall contributed to
rising waters at the location near
the Stanley, N.D., transload facility. Approximately 10,000 people
were evacuated from their homes in
preparation for the flood to come
including the majority of the Stanley
team members, who live in or near
Minot. Team members James Walker
and Dion Weichel suggested the
team help the community with sand
bagging and about 15 team members
we able to go in to fill sand bags for
the community. The city staff that
Gloves, cleats, bats, helmets and catcher’s gear were
was there were very impressed in the
all donated to the Joplin South Little League thanks
teams generosity and the fact that
to Pitch In For Baseball, a non-profit organization
they, with the help of other volundedicated to bringing the sport of baseball to youth
teers, filled approximately 15,000
all over the world.
sand bags in about a six hour time
frame.
Disaster can strike anywhere at anytime, although it’s important to be prepared for what
Mother Nature decides to bestow upon us, there are times when the best and safest thing
we can do is wait. Once it’s safe and the all-clear is given, chances are that one of first volunteers on the scene will be someone in your family, the Watco family.
Members of the Stanley, N.D., transload team help fill sandbags to prevent damage by the flooding in Minot, N.D.
By Tracie VanBecelaere
Managing Editor
At Watco, we have always known that our Customers are the best
in the business but recent disasters have given them an opportunity
so show others how amazing they truly are.
Three members of the CBH Group from Australia were on the
Kansas and Oklahoma’s ten year anniversary train ride when news
came that a tornado was heading straight towards Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
home of Watco’s Alabama Southern Railroad. Thankfully, all of
our team and their families survived the storm but many received
damage to their homes and vehicles in not only Tuscaloosa but in
Birmingham, Ala., and other areas as well.
As soon as the CBH team heard a disaster relief fund was in place
they jumped at the opportunity to make a contribution to the fund.
Customer GATX was also quick to respond as soon as they heard
the news of all the damage caused by the tornado in the Tuscaloosa
area.
Robert Zmudka, GATX vice president and group executive,
North American sales said, “GATX was moved by the devastation
in the Gulf Region and eager to provide support to our friends at
Watco and their disaster relief fund. GATX is devoted to assisting in the communities where we live and do business, and those
impacted by this terrible disaster remain in our thoughts.”
Dan Smith, Watco SVP of Greens Port Industrial Park, had to
reschedule a meeting with The Mid-Ship Group LLC because of
some efforts he was leading to aid the Joplin South Little League
(JSLL). The league’s fields had been destroyed and more than 230
players had lost all their equipment after a tornado ripped through
Joplin, Mo., on May 22. Smith’s next call with The Mid-Ship Group
wasn’t business as usual, the company wanted to know how they
could help the league and the kids and a generous check was soon
sent to aid in getting the league fields to play on and equipment for
the players.
The check was presented to Ryan Wood, JSLL Board President,
on June 16 at the Watco office in Pittsburg, Kan.
Wood said, “The utter devastation of this event has left the city
paralyzed with grief. But the city, as a whole, has risen to the efforts
of rebuilding and moving on one step at a time. The same goes for
baseball in Joplin. We may have lost an icon but we have gained
many new friends from all over the country that have stepped up
the plate and given. Whether it is equipment, time or money, we
will move on and we will be playing at Sunny Jim Field come the
spring of 2012.”
Matthew DeLuca, Jr. director of The Mid-Ship Group said, “My
partners and I, along with everyone on the MID-SHIP Team, support Watco in your efforts to come to the aid of the tornado victims
as we strongly believe in supporting worthwhile causes like this.
We hope our contribution will assist you and the league’s management in providing everything they need to enjoy America’s favorite
pastime.”
These are just a few examples that we know about regarding our
generous Watco Customers. There are many others who’s stories we
haven’t heard but who’s help has been greatly appreciated by those
in the Watco family who have been touched by the disasters. A big
thank you to everyone who has been there when help was needed.
Anyone wishing to donate to the Watco Disaster Relief Fund can do
so by sending your donation to: The Watco Disaster Relief Fund, 315
W 3rd Street, Pittsburg, KS 66762. If you would like the donation to
aid a particular area please note such in your correspondence.
Dispatch page 6
the
Watco sponsored driver zooms to finish
By Tracie VanBecelaere
Managing Editor
Although speed is an essential quality when driving a race car, it’s not something that’s expected in terms of how quickly a racer builds a winning record.
In just two short years Bill Martin, son of Wendy Wooden, LaCrosse, Wisc.,
customer service representative, went from someone who had never driven a
Bill Martin, LaCrosse, Wisc., and his #16 race car sponsored in part by Watco
Companies, displays the Customer First logo on the top of the hood.
race car before to crossing the finish line in Victory Lane. In 2009 a friend asked
if he would be interested in the opportunity to drive a race car owned by another
friend, Martin had never driven a race car before but he didn’t let that stop him.
“It was something that I had always wanted to do so, I moved back to Wisconsin from Las Vegas,” said Martin. “In 2010 I ran my first season around the La
Crosse, Wisc., Fairgrounds Speedway's 5/8th Mile. In my rookie year we didn't
expect much considering my experience being none. The results of the year
overall, however, were incredible. In 2010, I managed to win the feature event
in my division (NASCAR North County Contractors Sportsman) which many
drivers in the field with 10 plus years experience have yet to do.”
Later in the year, Martin won one more time in a NASCAR Fast Dash. He also
had two very hard crashes, but bounced back and kept recording great finishes.
He missed three races last year and only fell about 15 points short of winning
Rookie Of The Year over four other new drivers. He ended the year being
awarded the Surprise of the Year Award which is voted on by the track crews and
drivers.
In 2011 Martin and his crew came back as a whole new team. He purchased the car he had been driving from the previous car owner and took on the
responsibility of being both the owner and driver.
“We picked up new sponsors, one of them being Watco - thanks to you all
- and after a very rough first week we started performing incredibly well,” said
Martin.
They've been averaging eighth place or higher for qualifying and have put
the car in Victory Lane twice. The first time was winning the feature race for a
second time and the second time was another fast dash. According to Martin,
that win was almost more thrilling than the actual feature race. This year fast
dashes are called the 6 for 6. It's a race run for six laps by the top six qualifying
cars. Starting on the outside of the front row they pulled off a win outrunning
the five fastest cars on the track.
“For only my second year I felt that was a huge accomplishment,” said Martin.
“So, this year has been going excellent, however we have developed an engine
problem that we thought may put us out for the season, but thanks to some help
from other sponsors we should be able to make it through the rest of year. And
who knows, maybe we'll put the green and white Watco Companies #16 Monte
Carlo in Victory Lane again!”
Pensacola Team Member paints
caboose for special delivery
By Tracie VanBecelaere
Managing Editor
The caboose pictured to the right won’t be rolling down a set of railroad tracks
anytime soon but it will be able to handle a special commodity of its own - mail.
Switchman Tony Allender from Pensacola, Fla., presented the mailbox to Watco
CEO Rick Webb after restoring the old mail caboose.
The mailbox was passed down to Allender from his father who had worked in the
rail industry for 40 years. Originally the caboose was painted in a CSX color scheme
so Allender sanded the mailbox and then painted the caboose in Watco colors to
resemble the Watco locomotive paint schemes he has seen at the switching location.
The car number WAMX 1983 represents the year Watco began operations with its
first Customer in DeRidder, La.
The top of the caboose has the Watco mantras of Safety Always and Customer
First, two of the most important things a Watco team member must keep in mind at
all times.
“I had to put the Spirit of Dick Webb on the caboose in memory of the man who
started it all. The spirit of Dick Webb still goes on strong through Rick today,” said
Allender. “We are a strong company because of his caring for his team and the drive
to make Watco #1 in the industry. Rick is always telling us thank you for all we do
but I wanted to make sure that someone told him thank you for all he does for us.”
Allender has been with the Pensacola location for 11 years and said he has enjoyed
every minute of it.
“Railroading has been in my family for a long time, it’s something that just gets in
your blood.”
Dispatch page 8
the
TC
WA O
W
ORLD
This section is dedicated to the Watco Team members
to give you a chance to share what’s happening in
your corner of the Watco World.
Births
Saylor Kate Bevins
Kortney and Ryan Bevins are proud to announce
the birth of a daughter, Saylor Kate. Saylor was born
on June 27 and weighed 8 lbs., 4.7 oz. and was 19 3/4
inches long.
Saylor was
welcomed
home by
four-year old
brother Ford.
Kortney
is a Central
Region accountant at
the Pittsburg,
Kan., locaSaylor Kate Bevins
tion.
Retirement
Tim Harris, IT Analyst
Pittsburg, KS
Tim Harris will be able to celebrate his
retirement with a bang as July 1 will be his
first official day of retirement. A going away
party was held for Harris on June 30 in the
Watco basement.
Harris began working for Watco in
November of 2006 as a part-time marketing analyst while attending Pittsburg State
University. Tim came on board full-time
after receiving his bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in mathematics in June of
2007.
Upon his retirement Harris plans to sell
his home in Pittsburg and travel throughout
North America in his travel trailer with his
motorcycle in tow and Schnauzer’s Isaac
and Newton riding shotgun in the front
seat.
Although he is only 54, Harris is able to
retire at an earlier age due to having served
in the U.S. Navy for 21 1/2 years prior to
joining the Watco Team.
As a marketing analyst Harris was instrumental in the AOP process and designing
Aaron Coester, IT manager (r) listens as Tim Harris (l)
discusses his plans for retirement .
measurements for carload and commodity
analysis. Since December he has been part
of the IT team as a data analyst on the special projects team.
Follow Harris on his adventures via his Facebook page Tim Harris or using the link: http://www.facebook.
com/#!/profile.php?id=1649384740.
“I’d like to thank Rick Webb and all the Watco Team Members for the opportunity to be a part of a fantastic team, I’ll be watching Watco from the wings as they continue to grow,” said Harris.
July Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following Watco Team Members who are celebrating
anniversaries in the month of July!
1 Year: Kenneth Christian, Brian Cosby, Mark Curnutt, Jorge Delgado, Morgan Ernster,
Dillon Hall, Marcus Hodges, Jared Hurst, Lee Jasmin, Victor Jimenez, Patrick Kinney,
Stefan Loeb, Willie Lowe, Travis McWethy, Cooper Miller, Andrew Mitchell, Matthew
Morrison, Jason Myers, Germaine Race, Anthony Shepherd, Aaron Smith, Rob Smith,
Tracy Winright, John Worthington
2 Years: Joseph Babineaux, Ryan Corder, Joey Gallegos, Joshua Grigg, Brandon Pearson,
Amanda Pequin, Horacio Silva, Brad Stroud, Steven Tucker, Gary Wagenseller
3 Years: Erik Batalia, Garrett Bolyard, John Carson, Donta Davis, Reginald Dunnom,
Doyle Ferguson, Danny Lancaster, Larry Lewczyk, James Scott McDuffie, Carla Rice,
Brian Wilson
4 Years: Tandi Colibert, Clint Counterman, David Daniels, Thomas Emert, Shawn
Gatlin, Gary Jones, Donald Kopsie, Keith Lacaze, Steven Ogle, Christopher Rawe,
Vincent Saylor, Travis Thorpe, Derrick Umbarger, Jeffrey Yon
5 Years: Francis Benally, Gary Bernhardt, Chet Clasen, Mitch Garner, Martin Gutierrez,
Kyle Jeschke, Matt Lewis, Wesley Martin, Jennifer Muckala, Cesar Oglesby, Dianna Peak,
Raymond Russell, Jeremy Tyler, Robert C Waldheuser, Patricia Walsworth, Charles
Young
6 Years: Antenogenes Barajas, Sammy Belmer, Phillip Cunningham, Travis Dimond,
Cornelius Jones, Colby Jordan, Jeff Linden, Tracy Long, Brian Steiger, Toby Wampler
7 Years: Jeffery Ambrose, Robert Bailey, Laura Bolt, Carroll Davis, Doug Story, Stu
Towner
8 Years: Beau Embrey, Jerry Johnson, Mark Jones, Malcolm McMullen
9 Years: William Mays, Don Rudd
10 Years: Brian Arnold, Donn Duling, Teresa Gray, Michael Yon, Lois Ziesenis
11 Years: Charlie Chism, Audencio Cocteco, David Franks, James Franks, Martin White
12 Years: John Dolan, Steven Landis, Michael Rivers, Mathew Wahl, Jerry Waun
13 Years: John Chambers, Brian Stott
14 Years: Joe Bennett, Patrick Ottwell, James Peck, Daniel Swenson
15 Years: John Gaines, Frederick Owens
16 Years: Carlton Echols
17 Years: Gisele Brown, Raymond Gray
18 Years: Frank Meza
19 Years: Chad Stalford
20 Years: Richard Mansfield
21 Years: Danny Simonds, John Wise
22 Years: Timothy Sanchez
23 Years: Edward Hockenberry, Eugene Holobinko, Timothy Millis, Steven Theriot
26 Years: Daniel Ebarb, Calvin Everson, Wayne Stevens, Jeff VanBuren
27 Years: Don Parrish
28 Years: Mark Blazer, Tony Sanborn
30 Years: Billy Goodman
32 Years: Chris Flanagan
33 Years: Sammie Haggerty, Gary Perry, Nello Willie
34 Years: John Garman, William Houck, Marion Mingle
35 Years: Rick Cox
37 Years: William Wise
40 Years: Bonnie Brumbaugh
Dispatch
the
The newsletter for Watco Companies, L.L.C. and Watco Transportation Services, L.L.C.
July 2011, Volume 12, Issue 7
PRST STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
PRADMAR CORP
315 W. Third Street
Pittsburg, KS 66762
www.watcocompanies.com
New technology used on Chargers locomotive
By Tracie VanBecelaere
Managing Editor
Marvin Gaye wasn’t the only one who “heard it
through the grapevine.” The Thompson Brothers
in Coffeyville, Kan., also heard something through
the grapevine - that the Watco mechanical shop in
Coffeyville had a special locomotive project that was
in the works.
The Thompson Brothers has been supplying
welding and industrial supplies to Watco since Dick
Webb first opened shop up in Coffeyville in 1985.
They contacted shop manager Jack Lewis about the
rumor and they were directed to Watco’s locomotive director Shane Stahlford and the South Kansas
and Oklahoma Railroad’s (SKOL) chief mechanical
officer James Andrews. The Thompson Brothers had
a new product produced by PPG that they wanted to
introduce to the mechanical group for use on their
locomotives and this project would be a perfect fit.
PPG, (who Watco switches for in West Lake, La.)
developed an engineered Polysiloxane coating which
is the world’s first weather-able epoxy coating. It
embodies the properties of both high-performance
epoxy and acrylic polyurethane in one coat. This
multi-purpose coating offers “breakthrough” weather resistance and corrosion control. Polysiloxane
technology offers outstanding performance in severe
atmospheric or chemical environments, graffiti resistance, abrasion resistance, and is an isocyanate-free
product. Isocyanate exposure is associated
with long-term health issues making this coatings choice a responsible change. One thing
that is often overlooked with this product is
the open recoat window, which means that
the product can be cleaned and recoated with
itself without going through the entire prep
process all over again. This alone can reduce
labor and material cost of any future repair or
refinishing operations.
Watco painter Richard Johnson said once he
got over familiarizing himself with the properties of the new product the process went very
well.
“The hardest part of the whole project was
just getting used to using something new and
how it sprayed differently. Once I figured out
the best way to spray it things went very well.
It took less paint to cover the locomotive and
it only took one coat vs. the two that we normally have to apply,” said Johnson.
Stages of the project were: 1) sanding the
unit to be painted 2) applying a primer to the
unit 3) spraying the white coat 4) masking off
the white areas 5) spraying the blue coat 6)
applying the decals 7) presenting the finished
product.
The project was started June 3 and was
completed on June 27 but most of the painting
was completed within a week. What took such
a short time to complete will last a lifetime in
the hearts of Charger fans.