Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad - Abandonments

Abandonments

Blanton, Oklahoma, to Kiowa, Kansas - 1996 (57.69 miles / 92.84 kilometres)

On December 23, 1996, the Surface Transportation Board approved the K & E Railway (K&E) request to abandon its entire 57.69-mile rail line between milepost 0.60, at or near Kiowa, Kansas, and milepost 56.98, at or near Blanton, Garfield County, northwest of Enid, Oklahoma. K&E acquired the line from The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company earlier in 1996. Historically, the line was used for grain gathering, but no traffic had moved over it for at least 5 years prior to the acquisition by K&E, and K&E had subsequently moved no traffic. According to K&E, the track primarily consisted of 90-lb. rail installed between 1914 and 1921. The track was described as generally in fair to poor condition, requiring replacement of approximately 14% of the rail, 7% of the bars, and 46% of the ties to resume service. In addition, several wash-outs and four bridges are said to have required repairs.

Guthrie, Oklahoma, to Fairmont, Oklahoma - 1998 (42.8 miles / 68.9 kilometres)

This section was taken out of service in 1994 due to flood damage on the Cimarron River bridge and a couple of other creeks near the bridge. Although the blame for this abandonment is given due to a bridge washout at Cottonwood Creek it is more than likely due to the merger of the Burlington Northern Railroad and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Trains from Enid now run on the Avard sub to Perry, Oklahoma and then "west" to Guthrie. On October 23, 1998, the Surface Transportation Board approved the BNSF Railway request to abandon 42.80 miles of its line of railroad between milepost 73.60 near Fairmont and milepost 116.40 near Guthrie The line was railbanked, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation was designated as the holder of rights to develop it for trail use. On Feb 19, 2010, a petition was filed by Montoff Transportation, LLC, of Seattle WA, to acquire from BNSF its residual right to reactivate the line and from ODOT its right to develop a trail. The stated purpose at that time was to put the line back in service, and initially to develop portions of it for railcar storage.