The ('''OKKT''') , was originally created in mid 1980 after the demise of the
Chicago, Rock Island And Pacific Railroad . A subsidiary of the
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad , it operated 767 miles of the former Rock Island's
Herington, KS to
Fort Worth, TX North-South line, as a cooperative venture with local shippers providing 3 million dollars in initial start-up costs. In 1981, 61, 891 cars were moved on the OKT, however the OKT was in the red within the first 9 months of 1981, and MKT management was forced seek reduced rentals from Rock Island Trustees, with both sides going back and forth until MKT stood its ground and shut down OKT operations on December 31, 1981. On October 20, 1982, U.S. District Judge Frank McGarr approved the sale of the Herington, KS to Ft Worth, TX. line to MKT subsidiary OKT for 55 million dollars consisting of 645 miles of line.
