Kevin Leyerle's "Katy in the 80's", Oklahoma Subdivision is based on the former Rock Island Memphis to Tucumcari line that runs East-West through the middle of Oklahoma. The Katy had trackage rights on this line from McAlester, Oklahoma to Oklahoma City, OK. since 1973 when they abandoned their original line into Oklahoma City.  When the RI went bankrupt in 1980, the Katy bought this line from the RI and it became a part of the Katy.

The Katy used this line to service Oklahoma City and to connect with the former RI North-South line from Kansas City to Texas at El Reno, Oklahoma. This North-South line and the portion of the East-West line from Oklahoma City to El Reno was operated as the "Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas (OKT) and was leased from the State of Oklahoma. The Katy didn't have a physical connection to the OKT at the North end and so used the East-West line through Oklahoma City as a bridge line to connect the OKT at El Reno to the original MKT at McAlester. Since this operation was on ex. RI track and run with mostly ex. RI employees, it puts a little different spin on the Katy.

Division or Location:  Oklahoma
Interchange Railroads:  Santa Fe local out of Oklahoma City
Size of Railroad:  500 square feet
Scale:  HO
Era:  1980's
Throttle system:  Easy DCC
Scale Clock Speed:  4:1
Length of Session:  3 to 3 1/2 real hours
Number of Crew:  7
Train Control:  Timetable and Train Order.  Radios required
Listed jobs:  Dispatcher, two Footboard Yardmasters, two industrial switch crews, two road crews

Kevin Sez:
My layout is focused around the industrial switching at Oklahoma City and the locals  and trains that worked out of OKC. Oklahoma City is the center of the layout and I model the towns that are about 30 miles on each side of OKC. I have lots of switching and locals that work on layout. I run some connection traffic and a Rock Train off the OKT out of staging. The ATSF also had trackage rights on this line from OKC to Shawnee, OK.  I run an ATSF local out of OKC to serve a few industries at Shawnee, OK. I also have some through trains that will run through over the layout. I model the period from 1980 to 1988.

About the layout host:

I got interested in trains in 1977 when my parents moved us into a house that was half a block from a Rock Island industrial spur in Oklahoma City. I became fascinated by the trains and was sure that an NW2 was the biggest thing in the world! (compared to an SW1 anyway!) I would follow the switch engines around on my bicycle and soon got to know the train crews. They would let me park my bicycle and ride on the switch engine while they were working the industries near my house. What a thrill!

I was hooked on trains and soon began modeling in HO scale. I also found that I had a desire to work for the Railroad. While the Rock Island didn't hang around long enough for me to hire out, I finally did get hired out in 1987 on a Short Line called the AT&L that ran on some ex. RI track in North Central Oklahoma. I went on to work for two other Short Lines/Regional Railroads in Texas and Kansas before landing in Kansas City in 1994.

I currently work for Union Pacific as a Locomotive Engineer and work on the "Marysville Sub" out of Kansas City.

Layout photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge):

Oklahoma City's Harter Yard on the Left and the Towns of Harrah, OK and Shawnee, on the Right.	Looking Westbound at Council Siding and the "OK Rail" industrial area on Right and the Town of El Reno, OK on the Left.	Town of El Reno, OK on the upper level and the eight track Staging Yard for all points off the layout below.
Car Card Waybill box for El Reno, OK.	MKT GP7 No. 107 takes on sand at El Reno, OK.	Real life Union Pacific Conductor and friend Brett Wynne runs the "Dolese Rock Roller" out of staging enroute to the Harrah Stone Yard.
The layout owner inspects the facilities at Shawnee, OK.	MKT GP7 No. 107 hustles an Eastbound train across the North Canadian river bridge between Harrah, OK and Shawnee, OK.