Cathcart Rail conducting services for Portland & Western Railroad
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The winner of ASLRRA’s 2025 Schlosser distinguished Service Award is Ed McKechnie, former head of commercial and business development at Watco who has been active with ASLRRA for years, including having served as chair of the Association’s Board of Directors.
“Ed’s impact on the short line industry is legendary. His legislative and business career has been focused on driving transformational change in every organization he has been involved with,” said Chuck Baker, President, ASLRRA. “At ASLRRA, his leadership as Chair of our Board of Directors, and his steering of the Legislative Policy Committee led to two Congressional mandates that have been instrumental in assisting short lines in their relentless drive to improved safety – the Short Line Rehabilitation Tax Credit (45G), and the Short line Safety Institute (SLSI). The former has led to $9 billion of investment in upgraded rail and bridges to date, addressing the leading cause of derailments on short lines. The SLSI is focused on elevating safety culture, prioritizing safety on short line railroads over other competing demands. Our industry is certainly better as a result of Ed’s contributions and relentless drive to make it so.”
Before he was active in the short line industry, Ed McKechnie spent years in public service. In 2000, McKechnie joined ASLRRA-member parent company Watco as head of government affairs and later was promoted to lead commercial and business development.
In 2003, McKechnie was elected chair of ASLRRA’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC), and it was at the helm of that committee that McKechnie pushed for the creation of a tax credit that would assist short line railroads in upgrading and updating their infrastructure. In 2013, McKechnie was elected chair of ASLRRA’s Board of Directors.
As ASLRRA chair, one of McKechnie's biggest projects was establishment of the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI), which began as a pilot program in 2014. In 2018 McKechnie joined lobbying firm Chambers, Conlon & Hartwell (CC&H) as a partner. McKechnie was also one of the original members of the Surface Transportation Board’s Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee (RETAC), which formed in 2007, and continues to do consulting work with short lines. He is still a fierce advocate for the nation’s small railroads.
For more on Ed McKechnie and his contributions to the industry, click here.
The Schlosser Distinguished Service Award, named for former ASLRRA Chair Thomas L. Schlosser, is the highest individual honor bestowed by the ASLRRA, recognizing long-term, significant service to the ASLRRA and the short line industry. McKechnie will be honored on April 7, 2025 at the ASLRRA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Denver, Colorado.
To see a list of previous Distinguished Service Award winners and watch a video on the background of the Schlosser Distinguished Service Award, click here.
Ed McKechnie will be honored as this year's Schlosser Distinguished Service Award winner at ASLRRA's Annual Conference in April. McKechnie served for years on ASLRRA's Board of Directors, including as board chair, and various Association committees.
ASLRRA and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) have submitted comments to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in response to a petition filed by the U .S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (the petitioners) requesting the STB consider amendments to regulations implementing section 208 of the National Trails System Act Amendments of 1983.
The petitioners are asking the STB to initiate a rulemaking to make these regulatory changes, which would affect the railbanking process. Railbanking is an agreement made between a railroad and another entity to preserve a rail corridor and allow use as a trail until the corridor needs to be put into service again.
ASLRRA and AAR do not believe that such a rulemaking is necessary or advisable. Their comments say that such changes to the regulations would make proceedings more complicated and upend decades of established precedent on the matter. If the STB decides to proceed with a rulemaking proceeding, the associations urge the Board to set a procedural schedule for the submission of comments, reply comments and other proposals.
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) discusses credit for military service in the February edition of its monthly Question and Answer (Q&A) series. Under the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), military service that meets certain conditions may be creditable as railroad service.
To be considered creditable, military service must be preceded by railroad service in the same or preceding calendar year. Only active-duty military service is creditable under the RRA, which includes the U.S. Coast Guard and being called to duty from any reserve component of the uniformed Armed Forces. Annual training duty for members of the reserves is also considered active duty, but weekend alone or evening reserve duty is not counted.
The Q&A goes on to explain how military service pensions affect RRB unemployment and sickness benefits and how military service can increase annuities paid by the RRB.
Members of ASLRRA’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) participated in a fly-in today to meet with federal elected officials and their staff to discuss key short line policy issues, particularly H.R. 516, the bill to update the short line railroad track maintenance credit.
The credit is often referred to as 45G, a reference to the line item in the tax code. ASLRRA members will be visiting 120 offices today to discuss 45G and urge lawmakers to become cosponsors of H.R. 516.
Representatives Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) introduced the bill on Jan. 16, and it is possible that a reconciliation bill that includes tax provisions like 45G could be considered in the House as soon as next month. Therefore, massive outreach to elected officials is needed to garner support for 45G. ASLRRA has created an email template that members can use to encourage their representatives in the House to back H.R. 516. Download the template here.
Individuals can also download and share the Association’s 45G policy paper, which outlines the many proven benefits of the credit and underscores its importance. Contact ASLRRA’s Vice President, Congressional Affairs Nicole Brewin with any questions about these efforts.
This tax credit has enabled short lines to invest more private dollars in rail infrastructure improvements such as rail and bridges, using a $.40 tax credit match for each dollar spent, up to $3500 per mile of rail. The credit has widely been noted as a successful public-private partnership, driving $9 billion in investment since 2005, when it was first enacted. However, inflation has mitigated its potency.
H.R. 516 calls for the credit to be modernized, increasing in the cap per mile to $6100, representative of today’s costs, and for the credit to be indexed to inflation going forward. In addition, the credit would be eligible for all short line track as of 2024. For more information on the issue, visit our website.
ASLRRA President is cautiously optimistic about the short line railroad industry’s future, and he explains why in February’s “ASLRRA Perspective” in Railway Age magazine.
First, Baker talks about three key transportation appointees and their experience, calling them all “solid individuals with considerable knowledge about railroads.” The choice of Sean Duffy to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation, Patrick Fuchs to be Surface Transportation Board chair and David Fink to head the Federal Railroad Administration are all described as positive by Baker.
Baker also offers a recap of his Jan. 23 testimony at a hearing held by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s railroad subcommittee. During his testimony Baker focused heavily on the importance of the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program and how relatively modest government funding can allow small railroads to complete projects that, for them, are transformational.
Now that ASLRRA has announced the schedule for education sessions and committee meetings at the 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition, the Association is excited to highlight the ways this year’s offerings appeal to a wide variety of conference attendees. In particular, ASLRRA will welcome dozens of industry- and subject-matter experts who will make the event a one-stop shop for information on the short line industry’s most pressing issues.
These experts include:
These are only a few of the nearly 50 educational sessions being offered to conference attendees from Sunday to Tuesday afternoon, April 6 to 8. Due to the earlier start and later finish of education sessions, conference attendees are urged to arrive on Sunday and stay until Wednesday to take advantage of all this year’s event has to offer. Register today for the conference and join industry colleagues in Denver.
Attendees are also encouraged to book lodging in ASLRRA’s hotel block before rooms are sold out. Click here to go to ASLRRA’s event lodging page for information regarding room availability, rates, booking deadlines and direct links to each hotel.
Integral dx, based in Montevideo, Minnesota, designs and builds new switcher locomotives at its ISO-9001 & AAR-certified Minnesota facility. The units range from 900 to 2100 hp Tier 4f (and CARB compliant) diesel engines; 80 ton to 180 ton. They are available in front-mount, rear-mount or mid-mount cab options. To learn more, contact them at (320) 269-3227 or visit them in Booth #534 at the ASLRRA Annual Conference & Exposition in Denver.
Did you know that although ASLRRA’s focus is on serving the short line freight rail industry, the Association is happy to count tourist, excursion and heritage railroads as members. In some cases, ASLRRA-member Class II and III railroads own and operate these businesses.
However, the Association’s newest group of members comprises strictly excursion railroads, owned by tourism company American Heritage Railways (AHR). AHR works to preserve American history, in large part through its own railroad operations as well as through special events held on other railroad properties. Joining ASLRRA are AHR’s three wholly owned railroads, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (DSNG), the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad (GSMR) and the Branson Scenic Railway (BSRX).
The DSNG was originally built by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1882. It is both a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Today, DSNG operates vintage trains year-round over 45 miles of narrow-gauge railroad between Durango and Silverton, Colorado. The route winds through canyons in the San Juan National Forest, carrying passengers on a train that incorporates rolling stock original to the line.
The GSMR takes visitors through remote regions of North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains along the Tuckasegee River, Nantahala River and Nantahala Gorge. This 53-mile heritage railroad operates trains with vintage passenger equipment, with routes leaving from the railroad depot in Bryson City, North Carolina.
The BSRX operates from Branson, Missouri, traveling roughly 40 miles through the Ozark wilderness. Passengers can ride in vintage Budd coaches on a route that dates back to the early 1900s, when tracks were built to connect portions of lines owned by the Missouri Pacific and St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railways.
Railroads have played an important role in the expansion and development of the United States, and AHR’s three lines allow visitors a glimpse into that part of America’s past. ASLRRA gladly welcomes its newest members.
The Association is happy to receive all membership inquiries and recommendations. If you are interested in becoming an ASLRRA member or know a railroad that might be, contact ASLRRA Director, Membership and Technology Danialle Lovik.
What are the latest ways Association members can engage with ASLRRA? What is ASLRRA’s most recent call-to-action? Below are some of the different types of information the Association would love to gather.
ASLRRA is saddened to report that Frank Kile Turner, former president of ASLRRA, has passed away. He was 85.
Turner was born in Tucumcari, New Mexico. His father, whose name was also Frank, was a conductor for the Southern Pacific Railroad and would occasionally bring his son along on train rides. After graduating from high school Turner studied for two years at the New Mexico Military Institute before moving on to East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, now Texas A&M-Commerce.
According to Turner’s obituary, he was known for saying he wanted to do two things with his life, “join the Marines and work on the railroad.” He achieved the former goal first, commissioning as an officer in the Marine Corps in 1961. Turner’s eight years of service included a 13-month deployment to Vietnam.
In 1970 Turner began his railroad career, starting as an assistant trainmaster at the Norfolk & Western Railway. In 1988 Turner joined MidSouth Railroad as vice president of operations and transportation. He was promoted to president and CEO a year later. Turner moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1993 to take on the role of vice president of operations for CSX Intermodal. It was from there that Turner was selected to succeed Bill Loftus as ASLRRA president in 1998.
During his tenure, Turner served on the Transportation Advisory Group advising the Bush Administration. In 2002 Representative Bob Clement of Tennessee offered remarks in the Congressional Record honoring Turner for his “visionary leadership in the railroad industry.”
Many in the short line industry remember Turner for his generosity and dedication. Paul Barnes, president and CEO of ASLRRA member Canton Railroad Company, called Turner “a close mentor and friend,” adding that “He [Turner] and Rosalie [Turner’s wife] have been a big part of my life these last 30 years.”
Turner continued to remain active in his community after retiring from the Association in 2002. He founded the Tejas/Sig Ep Endowed Scholarship at Texas A&M-Commerce that same year, which as of 2021 had provided over $150,000 for more than 80 scholarships.
Another of Turner’s passions was working with his wife to advance civil rights and voting rights. They sponsored Civil Rights Tours in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee for Texas A&M-Commerce students and established the Rosalie and Frank Turner Race and Reconciliation Endowed Professorship in the Department of Counseling at A&M-Commerce in 2021. In 2015 Turner received the Gold Blazer Alumni Award from A&M-Commerce. The award recognizes graduates for their service to the alumni association and the university as a whole.
Turner is survived by Rosalie, to whom he was married for 61 years, as well as his sons Kile and Joel and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his eldest son Terry, who lost his battle with childhood leukemia in 1974.
A memorial service for Turner will be held March 8 at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Durham, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers and gifts, the Turner family requests donations be made to the Durham Freedom School or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. ASLRRA extends its deepest condolences to Turner’s family, friends and former colleagues.
Canton Railroad President and CEO Paul Barnes (far right) has fond memories of former ASLRRA President Frank Turner (center), who Barnes called "a close mentor and friend." Barnes took this photo with Turner and his wife Rosalie at the Turners' 60th wedding anniversary celebration in 2023.
To help members plan for and cope with these events ASLRRA has assembled disaster preparedness resources available on the Association’s website. Railroad and supplier members helped ASLRRA develop essential templates and checklists to assist in the development of response plans that can be put in place and used as training tools before disaster strikes, as well as emergency response tools and resources to aid in the recovery process in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.
Resources on the Association’s Disaster Preparedness page include disaster planning, hazmat response and instructions on accessing an emergency docket, in addition to links to other government websites. ASLRRA members may download materials directly from the website. Find the Disaster Preparedness page under the Safety & Compliance tab.
ASLRRA Member Discount Program Preferred Provider MaxAccel offers a suite of software products available in web and mobile-based solutions to assist small railroads in driving safety, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and return on investment.
Over 220 freight railroads, passenger operations and railroad contractors rely on MaxAccel’s electronic recordkeeping applications every day, making them some of the most widely used in the rail transportation industry.
MaxAccel’s product offerings, available as part of the Member Discount Program, include all eight solutions on the AssetPro and SafeTrack Platforms. ASLRRA members can choose one application or several to make MaxAccel their single solution for electronic recordkeeping. MaxAccel also provides interactive infographic analytics capabilities for easy assessment of reporting and risk management.
Events team members Amy Westerman, Lauren Schlechte and Kathy Keeney were in Denver this week firming up logistics for the 2025 ASLRRA Annual Conference and exhibition that is only two months away. They had key meetings with contacts at hotels, the Denver Convention Center and Lucky Strike, site of an afternoon networking event scheduled for the last day of the conference.
Jo Strang and JR Gelnar traveled to California to attend a meeting of ASLRRA’s Safety and Training Committee, hosted by ASLRRA member Pacific Harbor Line. The group discussed their agenda for the year.
Fred Oelsner traveled to two states for two meetings this week. He attended the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Rail Security Working Committee meeting hosted by Class I railroad BNSF in Fort Worth, Texas, then went to Norfolk Southern headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia for the 2025 American Railway Development Association (ARDA) Executive Forum.
Aram Gavoor, Associate Dean and Professor at The George Washington University Law School, will discuss emergency authorities granted to agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to regulate the railroad industry and others, separate from rulemaking procedures memorialized in the Administrative Procedures Act. Prof. Gavoor will be joined by ASLRRA SVP & General Counsel Sarah Yurasko for a facilitated audience Q&A session following the presentation.
Presented by:
Representatives from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) joined with ASLRRA to offer a three-part webinar providing an overview of railroad retirement benefits and other topics important to railroad employees. Recordings of these webinars are available In ASLRRA’s On-Demand Webinar Library, accessible at any time to Association members. Look for the titles below:
Visit ASLRRA’s webinar homepage and log in to view all the on-demand offerings in the Association’s webinar library.
Rail advocacy organization GoRail has launched a new grassroots campaign to bring together those across the country who believe railroads are essential to America.
Called Rail Champions, the program “gives voice to everyday citizens who believe policymakers should prioritize a robust U.S. rail network.” GoRail’s Rail Champions website invites the public to express their support for railroads by signing up online. Individuals can also access Rail Champions resources that include ways to act on behalf of railroads, such as through social media; information about the benefits of railroads; and a brief video describing the Rail Champions movement.
GoRail also recently held an essay contest inviting people to write about the value railroads add to their communities, highlighting their specific impact.
“Trains help move the goods and people of our nation, increasing competitiveness, lowering costs, and enhancing our communities through emissions and congestion mitigation,” said GoRail Assistant Vice President of Communications Betsy Cantwell. “Join Rail Champions to declare that freight railroads are essential.”
Twenty-two employees of ASLRRA-member companies have been named Progressive Railroading magazine’s Women of Influence in Rail, comprising nearly half of the 50 award winners in the award’s inaugural year.
According to Progressive Railroading, the award was established to “help bridge the persistent gender gap in both craft and management roles within the rail industry,” where women account for only 8.9% of the workforce. Honorees were nominated in one of five categories, leadership, innovation, mentorship, technology and sustainability, and chosen based on the meaningful impact they have on their companies.
Winners will be featured in the March issue of Progressive Railroading and recognized in a virtual award ceremony. ASLRRA congratulates all 50 winners, particularly those from ASLRRA-member companies. Those 22 women are listed below in alphabetical order, with their organization name and the category in which they were nominated.
Click here for a calendar of industry events.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
