EIRR and Omaha Teams Combine Forces One of the advantages Watco has is the diversity of services offered. Not only is this beneficial to customers, but It has also proven to benefit the team as well. The Eastern Idaho Railroad (EIRR) had experienced a derailment earlier this year, which resulted in the need to get the 13 derailed railcars cut up and prepared for heavy repairs or to scrap. Enter the Omaha Railcar and Maintenance Shop in Nebraska. The Omaha location was experiencing a slow period and was able to send team members experienced in heavy repair – Moises Morales, Carlos Arciga, and Saw Taw – to Idaho to help out. EIRR General Manager Darin Price said the three have been “a godsend. I wish I could replicate them. They showed up ready to work and already have the Watco culture ingrained in them.” The Omaha-EIRR partnership has benefited both teams.
8 The Dispatch | April 2021
“Normally we would have to either bring in an outside team, which would elevate costs, or we would have to do the work ourselves, which would cost us in time and take away from our daily tasks,” said Josh Kingery, EIRR Railcar Supervisor, who’s been overseeing the project. “Basically, this solution has given us the opportunity to expedite the project and gather fresh new ideas. It’s been a great learning opportunity for everyone involved.” “They’ve taught us new things and different approaches to the work we need to do,” Price added. “It’s been a good experience for both teams to see how other places do things.” Morales agreed, “It’s been a very good experience for me. I had experience on wrecks, but it’s been a great opportunity to learn and make plans for the railcars using the different perspectives. I’m very proud to be part of the team, and I’m learning a lot from Josh and everyone around.”
