ASLRRA Recognizes Watco Team Members

Two current Watco team members were recognized at a recent short line industry event. 

Watco Conductor/Engineer Joe Wilcox is the 2026 American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) Safety Person of the Year. Wilcox is on the team at Plaquemine Industrial Rail Services in Louisiana. He was nominated for his exceptional safety awareness and peer leadership.  

Wilcox spoke to attendees from the stage at last month’s ASLRRA annual conference. About being recognized for safety, he said, “I want  to be passionate. I want to be professional. I want to have a keen eye. …” He also thanked those who supported his nomination and expressed his pride in representing Plaquemine and Watco. “I consider myself as Joe Watco,” he said. “I’m really proud of my company.” 

Watco VP of Safety Brad Walker is the new vice chair of the association’s Safety and Training Committee. He was elected by committee members during the conference.  

“I am pretty excited and a little nervous for the role,” said Walker, who’s been on the committee since 2021. “Three others involved in the committee also were nominated who had a ton of experience, so I’m
definitely humbled and honored.” 

During his three-year term, Walker will be responsible for coordinating and conducting monthly meetings. A major committee task is to build compliance plans or templates in use by the 600 ASLRRA railroads and 1,000 additional members.   

Wilcox and Walker weren’t the only Watco-associated names announced at the conference. A Watco retiree received the ASLRRA’s highest individual honor. 

Gary Vaughn was presented with the Schlosser Distinguished Service Award, recognizing his significant long-term service to the ASLRRA and the short line industry. The award is named for former ASLRRA Chairman and inaugural recipient, Thomas L. Schlosser. 

Vaughn was at Watco from 2003 through 2018, when he retired to become a consultant to Watco and support the short line industry. His influence on Watco and industry safety was so significant that Watco’s Safe Performance Center in Fairfield, Alabama, is dedicated to him. Walker credits Vaughn with many Watco safety program initiatives and improvements, including initial publication of rulebooks and starting Watco’s formalized classroom training to include ground schools and engineer training. Of only 14 people to receive the Schlosser award since its inception, two are former Watco team members. Besides Vaughn, Ed McKechnie, who was chair of the ASLRRA when it established the Short Line Safety Institute, was the 2025 recipient.