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Norfolk Southern Corp. has appointed Brad Kerchof director of research and tests in Roanoke, Va., to succeed Bob Blank, who retired last month after serving the research and tests department for 37 years.

Kerchof most recently was director of engineering. He began his railroad career with Conrail in 1977 and since has worked in the engineering departments of Conrail and NS for 32 years, serving as division engineer for three NS operating divisions.

Meanwhile, Watco Transportation Services has named Rob Thrall regional vice president of operations-West Region; Brian Boutwell, regional VP of operations-Gulf Region; Alex King, director of operations-Gulf Region; and Jerry Carter, director of operations-West Region.

Thrall had served as regional VP of operations-West Region on an interim basis since November 2010. He joined Watco in December 1994 and since has been a conductor, engineer and trainmaster for the Eastern Idaho Railroad, general manager of the Great Northwest Railroad and Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad, and director of operations-West Region

Boutwell had served as regional VP of operations-Gulf Region on an interim basis since December 2010. He previously was the region’s director of railroad operations. Boutwell began his railroad career with CSX Transportation and later worked for an Arkansas short line and Kansas City Southern Railway, where he held such positions as assistant trainmaster and superintendent of the Shreveport, La., terminal.

King had served as director of operations-Gulf Region on an interim basis since December 2010. He previously was general manager of Watco’s Alabama Southern Railroad after serving as operations manager for the Meridian and Bigbee Railroad and assistant manager of terminal services for the Panama City Port Authority.

Carter had served as director of operations-West Region on an interim basis since November 2010. He joined the region in March 2009 as operations specialist and later took on the duties of quality assurance inspector. Prior to joining Watco, he served RailAmerica Inc. from 1994 to 2009.