If the DM&E was created with ex-CNW track, equipment, and other things (http://www.dmerail.com/OVERVIEW.htm) then I have a new 2nd favorite railroad.
Here’s a place where fans of the DM&E can talk.
With all the threads that have covered the turmoil of the Dm&E and the Mayo and Rochester, you would have a PRETTY SIZEABLE body of threads. There is a lot of interest, so maybe this one will fly as high as some of the other threads about the Diner/ European Rails/ Humor, etc have done.
Good Luck![C):-)][(-D][2c]
My thought for this thread is to avoid, if possible, too much petty bickering about minutia. If other RR’s can have their ‘own’ thread, why can’t this one? [:D]
If they obtained ex-CNW equimpent, what locos did they acquire? Also, what do they use for motive power mainly?
One side note, last spring (I believe) I caught a DM&E train, on of all places, the Indiana Harbor Belt through LaGrange. It had 2 DME locos and 1 ICE loco, and I had no camera with me [:(] it was headed north (RR West), but I remember thinking as I was waiting at the crossing "What is a DME freight doing out here?? Unless, it was a run through of locomotives…
At start-up,they had a fair amount of former Milwaukee Road equipment as well. Most common power on a DM&E train in S.D. is an SD40-2, in blue and yellow. A fair amount of the trains have red CP units as well, presumably leased.
Murphy’s right, and look here for a pic of an ex-CNW now DME engine.
DM&E at their startup acquired a group of CNW 11 SD9s (6601, 6602, 6604-06, 6609-14) and 7 SD7s (6615-21)- other than those units all other engines came from other roads (MILW, RI, CP, MKT, etc.)
The train you most likely saw in Chicago was the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern’s train that runs to the BRC yard- DME power frequently runs on the ICE and vice versa since both are owned by Cedar American.
The current DME roster is mostly the ex-MILW SD40-2s, ex-CP SD40s, and a phalanx of rebuilt SD40-3s, GP38-3s and GP40s- they also share power with sister road ICE, so ICE SD40-2s, SD40s and such also show up on the DME.
Right-O on the Milwuakee Road units. When Soo Line allowed the leases to expire on most of the Milw Rd SDs they went to Helm leasing (or some outfit like that) and then they were evetually rebuilt and sold to DME. I have pictures of several DME units with the Milwaukee Road 3200 gallon fuels tanks on them. Some of the units pictured use to run on the PCE in Washington!
I have always liked the DME (no surprise to some of you, right?). When I was a wee lad we used to travel to Redwood Falls to visit relatives. Through most of Minnesota, the only thing interesting was the railroad track that followed highway 14. Turns out it was the DME. I remember in the 80’s when all you saw were CNW colors - somewhere this is a picture of a 10 year old kid at the yard in Waseaca, MN surrounded by CNW geeps. Today when you drive by the yard there it is always busy and you are almost always assured a view of one of those Milwaukee SD’s.
Given the fact that the railroad itself was completely worn out in the 80’s (bad track and constant derailments) I think the DME is indicative of RR’s in general - many have seen a rebirth similar to the DME but none have come as far as the DME has. A track back in the 80’s that could hardly pass for a little used siding now sees some steady unit grain trains. All in all it is a great railroad to watch. I even considered taking a job with them at one time, but I realized that the second you make your hobby your job it becomes just that - a job. Being on call constantly wouldn’t really jive with my family either, so I thought it best to let someone else do the job who actually wanted to make a career out of it.
The name includes “Eastern” after Dakota and Minnesota. Why has the rr not made it to WI? Or could that be in the works after PRB maybe?
Actually, I think they do have a link into southern WI via the ICE (former Milwuakee Road trackage, I believe). I think it is somewhere down by Janesville.
All of the ex-MILW units on the DME at some time or other definately worked the PCE- the SD40-2s were in the Tacoma-Bensenville road pool 1973-1979 until they were reassigned to the Midwest prior to the shutdown. At the same time the SD10s did work the PCE as well initially as secondary and local power, even showing up on main line trains after the SD40-2s departed (and sometimes even with the dash-2s prior to that.)
After the SOO decided not to renew the lease on the MILW SD40-2s the majority of the original order (3000-3040) went to Mexico, and have now found their way onto the KCSM roster. The newer orders of subsequent SD40-2s were dispersed to various leasing agencies (EMD, HELM) where some then have found their way onto various regionals and shortlines (DME, WSOR, WLE, ELS, Econorail)- DME picked theirs up on long term lease from Helm after initially using them on a short term lease for the grain season.
DME has no trackage in Wisconsin- and the ICE route into Janesville is just that- an ICE route. I had always figured the DME name came from the fact that most carload traffic orginated from the Dakotas and was taken eastward to their CNW connections- and the fact that the name Minnesota, Dakota and Western was already taken!!
Railroads have long included their goals to their titles. Consider how many railroads with “Pacific” in their names never got close. Since both Cedar American roads have “& Eastern” in their name and don’t go any further east than the second name (Minnesota or Chicago), the “& Eastern” may have well been added to make the titles more euphonious.
The " & Eastern" is probably a reference to their grand plan to take over CSX some day.[;)]
Well, if they can run it better than the current bunch, go for it.
[;)]
Lol that’s 15 points for the word and a double word bonus! Good point, though. Maybe they will partner with the WN or the WSOR for more fun.
So when their PRB project is complete enough will they run ‘full length’ trains? They will need to add some serious HP to their roster to do this IMO.
Hey Solz, Are those rebuilt SD40-2s the Bandits that were common out here when SP was leaseing any rent a wreck they could find back in the early 90s? or was that a seperate fleet of
Chad,
If I recall properly the units that the SP picked up on lease in the late 80s were the ex-MILW 16-30 series that was transferred back to EMD and added into their lease fleet (as EMDX 6300-6314). I have a shot of an SP pig train at Dupo, IL in 1988 with EMDX 6301 trailing an SP B30-7.
The units that the DME picked up from Helm were from the last order of MILW SD40-2s ordered (the 182-209 series) in various numbers from 6359-6370 (four of which were later returned to Helm because they were some of the units MILW had added extra weigh to for coal service- wonder if they’d want those back!![:)]) Those units first started showing up on the DME I think around the same time as the 6300-14 started showing up on the SP- but I’ll have to check my DME roster history to be sure. I want to say it was the grain season of 1989 the DME first leased them arriving in bandit paint with HL on the cab- but I may be a year or two off.
My model railroad is loosely based on DM&E. I thought the story of it I read in a Trains article some years back was very interesting. I don’t know much of current operations except that they are noted for the controversies going on. Would like to learn more about what’s up with the railroad.
Trainfan,
Did you paint your locos yourself or did you buy them? If it’s HO, and you did buy the locos who makes 'em? I want to add one to my roster for sure to go with the rest of my CNW fleet.