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The DM&E is a pretty interesting piece of RR. A lot of the line is flat, but there are a couple tough grades on the line. One tough one is leaving Winona MN headed out of the Mississippi River valley. East of Rapid City at Wasta, EB trains climb out of the Cheyenne River Valley to Wall. Its another tough grade, but surprisingly scenic. On the West end they terminate at the US Colloid bentonite clay mine at Colony WY, just barely over the WY border (near Belle Fourche (pronounced Bell Foosh)SD. One initial study of the new line looked at going from Belle Fourche toward Moorcroft of Gillette WY. There was an old CNW branch that did just that years ago, though it didn't get all the way there. Option 2 was to come into Rapid City, then follow their track south along the East edge of the Black hills down toward Chadron and Crawford to connect to the BNSF. Option 3 which is the one that was chosen and which is the basis of the study is to build SouthWest from around Wasta , south of the main body of the Black Hills, cross the BNSF at Edgemont and continue West connecting to the North-South UP/BNSF main that runs from Gillette (Donkey Creek Jct) to Douglas (Orin Jct.) It would connect somewhere around Bill WY. That would give them access to the mines with minimal trackage rights/ restrictions to be placed by UP or BNSF. DM&E seems somewhat financially frail. They've had to overcome a LOT of CNW deferred maintence, slow orders, subsequent prairie fires, etc. Their infrustructure would still need a lot more work. I hope they make it and put some more competition in that market.
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