Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern was a regional railroad, created in 1986 by a sale of the Chicago & North Western 'Alco Line' from Winona, MN to Rapid City, SD, some 600 miles to the west. DME put together an early locomotive roster based upon former CNW rebuilt SD7R and SD9R, Milwaukee Road SD10 and a collection of GP9 units, supplemented by hired power during the grain season. In 2008 DME was acquired by Canadian Pacific. The most easterly part of the route is the Waseca sub-division.
These pictures were taken on 14th January 1990.
This group of light engines were noted running west, the location here is roadside just to the west of Stockton, MN, only some 11 miles west of Winona.
1484 was new to the Nickel Plate Railroad 814 EMD serial 25092 in February 1959. Later from 1966 Norfolk & Western 2814, and from 1983 Norfolk Southern 1484. Sold initially to GE in 1985, finding its way to DME thereafter. After this picture was taken it was repainted and named City of Tracy after a town along the route. Later disposed of to Taylor Machine Works and sold to become Minnesota Northern Railroad (MNRR) 1484. By 2014 it was owned by Independent Locomotive Service, numbered 1323, and by 2017 was running in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for Mineral Range in a heritage style livery
550 Larry Pressler, EMD serial 18303 was new to the Milwaukee Road (CMStP&P) as an SD7 numbered 2217 in October 1953, later renumbered 517. Rebuilt as an SD10 in April 1974, renumbered 550, and sold to DME in September 1986. Sold to the Indiana Railroad (INRR) in December 1997, then to SLRX, PRSX, TSS and then SSRX (S&S Sales and Leasing), latterly noted at various western locations in July 2014, still listed on the SSRX roster in 2019.
555, was of similar heritage to 550, although it had a different GP35 shape cab following wreck damage in 1971. New as EMD serial 15623 in August 1952, an SD7 numbered 2211, later 511 in 1959. Rebuilt as an SD10 in October 1974 and sold to DME in September 1986. Seen here wearing 'bandit' painted over MILW colours. Later named City of Blunt. In December 1997 sold to INRD, later WRS and PRSX (Pacific Rail Service) where it became redundant in 2012 at Wilmer, TX,seen stored in 2013.
CNW 4157 was between duties at the then CNW stabling point at Winona, close to the Mississippi River, which was eliminated by 2002. When CNW disposed of the line to the DME they kept a the yard at Winona to prevent DME switching traffic to the Soo Line. In turn, CNW had trackage rights over Soo following closure of their bridge in 1977.
4157, then newly repainted, was delivered as a GP7 to the Rock Island RR as number 1280 in November 1952 , EMD serial 17611. Rebuilt at Silvis as a GP7R in January 1976 numbered 4503, but returned to Precision National in April 1980, following Rock Island's bankruptcy, and then sold to CNW in February 1981, re-entering service in as 4157 in August 1981. Retired by UP on the 15th July 1997, and sold to Larry's Truck & Electric (LTEX), McDonald, Ohio, who are mainly a scrapper.
