Atlas 50005144 N NACC 50' Smooth-Side RBL Insulated Boxcar Dakota Minnesota & Eastern 5502

Atlas 50005144 N NACC 50' Smooth-Side RBL Insulated Boxcar Dakota Minnesota & Eastern 5502 N Scale. (Picture may show different road number).
Specific Item Information: Between 1963 and 1965, the Chicago Ridge plant of North American Car Company (NACC) produced nearly 750 of their first homegrown RBL, an inside post, or "smoothside" car. Effectively a transitional design between the Pacific Car and Foundry offset door cars, and the later, and more commercially successful, outside post RBLs, this car featured a centered plug door and was only available in a single 50' 1" interior length. Though not as numerous as the outside post variations, as lease cars, they could be found sporting numerous colorful paint schemes throughout their long lifetimes from the 60's through the early 2000's. The DM&E launched in 1986 as a spin-off of Chicago & North Western. The mainline ran from Winona, Minnesota (where there are Mississippi River docks) west to Rochester, Mankato, then onto Pierre and Rapid City, South Dakota. At that point the line split with one leg headed west to Colony, Wyoming, and the other leg headed south to Crawford, Nebraska. There were also a few other branchlines. Total mileage was 965 miles (putting it between Chicago & Eastern Illinois and Montana Rail Link in relative size.)

Operations began with 39 locomotives, mostly rebuilt SD9's of Milwaukee Road heritage. Eventually DM&E dumped these first generation engines and in later years had a fleet of 69 rebuilt SD40-2's, GP40-2's, GP38-2's, and a few one-offs. They also had about 5,000 freight cars, mostly grain hoppers.

In 1997, DM&E announced their intention to build a line to the huge coal reserves in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. The project would have included rebuilding nearly the entire mainline plus building a new (and long) branch to reach the Basin. It would have been the biggest new construction since Great Northern's Oregon Trunk in 1931. They did receive permission from the government but NIMBY opposition dragged out the start of construction for many years.

In 2008, The Dakota Minnesota & Eastern and sister road Iowa Chicago & Eastern were purchased by Canadian Pacific. After a bit of study, CPR wisely backed away from the Powder River Project.