Used to work for Washington and Cedar American...both companies had and probably still have large aspirations.

TheMRL/IMRL had a map out back in the late 90s,I still have a copy somewhere around hear,that showed a RR stretching from Chicago to the west coast,sort of a reincarnation of the old MILW and stretching into Alaska. I remember our VPO on the IMRL telling me that he wanted to be th president of the Alaska operation. The system would be a number of RRs but would link,GET IT, into a large RR system,hence RAIL LINK. I believe Washington group also had coal in their plan.

The DME/ICE has been planning the foray into the coal fields for along time. If I remember correctly some of the guys that were with the CNW and created the DME were looking to the Powder River from day one. The guy that hired me,we have both since retired, talked at length at my job interview about going into the coal fields. I do believe the CP who now owns the DME/ICE, will in fact get into the coal fields.

Both Washington and Cedar American were good companies to work for but the CP was and I'm sure still is the best. Those people still with DME/ICE will really enjoy working for the CP as I did when they took over the SOO back in 1990. I worked fo the MILW/SOO/CP/IMRL/ICE and I must say the CP was the best although my heart will always be with the MILW.