The Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad is now in control of the former Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern line from Tracy, Minnesota to Rapid City and parts both north and south. Michael Williams is the director of corporate communications for the R-C-P&E’s parent company Genesee and Wyoming Railroad Services. He says the lines former owner Canadian Pacific DID make significant improvements to the track which is safe for today’s rail traffic. He adds that the R-C-P & E will maintain current improvements and work with customers to ensure that future investments correspond with their needs. The 210-million dollar deal includes R-C-P & E taking over the leases of 50 locomotives, as the company builds a fleet of 3000 rail cars. Williams say C-P removed their own locomotives and replaced them with leased units. A joint pool agreement in place with C-P means some red engines may still be seen on the tracks. Forty six of the 50 locomotives are on the railroad and the remaining four will arrive in South Dakota by Saturday. As for the familiar blue and yellow D-M&E paint scheme, Williams says those engines will over time be re-branded into the orange black and yellow trademark R-C-P&E scheme. The railroads new logo includes a pheasant between the R-C and P-E. Williams says the new railroad is well aware of the traffic congestion caused by moving cars around it the R-C-P & E. He says crew will always do their best to minimize street blockage and there are no plans to move the switching yard out of the Huron city limits.