"I got a one track mind,
going down a one train line
Living on dreams half the time
Going west...."

From Fortune magazine, a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern, a regional railroad formed from routes discarded by the Chicago & North Western and other class-I mainlines, is poised to expand into the lucrative Powder River coalfield. (A map of the DM&E and its affiliated connections can be found here.)

Hm. If I had any money, and if the company were public, I might consider putting a little money into it just so I could say I owned a piece of the first major US railroad construction project in half a century. Not to mention the dicey hope of cashing in on a combination of government loans and rising fuel prices. (No one should take this as investment advice, though; I'm far too ignorant about financial matters for that.)

(Note: Yes, I stole the title of this post from Jimmie Dale Gilmore. It seemed appropriate.)