Detroit Edison

Company History: This operation was born from the 1970 bankruptcy of Penn Central. PC was unable to provide enough locomotives and hoppers that were in good repair to keep the coal moving between the mines in Pennsylvania’s Monongahela region and the DE power plant in Monroe, Michigan. So, Detroit Edison acquired a fleet of their own locomotives, including SD40’s and U30C’s and their own coal cars. These unit trains were maintained by Detroit Edison but operated by Penn Central (Conrail after 4/1/76) crews. The arrangement lasted at least 20 years when the DE locomotive fleet began to wear out. By that time, Conrail was more than prepared to pick up the slack.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.