VR Mergers & Acquisitions announces sale of Central Illinois Railroad

February 14, 2001 VR Mergers & Acquisitions - St. Louis is pleased to announce the sale of Central Illinois Railroad Holdings to strategic railroad buyer, R & R Contracting. The sale included substantially all of the assets of Central Illinois Railroad Company, Central Railink Services and Central Railgroup Construction Services.

Since 1983, the essential
business unit, Central Railgroup Construction Services, has been a leading
provider of engineering and track construction, maintenance and repair services
to railroad and private industry customers throughout the upper Midwest. Central
Railgroup will continue its operation from its greater Chicago headquarters.

"This is the third
acquisition of a railroad track construction company by R & R Contracting
in the past three years," said Robert Fowler, president of VR Mergers &
Acquisitions – St. Louis. "With each of those acquisitions, R & R
rapidly grew revenues and expanded operations. We expect they will do the same
with Central Railgroup Construction."

Headquartered in North
Dakota, R & R Contracting provides railroad design, construction, repair
and maintenance services throughout the northeast, central and southern United
States. The company operates offices in Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas and now Illinois.