A fresh BNSF Railway crew handling westbound stacks charges up the 10-mile grade from Belen, N.M., to Dalies on March 3, 2018. On the left, preliminary work continues on adding a third main line to this section of the Gallup Subdivision. Meanwhile, an eastbound vehicle train in the distance is first in line waiting as […]
Railroad: BNSF
BNSF Railway’s revenue, profit rise on traffic gains in 2017 NEWSWIRE
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway reported higher revenue and earnings for 2017 amid volume growth and pricing increases. The railroad’s pre-tax earnings rose 11.2 percent last year, to $6.3 billion, as revenue climbed 7.9 percent, to $21.4 billion, BNSF’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. BNSF’s operating ratio was 65.7 percent, an improvement […]
BNSF Coal Operations
The bulk of my layout is set in Wyoming with a bit of Colorado and Nebraska. Coal is a key source of revenue for the BD&O. Here we see a BNSF Coal Train arriving at Cowboy Coal in Campbell County, Wyoming, then departing for Power Plants to the south. Video by Brian Olson. […]
BNSF Coal Operations
The bulk of my layout is set in Wyoming with a bit of Colorado and Nebraska. Coal is a key source of revenue for the BD&O. Here we see a BNSF Coal Train arriving at Cowboy Coal in Campbell County, Wyoming, then departing for Power Plants to the south. Video by Brian Olson. […]
BNSF upgrades to help clear the air in Montana tunnel NEWSWIRE
WHITEFISH, Mont. — BNSF Railway is spending $135 million on its Montana rail network in 2018, part of which will go toward upgrading the ventilation system at Flathead Tunnel, the second longest railroad portal in the United States. About 50 trains a day use the 7-mile long tunnel located 28 miles west of Whitefish, including […]
Former BNSF engineer says he was fired for avoiding wreck NEWSWIRE
TACOMA, Wash. – A former BNSF Railway locomotive engineer is suing the Class I railroad because he was allegedly fired after preventing a wreck at a yard in Portland, Ore., the Seattle Times reports. Earlier this month, a federal judge denied a motion by the railroad to throw out the case. According to court documents, […]
Drew Halverson’s top 10 hot spots
A westbound BNSF intermodal train leans into the famous elevated curves at Siberia, Calif., in April 2014. Four photos, Drew Halverson I witnessed an endless array of trains while growing up in the Midwest. Despite the diversity of railroads, the surrounding landscape was lacking. I needed mountains and deserts to go with the ubiquitous cityscapes […]
Tom Danneman’s top 10 retreats
Two Montana Rail Link GP9s head up the Paradise Local as it crosses the Clark Fork River in Paradise, Mont. Three photos, Tom Danneman When I was asked to come up with 10 of my favorite spots to view and photograph railroading, I knew it wouldn’t be difficult. The difficulty was picking just 10 spots, […]
Former BNSF employee convicted of murder in death of supervisor NEWSWIRE
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A former BNSF Railway employee in Oregon has been convicted of murdering a supervisor in 2014, the Herald and News reports. James Forshee, 62, was convicted of murder last week in the April 2014 shooting death of Emery Connor, 42, at BNSF’s yard in Klamath Falls. After a week of testimony […]
BNSF’s Willow Springs
Trains Magazine columnist Fred W. Frailey takes a look inside BNSF Railway’s busy Willow Springs intermodal yard, near Chicago. In this free download, you’ll get a peek behind the security fence to experience the rush to move priority UPS traffic into and out of the Windy City. […]
Railroads still recovering from Hurricane Harvey NEWSWIRE
A BNSF Railway photo shows water rising above the rail on the Conroe Subdivision in Cleveland, Texas. Cleveland is approximately one hour north of Houston. BNSF Railway This BNSF-issued map illustrates the current state of its network in the Houston area as of Tuesday evening. BNSF Railway HOUSTON — Historic flooding from Hurricane Harvey is […]
Taconite plant, mine re-openings good news for CSX, BNSF NEWSWIRE
REYNOLDS, Ind. — There’s good news in the air for the metallic ore business units of BNSF Railway and CSX Transportation as plans were announced in late July to re-open shuttered mining facilities in Minnesota in addition to the opening of a new taconite pellet plant in Indiana. Republic Steel and ERP Iron Ore LLC […]