Matt Rose, BNSF Railway’s executive chairman, answers questions from Linda Bauer Darr, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association at the association’s annual conference held in Nashville, Tenn., in April 2018. Topics include Rose’s opinions on positive train control, battery-powered locomotives, and more. See Jim Wrinn’s synopsis of Rose’s comments online. […]
Railroad: BNSF
Rose says BNSF will extract efficiencies from PTC; prefer battery power to natural gas for locomotives NEWSWIRE
BNSF Railway Executive Chairman Matt Rose TRAINS: David Lassen NASHVILLE, Tenn. — BNSF Railway Executive Chairman Matt Rose says Tuesday his company hopes to extract efficiencies out of positive train control implementation, but added that he is not about eliminating crews from cabs. He also says that BNSF is less interested in natural gas as […]
BNSF to lay quadruple track through California town NEWSWIRE
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — BNSF Railway announced this week that its 2018 capital expenditure program in California will be approximately $230 million. This year’s plan in California includes several capacity expansion projects in addition to scheduled maintenance projects to ensure BNSF continues to operate a safe and reliable rail network. BNSF operates a 2,000-mile network […]
BNSF triple tracking New Mexico grade NEWSWIRE
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 […]
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 […]
