Turntables aren’t just for records! In fact, they were used for locomotives long before they were spinning your favorite classics. Use of turntables to turn locomotives dates back to the 1830s, many years before the phonograph was invented in 1877. Record players may have since been replaced with media players and mobile devices, but turntables…
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A new emergency response vehicle for the American Red Cross Greater Inland Northwest Chapter was recently unveiled thanks to a $50,000 donation from the BNSF Railway Foundation. The donation was made in 2019 but production of the emergency response vehicle was delayed due to COVID-19 and related supply chain issues. Its August arrival in Spokane…
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Did you know the term “beans” on the railroad means it’s time to eat? Ever heard of a gandy dancer? What’s a mother and slug? Did you know that a shoo-fly is a railroad term for a by-pass track? The rail industry has its own unique vernacular that has developed over nearly 200 years and…
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One way BNSF works to ensure the right solution is offered to each customer is by scouting out potential sites for development in advance of customer inquiries. BNSF’s Site Certification Program identifies optimal rail-served sites and conducts in-depth reviews of ten economic development criteria to determine if the site meets BNSF’s stringent readiness standards.…
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BNSF is proud to be a sponsor of Pacific Northwest Economic Region’s (PNWER) 2021 Annual Summit which will take place August 15-19 in Big Sky, Montana. Postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, the PNWER Annual Summit returns in 2021 as the leading forum where people in the policy and business come together to solve…
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The BNSF Railway Foundation invests in the communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent donations include: Building Caring, Confident Youth Camp Fire Columbia is a youth development organization located in Portland, OR with a mission to build caring, confident youth and future leaders. Camp…
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BNSF trains operate across much of the West, including areas where high winds and drought conditions can result in wildfires on or near tracks. BNSF takes steps to prevent fires but they often occur from other sources like lightning strikes, trespassers, etc., and the sooner they’re put out, the sooner train service can get back…
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As a western railroad, BNSF operates trains in rough and remote terrain, including mountains, canyons and deserts. Rocks—some as big as a small car—can occasionally roll onto the tracks. And while BNSF monitors weather conditions and regularly conducts inspections to ensure the integrity of its network, track-condition detectors provide another layer of safety. Trackside detectors…
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The BNSF Railway Foundation invests in the communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent donations include: Completing Safe, Scenic Riverside Trails in Bonners Ferry Nearly three decades ago, Riverside Park in Bonners Ferry, ID along the Kootenai River was designed to be a one-of-a-kind…
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U.S. National Parks are home to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, but the history these protected lands share with U.S. railroads may be surprising. As railroads expanded passenger service westward in the 19th and 20th centuries, they enticed visitors to travel to these then unknown destinations. Expeditions had already revealed the…
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BNSF’s 2020 Annual Review is now available online. This year’s report is fully digital and details how BNSF answered the call to operate safely, serve its customers, protect the environment and value people and communities. In a year of pandemic and crisis, people continued to rely on the delivery of essential goods, perhaps even more…
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Rail is the most sustainable way to move goods long distances over land, and BNSF is a recognized leader. Here are just a few ways BNSF makes sure its railroad is part of the solution for a cleaner, healthier planet: Cleaner, Smarter Machines: No other form of land freight transportation is more fuel- and resource-efficient…
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BNSF takes every precaution to make sure that all track components including rail, crossties, spikes, bolts and plates and even the roadbed underlying the track are stable and dependable. One of the technologies used for inspecting tracks is its fleet of geometry cars, better known as “geo cars.” There are two types: the traditional geometry…
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Across its network, BNSF is grappling with an overwhelming increase in homeless encampments along the tracks and on railroad property. In response, BNSF created a community liaison position focused solely on addressing system-wide homeless encampments on BNSF tracks. Israel Salazar, a 26-year employee and BNSF Deputy Police Chief, has been the community liaison since 2017.…
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Work continues on pile installation for the new bridge over Lake Pend Oreille. In the coming two months, expect to see continued pile installation, permanent pile bracing installation, and the first pier caps set. The new Bridge Street rail bridge is completed, and no more road closures are planned for this access to City Beach. Steel…
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