BNSF History - Additional Resources

Everett Lee DeGolyer, Jr. Railroad Photographs encompass 15 filing cabinets of photographs and film negatives on U.S. and foreign railroads. The collection is arranged alphabetically by name of railroad and further subdivided by locomotive number or car type. The extent of the collection for each railroad line varies, from a single photograph to hundreds of images. The library also includes a number of historical records and documents representing BNSF predecessor railroads.


Friends of the Burlington Northern Railroad
P.O. Box 271
West Bend, WI 53095-0271

The Friends of the Burlington Northern Railroad (FOBNR) was formed to gather, preserve and share information about the history of the Burlington Northern Railroad and the history and current operation of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway. It follows the BN from 1970 to 1995 and the BNSF Railway from 1995 to the present. Members of the FOBNR receive four issues of The BN Expediter, a 20 page, glossy paper publication containing information and photos of railroad history and current events.


Frisco Railroad Library


Great Northern Railway Historical Society
193 Pennsylvania Ave. E.
St. Paul, MN 55130


James J. Hill Reference Library
Fourth and Market Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55102
651-265-5500
Eileen McCormack, Assoc. Curator
Dr. Thomas White, Curator
651-265-5441

Collection of personal and business related material from James J. Hill, the legendary "Empire Builder." This collection contains letters, documents and photographs relating to the Great Northern Railway, and Hill's interest and involvement in the development of the Pacific Northwest. The library also contains the papers of Louis W. Hill, former President/CEO of the Great Northern and son of James J. Hill.


Kansas State Historical Society
6425 SW 6th Street
Topeka, Kansas 66615
785-272-8681
Research Center Reference Desk, documents
Darrell Garwood, photographs

Santa Fe donated thousands of photographs and hundreds of thousands of documents to this organization, including maps, station diagrams, printed materials and a collection of bound issues of Santa Fe Magazine.

Minnesota Historical Society
345 Kellogg Boulevard West
St. Paul, Minnesota 55102-1906
651-296-6126
Dennis E. Meissner, manuscripts supervisor

Collection of Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railway records, photographs, maps, diagrams and drawings. The collection also includes records from GN and NP affiliates such as steamship lines, hotels and land companies. The bulk of this material was donated following the 1970 merger that created Burlington Northern from GN, NP, SP&S and CB&Q.


Montana Historical Society
225 North Roberts Street
Helena, Montana 59620
406-444-2694

The Montana Historical Society has a large collection of material on the state's railroads. The material includes operating records of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads and their hotels and riverboat companies. The society also has the photographic work of F. J. Haynes, who was the NP's official photographer. A catalog of available books is provided by the museum store by calling (800)243-9900.


Museum of the Rockies
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana 59717-0040
406-994-2251
Steven B. Jackson, curator of art and photographs

The museum contains a collection of photographs by Ron Nixon, covering the Northern Pacific Railway between the 1930s and 1960s. This collection of motive power, trains, parks and scenery is considered to be one of the best.


Nebraska State Historical Society
15th and R Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
402-471-3270

Collection of material from the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company and its predecessor companies operating in the state. The collection has material covering the early operation of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad and the later operations of the CB&Q. Records and photographs of land settlement and early farming, taken by Colonization Agent Val Kuska, for CB&Q, are part of this collection.


Newberry Library
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312-255-3511

In April 1943, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company deposited the bulk of its 19th century records (1850-1901) with the Newberry Library. More than one million letters, 1,500 bundles of miscellaneous materials and approximately 2,000 bound volumes of ledgers and operating books comprise the collection. The collection is named the Burlington Special Collections.


Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association
13044 87th Place N.E.
Kirkland, WA 98034


Railroad & Heritage Museum
315 West Avenue B
Temple, TX 76501
254-298-5172


Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society, Inc.
1205 S. Air Depot #101
Midwest City, OK 73110-4807

This organization produces a quarterly magazine about Santa Fe Railway subjects. Much of the organization's substantial library was donated by Santa Fe Railway. The Society also publishes books on Santa Fe Railway subjects and holds an annual convention. Many of its members are historians who have published books on various Santa Fe Railway subjects.


Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway Historical Society
2618 N.W. 113th Street
Vancouver, WA 98685