BNSF News

BNSF Employees Move Mountains of Snow

2010-01-18

Record low temperatures throughout much of the United States the week of Jan. 4 meant more than heavy winter clothing for some BNSF employees.

For example, worried that a local train in Yankton, S.D., would be unable to make it to its destination in Mitchell, S.D., because of the heavy snows, a BNSF crew operating three locomotives 46 miles away, headed to Yankton to assist the local train.

Along the way, the three locomotives got "stuck" in 10-12 feet of snow. BNSF maintenance-of-way section crews from Vermillion, S.D., came to the rescue, bringing heavy snow removal equipment. Six hours after work began to clear the tracks, the locomotives were free to move on. Upon arrival in Yankton, the locomotives combined with the local were able to move the local train to its Mitchell destination.

Click here to see photos by Tom Leicester, roadmaster, based in Sioux City, Iowa.

BNSF Headquarters

BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000

For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com