By PAIGE ROMANOWSKI
Staff Writer
Meet Alexander Kestler, a 15-year-old railfan from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, whose passion for trains knows no bounds. From a very young age, Alexander has been captivated by the world of railroading, immersing himself in everything from model trains to real-life locomotives. His enthusiasm for trains is not just a hobby but a lifelong journey that has shaped his interests and aspirations.
For as long as Alexander can remember, he has loved trains. Thomas the Tank Engine and Chuggington were staples in his childhood and as he got older he enjoyed watching videos of real trains on YouTube.
“I started learning about different locomotives, reading train books and building tracks with my wooden trains all over the house,” Alexander said. “My love for trains even helped me learn to read. Because I was struggling, my third-grade teacher got me every train book at the library, and I started getting better. I love reading now.”
His first railfanning memory was in Sprague, Washington. He and his family stopped in town and could hear a train horn in the distance. “I had my iPad with me and started recording as the train got closer,” Alexander said. “Watching it fly by and even getting a wave from the engineer made my day.”
Everyone who knows Alexander knows about his passion for trains. In school, he’s done train-related projects for fairs, written essays and made videos about railroads. He also started a YouTube channel for his railfanning trips, so now more people can share in his train adventures. He’s even inspired his family to get into the spirit and now they send him pictures of trains on their travels.
Outside of his educational and travel pursuits, Alexander is a part of local Facebook groups dedicated to railroad updates through his area. “I’m also part of the Evergreen Modelers train club in Spokane Valley, and they let young railfans run their trains on the big layout – which is awesome,” he said. “The club members have been really helpful, giving me tips on building my own layout and fixing up trains.”
Alexander also participated in our first-ever “Traintober” photo competition and won first place with his outstanding photo of a BNSF train near Sandpoint, Idaho.
It’s no surprise that Alexander hopes to bring his passion for the railroad into his future career. He hopes to one day be a locomotive engineer, specifically at BNSF. “I’ve wanted to be a locomotive engineer ever since I was 2 or 3,” he said. “Watching train videos made me imagine how amazing it’d be to drive a train.”
A great thing about being a fan of BNSF is that some of the locomotives in its fleet still proudly wear the original paint of their predecessors, Alexander explained. “The workers are also really nice, and some have even tipped me off about trains coming through. The mix of older and newer trains and the friendliness of the BNSF crews just makes it my favorite!”
Fueling his dream of becoming an engineer, last summer Alexander participated in the National Railway Historical Society’s RailCamp. He experienced many aspects of railroad operations from replacing brake shoes on a locomotive to what every railfan dreams of: getting to operate one in the yard!
While Alexander enjoys learning about new railroads, playing railroad videogames and keeping up with the industry’s latest innovations, he said the best part of railfanning is meeting real-life railroaders.
“BNSF railroaders have an important job in keeping things moving and making sure the economy stays on track,” he said. “Thank you to railroaders for all your hard work on the railroad! Whether you’re building tracks, maintaining trains or running them, every job is important to keep things moving. I really appreciate what you do, and I know a lot of other people do too. Thank you!”
