Spec-track-ular: Employees capture beauty of BNSF rail network

Our 32,500-mile rail network includes some gorgeous landscapes. Among the ranks at BNSF are many talented photographers, some who drive far and wide to capture glorious shots of our trains. These 13 photos prove their travels are worth it.

What’s better than gold at the end of a rainbow? A locomotive, of course! This rainbow was shining over BNSF 5774 in Milano, Texas, when Robby Cavazos, switchman, took the photo with his iPhone 14.  

“I was experimenting with angles, trying to capture the rainbow’s arc above the locomotive,” Cavazos said. “Seconds before it disappeared, I snapped this shot.”

Like a scene from the Sound of Music, a BNSF manifest train snakes its way along peaks and valleys of rolling green hills near Bakersfield, California. Locomotive Engineer Cameron Garvin managed to capture this photo just as the morning clouds disappeared.  

“It was the perfect opportunity to snap this beauty shot,” Garvin said.

Ashley Lane, senior manager environmental operations, grabbed this shot of a BNSF intermodal train as the wind swept across the Oklahoma plains.  

“I caught a glimpse of BNSF 8145 moving through this beautiful field of lush grass,” Lane said. “I bent down and angled my iPhone 8 to capture the expansive Oklahoma sky.”

Conductor David Carballido-Jeans captured this winter-wonderland photo that features a southbound coal train descending the Palmer Divide in Palmer Lake, Colorado.  

“I love how it looks like the perfect winter village,” he remarked.

As a BNSF locomotive passed a grain elevator, Chris Greisen, mechanical materials manager, captured this photo in Ruby, Nebraska.  

“On a cold winter evening, the sun reflected off the clouds, creating a kaleidoscope of colors in the sky,” Greisen said.

A BNSF train travels through freshly fallen snow by a grain elevator, as captured by Erich Linser, division trainmaster.  

“I snapped this photo as the sun was setting on a beautiful Christmas Eve,” Linser said.

Sometimes there’s nothing quite as patriotic as a U.S. flag and a locomotive, like BNSF 1622, captured by Jason Burke, manager, service design. 

“On my way home from work, I passed a BNSF yard and noticed the American flag proudly waving above a BNSF locomotive,” Burke said.

Holly Hughes, general construction supervisor, captured a BNSF locomotive traveling the BNSF mainline near Gallup, New Mexico. The beauty of the Southwest shines in this photo! 

“I’d just returned from military leave, on my way to my signal location, and saw this train headed in my direction,” she said. “I positioned my camera to get the most from the background scenery.”

BNSF 7268 leads a train over a 100-year-old trestle bridge as the sun sets in Cut Bank, Montana. Signal Foreman Bradley Cantu caught this spring photo as he was attempting a time-lapse video.  

“Just as I finished setting up my camera, a BNSF train approached, and I snapped this photo,” Cantu said.

Senior Special Agent Mike Cheek caught this agricultural train crossing the Diablo Canyon Bridge in Arizona.  

“While patrolling the right-of-way outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, I saw this amazing bridge. As a train headed in my direction I snapped the photo,” Cheek said.

Conductor Jacob Gearing snapped this shot of a BNSF train in front of the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch. 

“The Gateway Arch was lit perfectly behind BNSF 3675,” Gearing said. “I knelt to get the shot at an upward angle using my iPhone 13.”

A BNSF train makes its way toward Mount Rainer outside of Puyallup, Washington. Cheek captured it off duty while taking photos with a family member. 

“I drove my brother-in-law to a spot I knew he’d love to get a photo of Mount Rainier,” Cheek said. “When I saw a BNSF locomotive headed in that direction, I was lucky enough to get this photo of my own.”

A BNSF train travels west while a second train snakes around a loop track near Polo, Illinois. Wayne Rowley, conductor, was able to capture this shot on his way to visit family. 

“As one BNSF train was traveling in my direction, I noticed a BNSF hopper train in the background on the Bocker Ruff Grain loop,” Rowley said.  

Thank you to our talented employees for capturing the beauty of BNSF throughout our network!