Take our breath away: BNSF employees share magnificent train photos

By KENZIE MUCKWAY
Staff writer

Photos capture fleeting moments, and we’re glad BNSF employees across our network have captured them through their camera lenses. These beautiful train moments are now frozen in time. Check out these 12 photos taken by BNSF employees in breathtaking locations around our network. 

Locomotive Electrician Andy Ringsmuth braved the chill of a Nebraska winter to take this photo of a BNSF train rolling through Lincoln, cutting across frosty fields and snow-dusted tracks.

“I was working in the Lincoln yard, staying warm in a rapid responder truck and listening for a call from the tower. When the coal train arrived, I grabbed my Canon SL1 and snapped the shot through the window,” Ringsmuth said. 

Crossing a snow-covered valley in Glacier National Park, a BNSF intermodal train powers across a towering steel trestle, framed by falling snow and frosted evergreens. We’re in awe of Assistant Director of Bridge Construction Mike Schaefer’s stunning photo.

“After wrapping up work for the day, I stopped near the west end of the trestle bridge. With snow beginning to fall and a westbound train approaching, I captured the scene with my Canon PowerShot SX50 HS from the access road,” Shaefer said. 

Somewhere over the rainbow, Conductor Colby Slaymaker captured this stunning scene. A BNSF locomotive rests beneath a dramatic Nebraska sky, framed by a vivid rainbow stretched across the field south of Blue Hill after a storm. 

“We were stopped waiting for traffic when the storm cleared, and a rainbow appeared,” Slaymaker recalled. “I walked into the field and snapped the photo with my Samsung Galaxy S25+ at the right place and time.”

A BNSF train hauling lumber winds through the wooded hills near Loon Lake, Washington, standing out against the natural backdrop of evergreens and rocky terrain. 

“I enjoy taking photos from bridges and elevated spots,” Locomotive Engineer Clarke Sutphin said. “I caught this train coming around the bend along the branch lines, using my Canon EOS digital camera to frame the scene from above.”

A BNSF train curves along a mountain river beneath a sky full of shifting clouds in Skykomish, Washington. 

“While walking down to ride with a student engineer, I noticed how beautiful the clouds and river looked that day. I hadn’t planned to take a photo, but I pulled out my iPhone and captured the moment at the right time,” Senior Trainmaster and Road Foreman of Engines (RFE) Danny Bennett said.

A westbound BNSF locomotive approaches in the evening light, passing by white silos in Minden, Nebraska. Conductor Wayne Rowley was there to catch it.

“I took this shot on my Canon EOS DSLR as the train approached, taking advantage of the soft evening light to frame the scene,” Rowley said. 

Glowing in the fiery light of a Texas sunset, a BNSF locomotive operates in Amarillo, with a nod to history on the next track.

“As an evening storm subsided in Amarillo, the sunset illuminated the sky. I adjusted my Canon EOS 6D to capture the vibrant sunlight and movement in the clouds,” Terminal Trainmaster Matthew Martin said. 

An eastbound BNSF intermodal train climbs through Cajon Pass near the historic Alray Tunnel, weaving through hills under a wide California sky. Conductor Aaron Steele has a good eye.

“While hiking near the Santa Fe Alray Tunnel on my day off, I spotted a train approaching. I raced up a hillside and used my iPhone 13 Pro Max to capture it curving through the rugged terrain heading eastbound,” Steele said.

On a golden fall morning in Jens, Montana, a BNSF train glides past a popular landmark barn, surrounded by vibrant foliage and crisp skies. This perfectly portrayed scene could be a painting. Train Dispatcher Blaire Kooistra did a fantastic job capturing this photo.

“After a few days off for a photography trip following a dispatching assignment in Missoula, I was on my way to the airport when I spotted an eastbound train near the barn at Jens. I quickly turned around, parked on a rural road bridge and captured the scene with my Fujifilm X-T3,” Kooistra said.

It was on an eerie night that Trainmaster Rich Linser found himself at the right place at the right time.

A BNSF train stands illuminated beneath the vibrant Northern Lights on a quiet night in Berthold, North Dakota.

“I had been tracking the solar storm forecast and knew there was a chance the Northern Lights would be visible,” Linser said. “When the conditions aligned, I set up my Canon EOS R5 on a tripod and used a flashlight to help light the scene. After some patience, I captured this rare shot.”

Against a backdrop of snow and a clear blue sky, a BNSF intermodal train rolls past an old fence near a rural crossing in Cameron, Illinois.

“I was out exploring after a fresh snowfall when I spotted the train,” Locomotive Engineer Justin Sandlin said. “Sitting in my warm truck at the railroad crossing, I captured the shot through the window using my Canon EOS 7D.”

A BNSF train moves through the snowy desert near Valentine, Arizona, passing grazing horses and quiet ranches beneath mountain peaks. Locomotive Engineer David Carballido-Jeans beautifully encapsulated the magic of winter in one photo. 

“After a winter storm settled, I found a scenic spot that would highlight the fresh snow against the desert landscape. I drove up to a hill overlooking the western end of Crozier Canyon and captured the shot with my Canon EOS 60D,” Carballido-Jeans explained. 

Thank you to our talented employees for capturing these train-tastic stills of BNSF trains on our 32,500-mile network.