Photo flurry: BNSF railfans have photography down cold
As winter weather affects our network, our locomotives keep moving through snowy and icy conditions. These photographers captured some incredible scenes of our trains in stunning landscapes along our 32,500-mile rail network. We received a flurry of photos for this year’s Winter Photo Contest, and our group of judges picked the best of the best to share with you!
For those aiming to capture equally impressive shots, don’t forget to take photos from a safe location outside of railroad property. Trespassing on the tracks or right-of-way is illegal and dangerous.
This photo contest was held on Instagram, Twitter and in the Friends of BNSF Facebook group. We appreciate all the beautiful photo submissions and congratulate all the winners and honorable mentions. Enjoy our winter winners!
FIRST PLACE
Barry Sprofera
A westbound train led by BNSF 6792 comes off the Arizona Divide into Bellemont, Arizona, after the biggest snowstorm of the season.
Don’t those trees just frame our locomotive perfectly? Great job, Barry!
SECOND PLACE
Samuel Brodersen
“This was taken of a westbound sand train kicking up fresh snow through Greenwood, Nebraska,” Brodersen said.
What a winter wonderland!
THIRD PLACE
Peter Kubiak
BNSF 8444 leads a northbound mixed freight train into Longmont, Colorado during a heavy snowstorm along the Colorado, Front Range. Brrrrrr!
Honorable Mentions
Samuel Brodersen
BNSF 7701 kicks up fresh powder racing towards Lincoln, Nebraska. We love this image of a locomotive creating powder out of the soft snow.
Rich Wallace
Friends of BNSF member Rich Wallace caught this frosty scene in December 2022. A 115-car grain train heads east on what is now BNSF’s MRL Subdivision at Belknap, Montana. The evening before, the area received about four inches of fresh powder snow, which the train is kicking up in the photo.
The looming mountains make for the perfect winter backdrop.
Luke Malin
An automotive train passes through a light mist at Burr Ridge, Illinois. The cheerful orange of the locomotive creates a nice contrast against the chilly background for the perfect winter scene.
Richard Debertin
Debertin grabbed this eye-catching shot of an eastbound lumber train near Berthold, North Dakota, in February 2023.
The undisturbed snow and blue sky encapsulate the interesting angle of this train perfectly.
Daniel DeVries
BNSF 2645 leads a short train through Spokane, Washington. The photo was taken on January 18, 2024, about an hour after sunset.
The lighting of this photo creates the coziest vibes in this winter scene.
Erik Lindgren
BNSF 601 leads a train north from Castle Rock, Colorado past Sedalia, Colorado, in April 2023.
The composition of the train tracks leading our eyes right to this locomotive is outstanding.
Erik Lindgren also submitted this wonderful photo. “This was a southbound coal train that had just passed over the Larkspur, Colorado, bridge on December 30, 2022,” he said.
The white-tipped trees create a spectacular scene for our locomotive making its way along the snowy path.
Adam Elias
During the first snow of the season, locomotive 7059 rolls swiftly through the small town of Mazon, Illinois.
“These Z trains always put on a nice show in the snow as they go through these small country towns at track speed,” Elias wrote.
It’s like a scene from a Christmas movie.
Thank you to everyone who submitted entries for our Winter Photo Contest. It was hard to decide our winners, but we’re impressed with your talent! We appreciate each and every one of you who are out there every day, recording the beauty of BNSF trains.
