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One of North America's largest freight railroads, formed from the merger of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe. Famous for the orange and black Heritage paint scheme.
1995
Western US
USA
32,500
Route miles
ATSF F7 Warbonnet
BNSF Railway was created in 1995 through the merger of Burlington Northern Railroad and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway—two legendary western railroads with rich histories dating back to the 1800s. The merger combined BN's northern routes with Santa Fe's southern transcontinental line.
The Burlington Northern itself was formed in 1970 from the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Chicago Burlington & Quincy, and Spokane Portland & Seattle railroads. Santa Fe had operated since 1859, building the famous route through the Southwest and becoming synonymous with the Super Chief passenger train.
Today, BNSF operates over 32,500 route miles across 28 states and three Canadian provinces. It is owned by Berkshire Hathaway and is the largest hauler of intermodal freight and agricultural products in North America. The railroad's Transcon route from Chicago to Los Angeles is one of the busiest freight corridors in the world.
BNSF's Heritage paint schemes honor predecessor railroads, making it popular with modelers who can run equipment from BN, Santa Fe, Great Northern, or other merged roads alongside modern BNSF power.
1996-present
The signature orange, black, and yellow wedge scheme
1995-1996
Original merger scheme with BN green influence
2005-present
Black and silver with orange accents for executive/special units
BNSF intermodal trains can exceed 10,000 feet—consider double-stack wells for maximum impact
The orange color fades significantly in service; weather your locomotives accordingly
Coal trains from the Powder River Basin use AC traction—look for SD70MAC, ES44AC, and C44-9W models
Heritage units representing predecessor roads add visual interest
Modern BNSF uses distributed power extensively