T h e e m P l o y e e m A g A z I n e o f T e A m B n S f S U m m e R 2 0 1 0

Kudos to BNSF’s high achievers!A decade ago, BNSF introduced the Achievement Award, and last year about 550 members of Team BNSF were recognized under the program. Of those, 120 were selected as best refl ecting BNSF’s Vision and Values and invited to attend the Employees of the Year event. These employees,

along with six Safety Employees of the Year and 36 leaders who were named Best of the Best for their safety leadership in 2009, were honored

in Fort Worth this spring.

Inside this issue of Railway, read how your co-workers’ efforts are making BNSF a better, more effi cient and safer place to work.

Page 2

Listening posts spark new initiatives for transportation

A year after mobilizing listening-post teams, the Transporta-tion work group has initiated changes aimed at eliminating barriers to safety. Teams will continue safety discussions to

engage employees in the safety process. Page 9

BnsF celebrates 2009 safety employees of the year

BNSF honored six Safety Employees of the Year and named Robby Hopkins as BNSF’s Harold F. Hammond nominee.

These employees lead the way in safety and dedicate time and energy to help BNSF achieve its vision of an accident- and

injury-free workplace. Page 10

VP, Corporate RelationsJohn Ambler

general Director, Internal CommunicationsKristen Rabe

editorSusan Green

Contributing PhotographersJeff Buehner, Steve Crise, Dan Munson, Newslink and David Vickers

Got a story idea? Send story ideas to BNSF Railway Editor, via Outlook to: Communications, Corporate, or send by Internet to: susan.green@bnsf.com or mail to:BNSF Corporate RelationsP.O. Box 961057Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0057

address ChanGes employees: To review your address, call company line 676-9001 or dial 1-800-274-6739 or review and change your address online via BNSF‘s Intranet site at employee.bnsf.com. Go to the Employee tab, click on Life Events, Personal Changes, then Change of Address. Or you may complete and return a Personal Information Change Form (#12796) to the administrative office; mail it to Human Resources Information Systems, P.O. Box 961055, Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0055; or fax it to 817-352-7109.

Retirees: Send address changes and requests to receive Railway after you retire to BNSF Corporate Relations, P.O. Box 961057, Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0057. Please include your former employee ID number.

our vision is to realize the

tremendous potential of BnsF

railway Company by providing

transportation services

that consistently meet our

customers’ expectations.

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high achievers!

on the CoVerA BNSF autorack train emerges from a tunnel in Franklin Canyon on the Stockton (Calif.) Subdivision. Photo by Steve Crise.

Kudos to bnsf’s

Hard work, creativity and focus on getting the job done safely and efficiently. These are just a few of the reasons some 550 Achievement Awards were presented to BNSF people last year.

Started a decade ago, BNSF’s Achievement Award program is designed to recognize employees who demonstrate BNSF’s Vision and Values through initiative, efficiency, timeliness, vigilance, and knowledge or innovation beyond what their normal job requires. Over the years, employees have received recognition for many different types of actions; some have saved a life or prevented a derailment, while others have improved efficiency or done an exceptional job of serving customers.

To celebrate the “best of the best” Achievement Awards, outstanding individual and team achievements are recognized at the Employees of the Year event in Fort Worth. This year, 120 people were honored in Fort Worth.

Also at the annual ceremony, six Safety Employees of the Year, each representing a different segment of Operations, were honored. Additionally, 36 leaders who were named Best of the Best for their safety leadership in 2009 were recognized.

You can read about their Achievement Award or Safety successes in the following pages.

Congratulations to all who are making BNSF a leader!

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2008 Flood-Loss recovery teamIn the summer of 2008, torrential rains presented many

challenges across the Midwest. Due to the extreme flooding, BNSF teams had to rebuild significant amounts of track and roadbed while also working to maintain service.

In addition to the operational challenges, BNSF also faced the tremendous task of sorting through the financial impact.

A cross-functional team did an exceptional job of evaluating BNSF’s insurance coverage and flood-related expenses, ultimately helping to recover tens of millions of dollars. They quantified property damage and confirmed which damages were covered by insurance; they developed estimates of the expenses incurred to maintain operations during and after the floods; they evaluated the economic impact of delayed trains and costs of rerouting trains; they considered the expenses of mobilizing and calling back work crews; and they estimated the impact on net revenue as a result of curtailed operations.

By working with the insurance company’s loss adjuster, auditors and the engineers, the team was able to establish a gross loss of $127 million. After the payout of the $50 million deductible, due to the hard work of this team, BNSF was able to recover $77 million.

John Brooks, director, Budgets, Fort Worth

Kevin Burrin, director, Finance, Fort Worth

Casey gourley, director, Fuel Management, Fort Worth

Jeffrey guelker, director, Service Design Planning and Analysis, Fort Worth

Karen horiszny, division engineer, St. Louis

holly macy, director, Budgets, Fort Worth

James nadalini, senior manager, Service Design, Fort Worth

Timothy norris, assistant manager, Accounting, Fort Worth

noorul (Sidd) Siddiqui, senior project manager, Decision Support, Fort Worth

Jamie Stamper, manager, Contract Compliance, Fort Worth

Timothy Wagner, director, Means and Profitability, Fort Worth

Memphis intermodal teamAnother cross-functional team played a crucial role in planning

and implementing one of BNSF’s biggest facility expansion projects in recent years: the Memphis Intermodal Facility.

As markets developed earlier this decade, Memphis experienced double-digit growth – and long-term prospects for continued growth were anticipated. A crucial gateway to the Southeast, the facility there clearly needed an overhaul.

Beginning in 2002, this cross-functional team – including employees from Marketing, Operations, Government Affairs, Technology Services and Finance – charted the facility’s expansion. BNSF began acquiring property in 2004 and, by 2006, the design was complete and construction under way.

In addition to more capacity, the plan also called for state-of-the-art technology, including major wide-span crane installation and the first installation of integrated production and stacking cranes. The team also brought on a new inventory and yard management system, new wheel changing crane and GPS applications.

Other impressive achievements included building a triple-arch structure to enclose a creek and installing 55,000 cubic yards of concrete and 275,000 tons of asphalt – not to mention demolishing buildings and relocating streets and utilities.

A massive undertaking, the project took nearly four years of construction and was completed in 2009. Due to this team’s determination, the project was completed one month early and under budget. Calvin Bray, roadmaster, Memphis, Tenn.

guy harris, project engineer, Minneapolis

marjorie hensleigh, manager, Operations Planning and Analysis, Fort Worth

John hovland, director, Marketing Facility Development, Fort Worth

Scott Jenkins, manager, Hub Operations, Memphis, Tenn.

Tom Kelly, director, Equipment Utilization, Fort Worth

Joseph mitchell, section foreman, Memphis, Tenn.

Samuel Phanekham, manager, Marketing Facility Development, Fort Worth

Jim Thomas, director, Finance, Fort Worth

Ross Thomas, manager, Engineering, Kansas City, Kan.

high achievers!

Front row, left to right: Jeffrey Guelker, Karen Horiszny, Holly Macy, Jamie Stamper, Noorul (Sidd) Siddiqui and Kevin Burrin; Back row, left to right: Timothy Wagner, James Nadalini, Casey Gourley, John Brooks and Timothy Norris

Front row, left to right: John Hovland, Tom Kelly, Samuel Phanekham, Marjorie Hensleigh, Jim Thomas and Guy Harris; Back row, left to right: Scott Jenkins, Ross Thomas, Calvin Bray and Joseph Mitchell

Kudos to bnsf’s

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automotive Car-hire expense teamLike many industries in the last few years, the auto industry

has been hit hard. As a result, the automotive equipment fleet has special rules that allow railroads to park railcars and remove them from the billing clock. Yet, even with these rules, expenses over the past two years did not come down to expected levels.

A cross-functional BNSF team looked at the variance, and acted quickly and decisively. They addressed issues with the six-month clock traditionally used to manage this type of car hire and considered expenses for foreign railcars. The team found that the six-month clock was inadequate because now storage periods extended past that time period. So the team manually reviewed storage records dating back to 2007 and, working within Association of American Railroad rules, recovered $3.3 million in car hire expenses.

With the issue of foreign-owned railcars, the team similarly set about re-creating and documenting, and found that systems were failing to account for expenses on foreign-owned cars. By individually reviewing car expense records that did not match business reality, they recovered an additional $6.3 million. To sustain these improvements, the team launched system enhancements and a more streamlined approach.

In total, this team recovered almost $10 million for BNSF. They protected BNSF’s bottom line and helped ensure future success.michele Brady, director, Revenue Management, Topeka, Kan.

Brendan Camey, analyst, Marketing, Fort Worth

Justin faust, manager, Budgets, Fort Worth

lisa gering, manager, Revenue Management, Topeka, Kan.

Anthony glover, senior manager, Revenue Management, Topeka, Kan.

Peter hermann, manager, Equipment Support, Fort Worth

gary Knoblauch, senior analyst, Revenue Management, Topeka, Kan.

David longsworth, director, Equipment Utilization, Fort Worth

marie Pinick, supervisor, Revenue Management, Topeka, Kan.

northstar Commuter serviceOn Nov. 16, 2009, the Northstar Commuter service began

transporting passengers between downtown Minneapolis and Big Lake, Minn., with stops in between. The culmination of

several years of planning and hard work, it is BNSF’s first new BNSF-employee-operated commuter service in nine years. BNSF people provide dispatching, track maintenance and train operations.

The commuter project is a prime example of how business and communities can work together for mutual benefit. Like BNSF’s commuter service in Seattle and elsewhere, the Northstar project is expected to make a significant difference in traffic congestion in the Northwest Minneapolis metropolitan area.

The project took more than 10 years of planning and execution involving BNSF, the State of Minnesota, Northstar counties and local communities. About 200 BNSF employees – mostly track and signal – contributed to the construction effort. Employees upgraded 42 miles of track in preparation for the service. Spencer Arndt, assistant director, Public Projects, Minneapolis

Chad Brockman, signal inspector, Willmar, Minn.

Richard Kaiser, general construction supervisor, Minneapolis

mike mohrfeld, roadmaster, Carlton, Minn.

Christopher Pickard, engineer, Facilities, Kansas City, Kan.

Cletus Rein, machine operator, Minneapolis

Clyde Stack, manager, Engineering, Minneapolis

John Unze, general construction supervisor, Minneapolis

Andrew Weaver, roadmaster, Minneapolis

Cajon triple-track teamNearly two years ago, BNSF employees completed the 15.8

track miles of rail along the Cajon Pass in California on the Southern Transcon. This $100 million project took several years to complete and has significantly increased capacity from 100 to 150 trains per day.

During the four years of construction, more than 300 BNSF employees and contractors worked on the Cajon Pass project. In that time, crews moved more than 1 million tons of earth, inserted approximately 42,000 concrete railroad ties and laid more than 30 miles of steel rail – all while working on one of the busiest stretches of railroad in the world.

The construction of this track represents the first additional BNSF main track through Cajon Pass since the second line was constructed in 1913, nearly 100 years ago.John Bachor, signal foreman, San Bernardino, Calif.

David Bradford, roadmaster, Victorville, Calif.

miguel Canales, foreman/trackman, San Bernardino, Calif.

Jimmy Capps, assistant director, Maintenance Production, San Bernardino, Calif.

Donald Jure, construction signal supervisor, San Bernardino, Calif.

Robert Krueger, foreman, Engineering, San Bernardino, Calif.

David miller, manager, Engineering, San Bernardino, Calif.

Christopher obmann, structures supervisor, San Bernardino, Calif.

Rhon Wilson, foreman, San Bernardino, Calif.

Malta employees rescue accident Victims

Maintenance Welders Paul Siewing and Mark Rogers were on their way to a work site in eastern Montana last December when they saw a chilling scene.

A young boy covered in blood was walking on the highway. Instead of driving on and calling for help, as many others might have done, Siewing and Rogers stopped their vehicle to investigate.

Front row, left to right: David Miller, Donald Jure, Miguel Canales, Robert Krueger and John Bachor; Back row, left to right: Rhon Wilson, Christopher Obmann, David Bradford and Jimmy Capps

Front row, left to right: Anthony Glover, Marie Pinick, Lisa Gering and Michele Brady; Back row, left to right: Peter Hermann, Brendan Camey, Justin Faust and David Longsworth; Not pictured: Gary Knoblauch

Front row, left to right: Christopher Pickard, Spencer Arndt, Andrew Weaver, John Unze and Mike Mohrfeld; Back row, left to right: Cletus Rein, Clyde Stack, Chad Brockman and Richard Kaiser (Editor’s Note: Shortly after the Employees of the Year ceremony, Spencer Arndt passed away. Our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers.)

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They noticed a pickup truck that had slid on the snowy, icy roadway and rolled. All four occupants of the vehicle – teenagers on the way to school – had been ejected from the vehicle.

Siewing and Rogers immediately called for emergency assistance. At the same time, John Reinert, Telecommunications, also happened upon the accident. After determining that one of the truck’s occupants was fatally injured, the three BNSF employees took steps to provide warmth, comfort and emergency first aid to the three survivors. Once responders arrived, the youngsters were transported to regional hospitals for treatment.John Reinert, telecommunications technician, Glasgow, Mont.

mark Rogers, maintenance welder, Hinsdale, Mont.

Paul Siewing, maintenance welder, Malta, Mont.

responded to a house FireDriving home after answering a trouble call, Montgomery, Ill.,

Signal Maintainer Kendrell Webb was challenged to take heroic action.Lightning struck a neighbor’s

home, setting it ablaze. The 88- and 93-year-old occupants were still inside. Smoke began to billow from the home, but Webb saw no activity inside and quickly became concerned about the elderly occupants.

Webb rushed to the home, but when he tried to press the door open, the flames accelerated. Undeterred, he found the female occupant and helped her outside to safety. He asked about her husband and learned that the man remained inside the home, sleeping in the bedroom.

Webb rushed back into the home, finding the man and helping him to safety. By the time the fire department arrived, the home was completely engulfed in flames.

Without Webb’s assistance, these two individuals very likely would not have survived. Webb showed a deep regard and concern for his neighbors. By acting quickly and decisively, Webb demonstrated the true courage and selflessness of a hero.

implementation of the Vossloh Concrete tie

BNSF is privileged to have as part of our team one of the rail industry’s leading experts on concrete ties: John Bosshart, director,

Track Standards and Procedures.Over the past decade, Bosshart

has been diligently searching and testing alternatives to find a reliable and top-quality fastening system for concrete ties. He never gave up, and his innovative thinking, commitment and hard work led to the recommendation that BNSF adopt the Vossloh concrete tie fastening system as the standard moving forward.

The Vossloh concrete tie fastening system provides a more

secure and stable rail seat, and significantly reduces the potential development of rail seat deterioration or abrasion.

Additionally, the stability of this solution extends the life of tie and rail components and reduces maintenance costs. Even better, the Vossloh concrete tie fastening system will improve the quality and reliability of the track structure.

Best Way terminal teamEighteen employees from Operations, Finance and Technology

Services supported the rollout of Best Way through technology enablement. The group created a new scorecard to measure terminal process efficiencies as well as terminal planning tools and a management tool to track locomotives in the terminal. They also revamped BNSF’s approach to OPCON (a yard capacity/condition forecasting tool), standardized and automated yard turnovers, integrated Intermodal Business Unit processes and created snapshots of yard status.

Several of these enhancements were completed during the 10-week Best Way implementation effort at a specific terminal.

The benefits to BNSF are significant, including: • Work force engagement • Improved data integrity • Reduction of manual entry through automation • Increased visibility of terminal processes • Improved integration of Transportation, Mechanical/ Locomotive and Intermodal Groups, and • Streamlining of multiple TSS transactions into single views. Brandon Archambeau, superintendent, Operations, Fort Worth

Ranjan Dash, senior systems developer II, Fort Worth

Christopher ellis, senior systems developer II, Fort Worth

Richard goodwin, consulting systems developer, Fort Worth

Steven Painter, director, Measures, Fort Worth

David Stone, director, Performance Measures, Fort Worth

Christy Thomas, manager I, Technology Services, Fort Worth

southern Companies dwell Project At BNSF, the unit coal train operation is one of our most

efficient and consistent, typically leading the way in on-time performance; yet we always look for improvement.

Memphis, Tenn., Trainmasters Casey Estes and Brandon Miramontes did just that by significantly improving the velocity and efficiency of empty coal trains through the Southern Companies’ inspection and repair facilities at Marion, Ark.

Recognizing that dwell time was excessive, the two mapped out a course to use crews more efficiently and improve inspection times,

Left to right: Paul Siewing, Mark Rogers and John Reinert

Casey Estes, left, and Brandon Miramontes

Kendrell Webb

John Bosshart

Front row, left to right: David Stone, Christy Thomas, Richard Goodwin and Christopher Ellis; Back row, left to right: Steven Painter, Brandon Archambeau and Ranjan Dash

while scrutinizing costs. They worked closely with yardmasters at Yale, Tenn., the Network Operations Center and Southern Companies to build and sustain an improvement process.

The result has been remarkable. Within one year, dwell time was reduced by 43 percent and hold charges decreased by $1.3 million – about an 85-percent improvement in 2009.Casey estes, trainmaster, Memphis, Tenn.

Brandon miramontes, trainmaster, Memphis, Tenn.

tacoma terminal safety LeadershipYardmaster Brian Ours has shown an exceptional commitment

to safety at the Tacoma, Wash., Terminal. Ours started in 2005 as a

conductor, eventually working as a brakeman, switchman, and now, yardmaster. He also serves as chairman of the Tacoma Terminal Site Safety Committee.

Perhaps his biggest contribution to safety was the creation of 20 separate storybooks that allow new crews unfamiliar with the territory to work safely. The storybooks document features for each industry and yard area in the terminal,

including notes about close clearances and guidelines on safely spotting and pulling cars. He regularly updates and expands these storybooks.

To enhance the terminal’s emergency response plan, Ours developed a plan and map to assist first responders. He also developed a cross-craft training session with the help of local carmen to improve processes for re-railing cars that have derailed.

Shouldering responsibility is not unusual for Ours, who is typically one of the leaders at safety marathons. His supervisor notes: “Brian is a take-charge type of person who has earned the respect and admiration of supervisors and peers alike. He leads by example with selfless service to the company and his fellow employees.”

Protecting a small BoyLast year, during a late night visit at a rest stop, Conductor

Joseph Raley and Locomotive Engineer Walter (Buddy) Schneider saw a distressed young boy and couldn’t turn away.

Raley and Schneider were en route from Gillette, Wyo., when they came across a 10-year-old boy who had been unknowingly left behind by his family. They quickly jumped to action by asking the boy why he was crying, gathering his information and calling police. The boy told the men that his family was traveling in a caravan of campers when they stopped for a break. A few minutes later, the family pulled out, thinking the boy was in the back of one of the campers.

While waiting for the police to arrive, Raley and Schneider stayed with the young boy, providing comfort and care. The boy was soon reunited with his family.

Raley and Schneider couldn’t turn their backs when they saw a child in need, and they reacted with compassion and kindness. These same qualities make them an asset to the community in which they live and the BNSF community as well.

hydrogen Locomotive teamRail is the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly

means of transporting freight, and at BNSF we are committed to doing what we can to protect the environment through advanced technology, capital investments and operating practices.

One example is the experimental hydrogen fuel cell technology BNSF is testing in a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense – the first-ever prototype switch locomotive powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

Five Mechanical employees from Topeka, Kan., were instrumental in making the industry’s first hydrogen fuel cell locomotive a reality. While this technology is still being tested and evaluated, BNSF is leading the industry in emissions-reducing technology. The innovation and leadership of these employees have played a key role in this accomplishment.

Robert farwell, boilermaker, Topeka, Kan.

gordon hall, boilermaker, Topeka, Kan.

Richard nash, boilermaker, Topeka, Kan.

Robert Shrake, electrician, Topeka, Kan.

Craig Snyder, sheet metal worker, Topeka, Kan.

hauser Mainline Fueling depot Compliance

Terry Gay and Dale Larsen led the effort to demonstrate to the Hauser, Idaho, community BNSF’s total compliance with environmental requirements at the company’s mainline fueling facility during a 60-month review.

The facility opened Sept. 1, 2004, with Gay as the general foreman. To ensure that the facility complied with all environmental requirements, BNSF was asked to meet 33 conditions.

During this critical timeframe, Gay and Larsen went beyond simply monitoring. They communicated. They educated. They became part of the community, becoming both a sounding board and a trusted source for information.

Over the months, they met with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, citizens of Kootenai County, county commissioners and other public figures. They monitored public opinion and the political atmosphere. They led preparation for the hearing and worked with the BNSF Environmental, Legal, Government Affairs and Operations teams. They also held facility tours for fire departments, city and county officials, schools and others.

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Terrance Gay, left, and Dale Larsen

Walter (Buddy) Schneider, left, and Joseph Raley

Front row, left to right: Richard Nash and Robert Farwell; Back row, left to right: Robert Shrake, Craig Snyder and Gordon Hall

Brian Ours

On Nov. 13, 2009, Gay appeared before the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners to demonstrate that BNSF met all 33 criteria. He was exceptionally well-prepared, with 5,000 pages of documentation and a video presentation that he helped create and narrate. He was also well-equipped to answer questions.

Thanks to these employees’ dedication and substance, the commissioners ruled that all 33 conditions had been met.Terrance gay, general foreman, Spokane, Wash.

Dale larsen, manager, Maintenance and Compliance, Rathdrum, Idaho

new Knuckle specifi cationsDaniel Moseng, manager, Mechanical Engineering, recognized

the issues associated with coupler knuckle fatigue and took personal ownership to fi nd a solution.

Moseng led the project as the Chairman of the Association of American Railroads Coupler System and Truck Castings Committee. The team formed to evaluate, develop and implement two new knuckle specifi cations that would reduce one of the most costly component failures affecting today’s rail operations: train separations due to knuckle failures.

As the team’s leader and coach, Moseng steered the team through the discovery and development process of the M-220 “Casting Component Nondestructive Testing Requirements” and the M-216 “Knuckle Fatigue Test Requirements.”

M-220 is an industrywide initiative that will help ensure that defective knuckles are removed from service and are not installed. M-216 will help ensure manufacturers improve the knuckles’ fatigue performance. Both requirements will improve safety and performance across the industry.

Moseng also led the knuckle procedures implementation at BNSF.Moseng’s analytical skills were crucial to this team’s success

as they gathered facts, meticulously reviewed them and created the new structure. He used strong leadership skills to keep the team motivated and productive, and the results will have a broad positive impact on BNSF and the entire industry.

Coming to the aid of a Co-WorkerSeveral BNSF employees from Amarillo, Texas, may well have

saved the life of a co-worker when they put into action their BNSF emergency training after they recognized the signs of a heart attack.

On April 17, 2009, at the Amarillo car repair facility, a fellow employee was complaining about chest pains and then fell and hit his head on a desk. Quickly, Ismael Urias and Andrew Bailey called 9-1-1. Bailey instructed Shannon Vinyard to stay on the phone with the emergency operator as Urias and Michael Trask performed CPR.

Within minutes, their co-worker was breathing again. Medical personnel arrived and used an AED. The employees guided medical professionals to the site and assisted as needed.

Later that day, the heart attack victim underwent quadruple bypass surgery and recovered well.

Many people assisted in this situation; these four knew what to do. They coordinated efforts, worked as a team and remained focused. They put their extensive safety and fi rst aid training into practice as crisis responders and leaders at their facility.Andrew Bailey, electrician, Amarillo, Texas

michael Trask, carman, Amarillo, Texas

Ismael Urias, carman, Amarillo, Texas

Shannon Vinyard, carman, Amarillo, Texas

ask Lr toolOver the past several years, Labor Relations has been working

hard to make sure that employees see BNSF as a valued source of information. One of the important communication tools has been Ask LR, which is designed to connect employees with answers to their questions.

Last year, Thomas Nowers, assistant manager, Operations Workforce Planning, single-handedly worked to make this good communication tool even better. He focused on improving the department’s ability to track, audit and respond to employees’ questions through the Ask LR tool.

Even though Nowers is not a programmer, he does have skills in system design, and over several months he developed a tracking tool that enables Labor Relations to effectively manage the questions and track the responses.

With this effi cient new tracking mechanism, the department now has an automated system that records the questions, follows the communication and, if needed, enables attachment forwarding. In addition, the department can now measure the time between when a question is received and when it is answered.

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Daniel Moseng

Thomas Nowers

Left to right: Michael Trask, Andrew Bailey, Shannon Vinyard and Ismael Urias

Achievement Award how-tos BNSF’s Achievement Award program helps to recognize employees who demonstrate BNSF’s Vision and Values beyond their normal job requirements.

To nominate someone for an Achievement Award, go to the employee portal; under the Communications Tab (on @BNSF) you’ll see an Achievement Awards section among the channels on the right.

Any active BNSF employee, including scheduled and exempt, is eligible. An exempt employee must be a grade 33 or below. Any employee or supervisor may nominate someone for an award. All award nominations will be approved by the departmental vice president.

Employees may receive multiple Achievement Awards over their career. The fi rst award is a bronze, followed by a silver and gold. If the employee goes beyond a gold medal, he or she will receive platinum certifi cates.

Keltner is Chafee award winnerBNSF’s Charlie Keltner, senior manager,

Corporate Facilities, recently received the Association of American Railroads’ John H. Chafee Award for his contributions to protecting and preserving the environment. The annual award was named after U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee’s father, who promoted rail’s

environmental advantages.

Keltner is responsible for managing all facility support at BNSF corporate headquarters in Fort Worth. Under his leadership,

projects to reduce environmental impacts and save money have been implemented in every area.

For instance, Keltner looked for ways to reduce water use for landscape irrigation. He also volunteered to lead the BNSF Green Team at the corporate facility. The team and Keltner were instrumental in implementing a campuswide single-stream recycling program that has reduced the amount of energy and money being spent for waste disposal.

K-9 teams are ‘top dogs’BNSF brought home eight trophies from the

2010 National Railroad Police K-9 Trials held at the Allen, Texas, Police K-9 Training Facility.

Four BNSF teams participated in the competition among 27 teams, including all four Class I U.S. railroads.

The trials provide an opportunity to demonstrate the skills of the dogs and their handlers in a number of tasks they could perform while on duty.

Competition is held in detecting explosives, obedience, patrol and “Top Dog,” a combination of obedience and patrol/suspect apprehension. The dogs are expected to respond to verbal commands and to show the highest level of control. Here are the BNSF teams’ results:Kevin Anderson, senior special agent, Kansas City, Kan.,and canine partner Joli received fi rst place in obedience, fourth place in patrol and a second place in Top Dog.

Rick Stalder, senior special agent and K-9 team fi eld training offi cer, Amarillo, Texas, and Cash received third place for detecting explosives and fi fth place for patrol.

Steve Stone, senior special agent, Haslet, Texas, and Sista were fourth in detecting explosives.

Bryan Schaffer, senior special agent, Birmingham, Ala., and Faust received two fi fth-place awards, for obedience and Top Dog.

suburban ops earns a silverBNSF Suburban Operations has won a silver

medal for outstanding employee safety record in 2009 and a certifi cate of commendation for longer-term consistency and improvement in safety performance.

The silver medal, awarded by the board of directors of the E.H. Harriman Memorial Institute, is the fi rst Harriman award for the Chicago operation since 2007, when the group received a bronze medal for 2006 safety performance. The prestigious certifi cate of commendation is for improving safety during a three-year period and showing the most improvement from 2008 to 2009 in its category.

Tim Merriweather, terminal superintendent II, Chicago Division, says the two awards are great honors for the team, which does an excellent job

in running a smooth, effi cient and safe operation, with zero reportable injuries in 2009.

With 106 passenger trains per day for Metra, the Suburban Operations operate the single busiest

Metra line. Daily, 60,000-plus commuters ride on the line between Chicago and Aurora, Ill. More than 200 employees move the passengers or provide services that support operations.

2009 MVPs namedThe top two Fuel MVP locomotive engineers

on the entire BNSF system for 2009 were Loren Svee on the Montana Division and Stephen Bradley on the Springfi eld Division. They are among an elite group of engineers recognized for their participation and contributions to saving fuel as part of the Fuel MVP Program. The rest of the winners are outlined below by division.California Division: Gabriel Sahlstrom, R.F. Wofford, Brian Held and Brian Sims

Chicago Division: D.W. Swenson and R.E. Garner

Colorado Division: Louis Ocker and David Unger

Kansas Division: J.C. Clements and Ronald Thorne

montana Division: Gary Toldness and Raymond Hentschel

nebraska Division: Christopher Vierra and Gerald McDonald

northwest Division: Myron Moses and Robert Higginson

Powder River Division: Ross West and David Yauney

Southwest Division: W.E. Duncan and R.R. Foster

Springfi eld Division: Stephen Walker and Rex Benell

Texas Division: T.D. Reynolds and T.K. McGehee

Twin Cities Division: Kim Menard and Thomas Layman

BnsF, nine employees recognized BNSF received its 10th National Achievement

Award for commitment to community safety from National Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAER®).

In addition, Brock Lowman, manager, Hazmat Programs and Community Relations, was named a recipient of a 2009 Chairman’s

Award for his contributions. The Chairman’s Award is bestowed at the discretion of the TRANSCAER chairman.

Another eight employees received individual recognition

for their personal contributions to advance TRANSCAER principles. These employees are:Rocky Bell, machinist, Mechanical & Value Engineering, Alliance, Neb.

Patrick Brady, assistant director, Hazardous Materials, Fort Worth

Ron Buhrman, manager, Environmental Operations, Lincoln, Neb.

ed Chapman, director, Hazardous Materials, Fort Worth

Dillon magers, manager, Environmental Operations, Springfi eld, Mo.

Ron malleck, manager, Environmental Operations, Denver

Karl Schoettlin, manager, Load and Ride Solutions, Kansas City, Kan.

mike Woolridge, assistant manager, Environmental Remediation, Minneapolis

TRANSCAER companies train local emergency responders through a combination of hands-on activities, emergency planning assistance and community drills and exercises. Last year, BNSF’s hazmat team provided training to nearly 3,600 fi rst responders in 18 states and sponsored 160 TRANSCAER events in 2009 in Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Arizona.

BnsF a Best diversity CompanyThe readers of Diversity/Careers in

Engineering & Information Technology Magazine have recognized BNSF Railway as a 2010 Best Diversity Company.

During March and April, magazine readers and website visitors were asked to identify U.S. corporations, government agencies and other organizations that employ technical professionals and that are doing the best work in diversity. The readers’ and Web visitors’ choices were based on their perceptions, formed by their own experiences, their conversations with others or what they’d read.

The June/July issue includes a list of the 2010 Best Diversity Company organizations that readers ranked at the top for their support of minorities and women, their attention to work/life balance and their commitment to supplier diversity.

Brock Lowman (left) accepts the Chairman’s Award from Frank Reiner, vice chairman, National TRANSCAER Task Group, and president, Chlorine Institute.

Representatives of the Suburban Operations accepted plaques they received for safety and safe-ty improvement. Pictured left to right are Engineer Joel Gamble, Conductor Sue Benko, Conduc-tor Roy Nicholas and Engineer Excell Jones Jr.

From left, Tracy Keltner, Charlie’s wife; John D. Porcari, Deputy Secretary of Transportation; Charlie Keltner; and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

BnsF and employees of BnsF have been racking up the trophies, including national recognition as well as regional and local. here are some of their success stories. Congratulations to all!

IT’S AWARD SEASON!

8 raiLWay I SUMMER 2010

RAILWAY I SUMMER 2010 9

G regFox,vicepresident,Transportation, hasledmultiplecross-functionalteamsto

visiteachoneofBNSF’sdivisionsduringthelast12months.Hisgoal,andthatoftheselistening-postteams,istoidentify–andeliminate–barrierstosafety. “Listening-postsessionshelpusbetterunderstandwhat’sworkingandwhat’snot,withakeyfocusonunderstandingbarrierstosafeproduction,”saysFox.“Withthisimprovedunderstanding,we’reabletomakechangesinourprocessesandrulesinordertoimprovetheoverallsafetyculturehereatBNSF.” Foxandhisleadershipteamhaveacteddecisivelyinseveralareastopromotesafetyandaddresssafety-relatedconcernsvoicedbyemployees.Lastfall,afterhearingemployeesexpressconfusionandfrustrationaboutsafetyandrulestraining,theTransportationteamretooledtheseprograms,shiftingtoasimplifiedtwo-yearsafetytrainingcycle. Additionally,Transportationemployeesthisyearwereofferedachoicebetweencomputer-basedtraining(CBT)andinstructor-ledclassesforrulestraining.Oftheemployeeswhochosebetweenthetwotypesoftraining,morethan60percentelectedinstructor-ledclasses.Feedbackfromemployeesontheseadjustmentshasbeenpositive,accordingtoFox. “ManyTY&EemployeesexpressedthatCBTrulestrainingwasafrustratingexperienceandanineffectivetrainingtool,”saysFox.“Soweaddressedtheseconcernsbyreintroducinginstructor-ledrulestraining.”

Safety conversations SinceApril2009,listening-postteamscomprisedofseniorleadersfromTransportation,Safety,CrewDispatching,LocomotiveUtilizationandotherOperationsspecialistshavetraveledwithFoxtodiscusssafetywithemployees. Typically,teamsoffourvisitseverallocationsonadivisioneachmonthandconverseone-on-onewithemployeesaboutsafetyandanswer

One year after mobilizing listening-post teams, the Transportation work group has initiated changes to rules, improved crew utilization and adjusted its approach to training. System leaders will continue to meet with employees to understand concerns and to create a culture that fosters employee engagement.

Listening posts spark new initiatives for Transportation

“There is value in being able to have an honest exchange – in fact, that interaction is key to creating actionable plans to address those concerns.”

– Dan Rourke, director, Safety and Rules

questions.AccordingtoDanRourke,director,SafetyandRules,whenlistening-postteamsvisitedtheTwinCitiesDivisioninMay,theyspokewithmorethan600employeesonawiderangeoftopics,includingrules,line-upsandcrewplanning. Beforeteamsleave,theyattendanexitbriefingwiththedivisiongeneralmanagerandassignsafetyitemsforfollow-up.Foxaddressesbroad,commonsafetyconcernsthatemerge;

thedivisionincludeslocalizedissuesontheiractionlogs. “Listening-postteamsfocusonunderstandingcurrentemployeesafetyconcerns,”saysRourke.“Thereisvalueinbeingabletohaveanhonestexchange–infact,thatinteractioniskeytocreatingactionableplanstoaddressthoseconcerns.”

Driving change Resultsfromlistening-postvisitshavedrivenchangesinsomerulesforTransportationemployees.Notably,GCOR6.5“HandlingCarsAheadofEngine”andSafetyRuleS-13.1.5“RidingInorOnMovingEquipment”weremodifiedinAprilasaresultofemployeeinput.

“Welistenedtoouremployees’concernsandincorporatedchangesintheserulesthatwebelieveaddressedthevastmajorityoftheirconcerns,”saysFox. Otherchangesimplementedfromlistening-postsessionstouchonsafety-relatedconcernsaroundcrewutilization.Crewline-upshaveparticularlyemergedduringthesesafetydiscussions.Toaddressit,RobReilly,assistantvicepresident,NOC,BestWay,headedupapilotthatreplacesthecurrentline-upmeasureinLockandLoadwithmetricsthatbetterdescribecrewplanandtrainplanaccuracy.Additionally,predictiveplanningtoolsfordispatcherswereenhanced.Aftertestinginthefirstquarter,thenewmeasurementshaveincreasedaccuracyinbothareas,andtheinitiativewillbeginasystemwiderolloutinthenextseveralmonths. Otherinitiativescurrentlyunderwayasaresultofemployeeinputduringlistening-postsessionsinclude:

nDevelopingamoreaccurateandconsistentcrewplanningprocess

nImplementinganewpreapprovedlayoffprocess

nRe-evaluatingpersonalprotectiveequipmentstandards

“Listeningpostsareagreatopportunityforeveryonetounderstandsafetyissuesandthentotakeappropriateaction,”saysFox.“I’mcommittedtocreatingaculturethatsupportszeroinjuries.”

Engineer Don Robertson (r) discusses safety with Bill Barrington, director, train handling (l), during a Northwest Division listening post.

10 RAILWAY I SUMMER 2010

Bradley GregoryHostler DriverCicero, Ill.

BradGregoryjoinedBNSFinJanuary2009asahostlerdriver,andsincethen,Gregoryhascontributedtoco-workersafetyinanumberofways.Withinmonthsofbeginninghisnewjob,Gregorygotinvolvedinthefacility’steam-basedsafetyprogram,“KeepingYourHeadintheGame.”Duringtheprogram,hedistinguished

himselfbyconsistentlyrecognizing,reportingandcorrectingpotentialsafetyhazards.Hiscontributionshelpedraisesafetyawareness,

whichhelpedthegroupreduceincidentsby45percentinthefirstquarterof2010.

Co-workersregardGregoryasthe“goto”safetyguybecauseheshareshissafetyknowledge.Gregoryhasalsohelpedtrainandmentoremployeesontransportarmsafety,andcontributedtoredesigningaservicelinemountingbracketusedbyhostlerdrivers.Hissuggestedmodificationreducedtensionstressontheselines,andsincethemodification,employeesatthefacilityhavenotexperiencedanyincidentsinvolvingthisequipment.

Gregoryhashelpedemployeesunderstandtheopen-doorpolicyoftheCiceromanagementteam.Leadingbyexample,Gregoryoftendiscussessafetyconcerns;thisinturnhasshownothersthattheycandiscusssafetyinanopen,supportiveenvironment.

Exhibitinga“cando”attitude,Gregorycanbecountedontostepupanddowhateverittakestoensuresafeoperations.

Richard (Rick) LehnSafety AssistantHavelock Shops (Lincoln, Neb.)

Beginningasamachinistapprenticein1977,RickLehniscurrentlyinhissixthelectedtermasasafetyassistantattheHavelockshopsinLincoln,Neb.

In2009,Lehn’sleadershipabilitiessurfacedwhenhebecameinvolvedwiththe“Let’sTalkSafety”program,apeer-to-peersafetyprogram

thathassubsequentlybeenusedbyallMechanicalsafetyassistants.Hisvisionforthisprogram,whichispresentedtoemployeesasa

“safetycontract,”givesthemtheopportunitytocommittoboththeirownpersonalsafetyaswellastoothers’safetythroughconstructivesafetyconversations.Approximately85percentoftheshop’semployeesagreedtoparticipate,andthe

processresultedintheidentificationofadditionalrisksattheshop.

Inhisleadershiproles,LehnhasservedontheHavelockShopSafetyteam,isinvolvedwithhealthandsafetyactivities,andin2009,chairedtheHavelockHealthandSafetyCommittee.Atthesystemlevel,heco-chairedtheMechanicalSafetyandHealthCommittee.

HehasearnedmultiplesafetycertificationsandhasgenerouslysharedhissafetywisdombyhelpingdevelopsafetycertificationprogramsatBNSFandprovidinganumberoftrainingcourses.Notably,LehnhaspioneerednumeroussafetyinitiativesattheHavelockcarshop,whichhavelaterbeenadoptedacrossBNSF.

Roy MateenSafety AssistantTexas Division

For38years,RoyMateenhasputhisenergyandhisheartintosafety.CurrentlyaMaintenanceofWaysafetyassistantfortheTexasDivision,Mateenperformedsafetyassistantdutieslongbeforethepositionwascreated.Firstasalaborerandlaterasamachineoperator,heformedsmall

safetygroupstoheightensafetyawareness.

Mateenparticularlymadeadifferencein2009bydedicatinghimselftofinding

asafetysolutiontomitigateriskforemployeeswhooperaterotarydumptrucks.Mateentookontheissueandishelpingdevelopguidelinesthatcouldallowtruckoperatorstomoreefficientlyandsafelyoperatedumptrucks.

Observingthatdrivers’logbookscouldbeimproved,Mateenalsodesignedanewlogbookandtheneducatedco-workersonthenecessityofloggingspecificinformation.Thisraisedawarenessofsafedrivingandtheneedtomakesafedecisions.

AnotherwayMateenimpactssafetyisthroughtraining.Hespendstimeeducatingemployeesonrulesandregulations,andbelievesthatrulescomplianceisanecessarybuildingblockforsafety.

Aquiet,humbleleader,Mateenalsofocusesonteachingempowerment.Recognizingtheimportanceofthissafetypractice,hechallengesemployeestostopaworktaskiftheyseeunsafebehavior.

Jeffrey SlentzSignal Safety AssistantTexas Division

SignalSafetyAssistantJeffSlentz’scontributionsthroughtheyearshaveledtoimprovedworkingconditionsacrosstheBNSFsystemandalsoimprovedemployeeattitudestowardsafety.

Withmorethan29years’experience,hehasbeeninvolvedinsafetyleadershipformorethan

16years,loggingasignificantamountoftimeonslip,trip,andfallissues,overheadpowerlinesafety,andworkenvironmentassessments

thatreflectOccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration(OSHA)requirements. Heactivelypromotesroadway-worker

protectionandtrainsinothersafetyprogramslikeCPRandfirstaid,fallprotection,andlockout/tagout.Heisactiveinthegroup’sworkplacebyimprovingprocessesandensuringequipmentrenewalandremediation.Recently,hehasfocusedonhelpingotherskeepsafetytop-of-mindbycreatingdecalsforboomtrucksandcranesthatworknearoverheadpowerlines.

Slentzisnotafraidtoacceptchallenges;oneofhisbiggestisbreakingthroughbarriersthathindercommunication.Hespendscountlesshoursmakingone-to-onecontactstoincreaseemployees’comfortlevels.Hisapproachistolistentotheirsafetyconcernsandtheninvolvethem,sotheyhaveownershipinthesafetyprocess.

Gerald UrferSignal Safety AssistantMontana Division

A30-yearemployee,GerryUrfer,Signalinspectorandsafetyassistant,isatruesafetyleaderwhodemonstratesgenuineconcernforothers.UrferwasappointedbydivisionofficersasthefirstEngineeringSignalsafetyassistantfortheMontanaDivision.PeershaveelectedUrfertothispositionsincehisoriginalappointment.

Urferhashadapositiveimpactonsafety-processimprovementsforallSignalemployees.SuccessesincludeSignal-specificlockout/tagout,aerialliftacquisitions,thecreationofladderbracketsupports,workingsurfaceimprovementsandpersonalprotectiveequipmentimprovements,anddivisionwideCPRtraining.

Morerecently,UrferdroveanefforttoensurethatlocalemergencycrewsnearthenewSignalPeakcoalminewereproperlypreparedtohandleatrainemergency.Hetookontheresponsibilityoftraining10firedepartments–about90people.

Inthecommunity,UrferhasalsoparticipatedinprogramswiththeDepartmentofTransportation,theFederalRailroadAdministrationandothernationalinitiativesaimedatraisingpublicawarenessofgrade-crossingsafetylaws.Heisactiveinthelocalfiredepartmentandservesasboththesafetyofficerandtrainingofficerforthedepartment.

processresultedintheidentificationofadditional

Inhisleadershiproles,Lehnhasservedon

BNSF celebrates Safety Employees of the Year

RAILWAY I SUMMER 2010 11

Warm Weather Checklist

Employee safety tips

“Withthisjob,everythingwedochangesquickly.Awarenessisveryimportant.”–JimSandman,conductor, SiouxCity,Iowa

Focus on Safety

VP, Safety, Training and Operations Support:MarkSchulze,Mark.Schulze@bnsf.com

Editor:LindaJacobson,ljacobson@quepr.com

Contributing Photographers:Newslink,PaulParisot,BillSaunders

Got a story idea? Sendstoryideas,safetytips,suggestionsandcommentstobnsf.safety1@bnsf.comorcallEricWeberat(817)352-1144.

SAFETY VISIONWebelieveeveryaccidentorinjuryispreventable.OurvisionisthatBNSFwilloperatefreeofaccidentsandinjuries.

BNSF nominates Hopkins for Hammond Award

HEAT DISORDERS PREVENTIONON THE JOB

•Heat cramps–Musclespasmsasaresultoffluid/ perspirationloss.

Totreat:Rest,drinkfluidsandmassagemuscles.

•Heat rash–Tinyredbumpsonskin.

Totreat:Coolthebody,cleananddryaffectedareas.

•Heat exhaustion–Excessivesweating,weakness, dizziness,nausea,drymouth,headache,paleskin, shaky,clammyskin,andweak,rapidpulse.

Totreat:Restinacoollocation,anddrinkfluids. Seekmedicalattentionifsymptomspersist.

•Heat stroke–Bodytemperaturenear105°F,sluggish, confusionorlossofconsciousness,hotanddryskin, andrapid,weak,irregularpulse.

Totreat:Movevictimoutofdirectsunlight.Pour coolwateronvictim,orwrapvictimwithwet,cool towels.Seekimmediatemedicalattention.

Eatwell-balancedmeals,watchingsodiumintake.

Drink7-8ouncesofwaterevery20minutes.

•Avoidcaffeineandsoda;minimizealcoholintakeseveraldayspriortoworkinginhotweather.

Allowtimetoacclimatetotheheat;easeintolonger, harderwork.

Exerciseregularly.

Getadequatesleep.

WearsunscreenwithanSPFofatleast30.

Wearloose-fitting,light-coloredclothing.

Checkwithyourphysicianabout takingspecialprecautionsdue tomedicalconditions ormedication.

Duringsafetybriefings,review:

•Work-sitetemperatureandhumidity

•Heatstressprevention

•Signsandsymptomsofheatdisorders

•Actionstotakeincaseofheatstroke: Seekimmediatemedicalhelp

Keepvictimcoolandoutofdirectsunlight

•Directionstoworksite,includingnotable landmarks

•Emergencyphonenumbertocall

Bealerttoco-workers’andyourowncondition.

•Notifyasupervisorifheatillnessdevelops.

Drinkwaterorfluidscontainingelectrolytes frequently.

Hopkins for Hammond Award Hopkins for Hammond Award Hopkins

plans.Coordinatingwithlocalemergencyresponders,Hopkinshashelpedensuretheterminal’sevacuationprocessisefficientandrapid.Healsoregularlyperformsmonthlyinspectionsonallfireextinguishersandeyewashstationsattheterminal,checkingthatequipmentnecessaryforcriticalsituationsisinplaceandworkingproperly.

Intheareaofcontinuousimprovement,Hopkins

helpedformulateanewmethodofstoringandaccessingmaterialattheTulsaTerminal,whichreducedthepotentialforemployeeinjuries.

HopkinsisthekeyresourceforSpringfield

Divisionemployeeswhohaveasafetyissueorconcern.Thefactthatheisknownbyemployeesasthe“problemsolver”forallsafetymattersinthedivisionisatestamenttothethoroughnessthatHopkinsbringstoeverytaskheundertakes.

Avisiblerolemodelforhiscommunity,Hopkinsoftenencourageslocalyouthtomakesafechoices,andhehascreatedalasting–andsafe–impressionofBNSFandtherailroadindustryforstudentsofallages,thankstohisoutreachefforts.

Robby HopkinsCarman and Safety AssistantSpringfi eld Division

A15-yearcarmanontheSpringfieldDivision(Zone8),RobbyHopkinswaselectedbyhispeersasMechanicalsafetyassistantin2005,apositionhecontinuestohold.

Hopkins’desiretoadvanceasafetycultureisexhibitedbyhisleadershipandserviceonmanysafetycommittees,includingthelocalMechanicalsafetycommitteeandtheTulsa,Okla.,terminal’ssafetycommittee.Hopkinshasbeenastrongadvocateforsafetyprocessesattheterminal,reviewingandupdatingemployeeemergency

Each year, BNSF Operations leaders select six employees as Safety Employees of the Year. From these six, one is named to be BNSF’s Hammond Award nominee. Established in 1986, the Hammond Award is a national award honoring an individual railroad employee who has demonstrated outstanding safety achievement in the industry and in the community during the preceding year. The award is named for the late Harold F. Hammond, former president of the Transportation Association of America. All U.S. railroads are eligible to nominate an employee for this prestigious honor. After a thorough review of the 2009 Safety Employees of the Year, BNSF selected Robby Hopkins, carman and Tulsa Terminal Mechanical safety assistant, as the 2009 Hammond nominee. Expressing his view on safety, Hopkins says, “I am passionate about safety because it represents who I am, represents my livelihood, the way I try to carry myself, the way I try to set an example for others.” At a ceremony in May, the Association of American Railroads recognized Hopkins with a Certifi cate of Commendation for his achievements in safety.

“Morningbriefingshelppreparemeformyday.Communicationisveryimportant,andrebriefingshelpkeepmeuptospeed.”–EddieJones,gangtrackman,

SpringfieldDivision

Robby HopkinsCarman and Safety AssistantSpringfi eld Division

12 RAILWAY I SUMMER 2010

VACATION SAFETY CHECKLISTHOME TRAVELPERSONAL

Before leaving home on vacation, have you: Stopped newspaper and mail deliveries? Arranged for pets to be cared for during

your absence? •Disposed of water and food in pet dishes?

Unplugged electrical appliances, televisions, radios and computers?

Checked to make sure that water taps are completely turned off?

Disposed of perishable food items? Informed a neighbor of your absence and given that

person your itinerary? •Asked a neighbor to keep watch on your home while you’re away?

For an extended absence, arranged for your lawn to be mowed?

Armed your home alarm system? Made copies of identifi cation, credit cards and medical

insurance cards?

•Signed and packed a medical authorization form for children?

If traveling through an airport, have you: Packed medications and other valuables in a carry-on? Ensured that your luggage is properly tagged with your

name and phone number only, and has been watched at all times?

If staying at a hotel or motel, have you: Briefed family members on:

•Evacuation routes? •What to do in case of fi re? •Assigned a meeting place in case of emergency?

Reviewed pool and water safety? Placed valuables in a safe?

If renting a car, have you: Familiarized yourself with the car’s controls? Mapped out your route? In foreign countries, ensured you understand road and

traffi c signs? Ensured all occupants wear a seatbelt? Locked valuables out of sight in the trunk?

For personal safety and security on vacation, have you:

Arranged to carry credit cards and travelers’ checks? •Put these items in a pocket or hip pack rather than a purse or backpack?

Checked the area for travel warnings? Guarded against ultraviolet rays, whether sunny

or cloudy? •Worn protective clothing (hats, sunglasses)? •Put on sunscreen?

Packed bug and insect repellent? Taken a cell phone and charger with you? Been seen by a doctor and received appropriate

inoculations before traveling to a foreign country? Been careful drinking local water and eating raw foods,

particularly shellfi sh? Reviewed fi reworks safety?

Best of the BestBest of the BestSafety LeadersS afetyleadershipispartofthefoundationofBNSF’ssafetyvisionofanaccident-

andinjury-freeworkplace.Eachyear,BNSFrecognizesthoseleaderswhoexhibitexceptionalsafetyperformancebyleadingtheirteamstomeet,orexceed,rigoroussafetyrequirements.Theyareleadingbyexampleandrepresentthe“BestoftheBest.”

TheindividualslistedherewererecognizedduringBNSF’sEmployeesoftheYearprogramasthe“BestoftheBest”leaders,whoseworkteamsachievedexceptionalsafetyperformance.Wethankeachofthemformodelingsafetyonadailybasisandcongratulatethemfortheirsuperiorsafetyachievements.

ENGINEERING:Ronald Adler, manager, Track Welding, Fort Worth, Texas

Susan Borsellino, director, Telecommunications, Fort Worth, Texas

Loren Delaware, manager, Signals, Fort Worth, Texas

Edford Ferguson, manager, Structures, Denver

Erik Frohberg, manager, Structures, Fargo, N.D.

Dwight Golder, manager, Signals, Galesburg, Ill.

Ernest Graf, manager, Rail Trains, Fort Worth, Texas

Cory Knutson, manager, Structures, Billings, Mont.

Jeffrey Schmidt, manager, Rail Complex, Springfi eld, Mo.

Jeffrey Schurman, shop superintendent, Brainerd, Minn.

Dennis Skeels, manager, Signals, San Bernardino, Calif.

Mark Sprattler, manager, Roadway Equipment, Billings, Mont.

Bruce Teel, division engineer, Fort Worth, Texas

John Wiederholt, division engineer, Fort Worth, Texas

MECHANICAL:David Andersen, general foreman, Galesburg, Ill.

Mark Blackwell, general foreman, Winslow, Ariz.

Michael Blackwell, general foreman, Havre, Mont.

Terrance Gay, general foreman, Spokane, Wash.

Michael Hale, general foreman, Superior, Wis.

David Jones, general foreman, Clovis, N.M.

Harold Lederer, general foreman, Richmond, Calif.

Paul Lorenzen, general foreman, Springfi eld, Mo.

Dennis Luft, general foreman, Tulsa, Okla.

Bill Perry, general foreman, Houston

Mark Riley, general foreman, Newton, Kan.

Edmundo Rodriguez, general foreman, Galesburg, Ill.

TRANSPORTATION:Robert Athey, terminal superintendent, Lincoln, Neb.

Robert Boemio, superintendent operations, Temple, Texas

Brandon Crossett, terminal superintendent, Houston

Richard Danielson, terminal superintendent, Galesburg, Ill.

Christopher Delargy, terminal superintendent, Vancouver, Wash.

Alden Jenkins, superintendent operations, Springfi eld (West), Mo.

Timothy Merriweather, terminal superintendent, Cicero, Ill.

Bradley Welte, superintendent operations, Bakersfi eld, Calif.

Michael Wirtz, terminal superintendent, Alliance, Neb.

Allen Wolfe, superintendent operations, Lincoln (East), Neb.

EngineeringFront row, left to right: Jeffrey Schmidt, Dennis Skeels, Susan Borsellino, Ernest Graf, Dwight Golder and Erik Frohberg; Back row, left to right: Jeffrey Schurman, Mark Sprattler, Ronald Adler, John Wiederholt, Bruce Teel, Loren Delaware and Cory Knutson; not pictured: Edford Ferguson

MechanicalFront row, left to right: Terrance Gay, David Jones, Michael Blackwell, Bill Perry, Michael Haleand David Andersen; Back row, left to right: Mark Riley, Paul Lorenzen, Harold Lederer, DennisLuft, Edmundo Rodriguez and Mark Blackwell

TransportationFront row, left to right: Timothy Merriweather, Christopher Delargy, Bradley Welte, Michael Wirtz and Allen Wolfe; Back row, left to right: Robert Boemio, Robert Athey, Richard Danielson,Brandon Crossett and Alden Jenkins

raiLWay I SUMMER 2010 13

the amendment states that, in addition to standard personal protective equipment, all BNSF employees, contractors and their agents, visitors and vendors must wear enhanced visibility garments that meet or exceed ANSI Class II standards.

For non-RCO (Remote Control Operator-qualified) Transportation employees, this means that for the first time they will begin wearing retro-reflective vests when on duty and working outside the cabs of locomotives.

Vice President Transportation Greg Fox explains that there are several reasons for this rule amendment, most important of which is that it simply enhances employee safety.

“We’ve seen what reflective apparel can do to improve the visibility and the safety of our employees in Mechanical and in Engineering,” says Fox. “Wearing approved reflective apparel is becoming the new standard for all crafts in the rail industry; many other types of transportation workers also wear reflective gear daily. The time is right to add reflective apparel to the safety tool kits of all our TY&E employees.”

Security is another reason. “It’s more important than ever that our Resource Protection personnel can quickly and easily distinguish people who are supposed to be on BNSF property from those who are not,” Fox adds.

Additionally, compliance with Federal Highway Administration (FHA) regulations is a third driver. “FHA requires that reflective apparel be worn when flagging or working on the right-of-way of any federally funded roadway,” says Fox. “Many of our train crews work at or around grade crossings on federally funded roadways every day. According to FHA, they need to wear reflective vests.”

To raise awareness and understanding of the amended rule, BNSF supervisors will be briefing work teams in July and when the rule takes effect in August.* A video and other information also help explain “Vested in Safety,” highlighting the contribution

reflective apparel makes to reducing risk, saving lives and enhancing overall workplace safety.

The following employees from Engineering, Resource Protection, Mechanical and Transportation share their personal reasons for why they’re “Vested in Safety.”

Brian elam Structures Mechanic, Engineering, Kansas City, Kan.

“Personally, I like wearing my vest for the visibility it provides. Whether it’s a new bridge or an old bridge, the structures themselves

create a lot of background clutter. For example, older bridges can be pretty rusty. Regular

work clothes blend right in, like camouflage. The reflective vest gives you that degree of separation that makes a human form stand out from the girders and the iron.

“Also, you really need to be focused out here and know where the rest of your crew is at all times. The vests help me immediately identify where my co-worker is, and what he or she is doing, even if they’re way at the other end of the span.

“I know a lot of people are worried about the vest being hot or confining. I’ve found they’re actually quite comfortable. The mesh really helps them breathe when it’s hot. They’re lightweight and cut in such a way that you have plenty of room to move around and work. We have good range of motion when working with hand tools or power tools. I’d be lost without it.”

gina hunter Senior Special Agent, Resource Protection, Kansas City, Kan.

“One of our highest priorities is to ensure the safety and security of employees on BNSF property. That starts with knowing

who is an employee or authorized contractor, and who is not.

“Now more than ever, the public is really paying attention to who is on or around railroad property. We field a lot of calls with reports of suspicious or unauthorized personnel on BNSF right of way. If someone’s wearing a reflective vest when we roll up on the scene, it immediately signifies that the individual is most likely authorized to be there. A quick investigation can confirm this.

“On the other hand, the lack of reflective apparel often creates a situation where we must further investigate to positively identify an individual and the reason for his or her presence on company property.”

Rick Schulte Carman, Vancouver, Wash.

“The vest protects you. It gives you safety. It makes sure you’re going home alive. Some people think the vest just helps the company. Actually, the vest helps everybody, especially the employee wearing it.

“A lot of us work nights out here, in between trains. It can be

real dark. I know people can see me when I’m wearing my reflective gear. The vests really

make a difference in my confidence that I’m being safe.

“Up here in the Northwest, weather’s always an issue. More often than not it’s foggy, rainy or at least overcast. With the reflective vest, you can be confident that you stand out in all sorts of conditions.

“It’s nice to look out in the yard and see those shiny stripes. You know a guy’s OK; that he’s moving around, and you sort of make a mental note of where he is.”

Clayton “Clay” leutySwitchman, Turner Intermodal, Kansas City, Mo.

“To me, being Vested in Safety means every day you use all the

safety tools you’ve been given: your PPE, your training, the Safety Rules and your own commitment

to working safely. You get out of safety what you put in to safety.

“I’ve been here 33 years,

and I think Transportation crews wearing vests is one of the best safety developments I’ve seen.

“Any time you work on the ground, you’re one person working among a lot of very unforgiving equipment. It sure helps if the people operating that equipment can clearly see you.

“I believe wearing the reflective vests will help keep everyone out here safer by making train crews more visible to all kinds of traffic. The vest is like an extra layer of protection on top of the other safety tools: the PPE, the training, the personal commitment.

“All in all, I’m glad to be wearing the vest. I think it’s going to be a real good thing for train crews at BNSF.”

* Editor’s Note: BNSF is also communicating guidelines around audible warning (AW), a rule/process that gives Transportation employees the option of requesting additional warning of an approaching train’s presence when working on a track controlled by a BNSF train dispatcher or control operator. AW applies in situations where there are close track centers or limited visibility on adjacent controlled tracks and employees are unable to work on the field side away from approaching trains.

Enhancing TY&E safety Visibility garments to be required Whether it’s in bold light of a sunny day or in the headlights, ditch lights and reflected light at night, BnsF train crews will take on added visibility starting aug. 1, 2010. that’s when an amendment to ty&e safety rule s-21.1 “Personal Protective equipment requirements” goes into effect.

14 raiLWay I SUMMER 2010

Construction work to lay the infrastructure for positive train control (PTC) is under way. BNSF will install PTC on subdivisions where commuter, passenger and toxic-by-inhalant or poisonous-by-inhalant traffic operates. The infrastructure work will help BNSF meet the government mandate to implement PTC by 2015 – including signal upgrade work started this year across 10 subdivisions on four divisions (Chicago, California, Northwest and Kansas).

Those subdivisions are where commuter and passenger trains operate on BNSF track. Signal will need to upgrade parts of the signal system on selected areas on these to a microprocessor-based system and install new wayside signals and bungalows.

“Any of the older systems that the new digital PTC system won’t work with we have to completely replace. If the systems are newer, then all we have to do is install a new processor module, radio and the antennas, so it will actually interface with the PTC system,” explains Wendell Parker, signal supervisor, Construction, Stockton, Calif.

In addition, Telecommunication crews have initiated detailed engineering analysis to build the supporting communication segments.

During the project, the signal team will ensure cutovers at 10,000 locations, according to Ralph Young, general director, Signal. Additionally, signal upgrades will cover more than 10,500 miles of signal territory and 1,700 route miles of dark territory, involving installation of approximately:

• 2,900 new control points

• 4,700 intermediate signals

• 1,400 dark territory switchesSignal upgrades will also eliminate about

2,100 pole lines, which will be replaced with electronically coded track circuits.

Young anticipates in excess of 4 million man-hours to construct infrastructure and complete signal upgrades. “The scope of the PTC effort is massive,” he says. “It will take all BNSF employees working together to implement PTC.”

Mapping assets

Top: New color-light signals (left) will replace older mechanical-style searchlight signals (right). Below: Through GPS, Wi-Fi and high-band radio transmissions, computers in both the cab of the locomotive and in the Network Operations Center are in constant communication.

Massive infrastructure project under way to ready BNSF for PTC

William Lyons, signal supervisor, Design Services, simulates the installation of a new PTC module into an existing vital logic controller in the signal test lab in Lenexa, Kan.

Upgrading the signal system will involve installing 6,096 new bungalows.

the Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping team from Network Control Systems is also part of the PTC field effort. The team is using a sophisticated laser-based technology, called light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, to map each PTC-designated subdivision. The system is mounted on a specially equipped hy-rail that collects data 600 feet in any direction from two sensors. Data is collected in geospatial points that collectively form a 3-D “point cloud.”

Mapping is necessary to track BNSF’s critical assets, such as mileposts and speed signs, signals and signs on the signal mast, and grade crossings, which are important for train control once PTC is implemented. After assets have been mapped, signal and track employees will maintain an accurate inventory of critical assets and will need to report changes as outlined in Engineering Instructions Section 25.

in mid-May, BnsF launched its redesigned external website at www.bnsf.com, garnering glowing reviews from customers as well as bloggers.

ust one glance at the website’s home page shows a cleaner, more streamlined layout that’s easier to navigate. News headlines,

frequently used customer tools, customer login and links to special features are prominently displayed, along with links to sections for job seekers, journalists, employees and retirees. Large tabs in the site’s main menu take the visitor to the site’s main sections: Customers, Communities and About BNSF. The new website also features the BNSF “brand” more prominently, with an animated banner on the homepage and more information on the importance and benefi ts of shipping by rail.

Before development of the site began, BNSF conducted a usability study of the previous website to see how it stacked up against other railroads and other major business-to-business companies. In addition, focus groups with site users were held to fi nd out how customers and other audiences were using the site and how they found the information they needed.

Armed with these results, BNSF’s designers rearranged the site to make those tasks simpler. To get the right look and feel for the site, the collaborative effort included representatives from Technology Services, Marketing, Corporate Relations, Human Resources, Finance, Strategic Sourcing and others. Their goal was a simplifi ed site focused on helping customers fi nd information within a couple of mouse clicks.

“Our primary audience for bnsf.com is our customer base,” says John Lanigan, executive vice president and chief marketing offi cer. “The new site includes the same tools customers used in the past as well as enhanced tools and navigation.”

The Customers section is designed to take any mystery out of working with the railroad. It’s structured around three major questions that are likely to be on a customer’s mind: What can I ship? Where can I ship? How can I ship? Interactive tools display the broad variety of products BNSF ships. From there customers can easily fi nd information on rates, schedules, type of equipment used, regulations and who to contact.

But BNSF’s redesign team didn’t stop there. An interactive map of the entire 32,000-mile network modifi es its display according to the type of product the user is shipping and enables the user to select layers of information. The map also includes other connecting rail networks and locations of ports and intermodal hubs.

Other special features include expanded use of video, as well as a 3-D Virtual Train Tour that highlights key elements of BNSF trains and major commodities handled by rail. Other special features will be added over time.

For employees and retirees, the new design was incorporated into those respective Web pages. As always, employees can use the internal portal – employee.bnsf.com – as their primary source of information about the company and their work. The Employee tab on bnsf.com provides an easy link to log in to the portal. (See box lower left.)

J

If you haven’t visited www.bnsf.com in a while, surf on over and see some of the redesigned pages, now easier to navigate than ever.

A new feature of www.bnsf.com that has proven popular is the animated Virtual Train Tour, which lets the visitor explore a hypothetical train, railcar by railcar, and learn more about BNSF and how it operates. The user can drag the train forward or backward along the track to switch to a different railcar. Pointers appear on each railcar, and when clicked they reveal information about the car. The tour also includes photo galleries and a collection of videos of BNSF trains in action.

ust one glance at the website’s home page shows a cleaner, more

Redesigned, improved bnsf.com rolled out

Employees: Stay connected!For employees visiting the portal for the fi rst time from the external site, follow these steps to go to the portal:1. Go to bnsf.com and click on the word “Employees” in the top right corner of the opening page.2. On the Employee page, click on “Employee Login” box.3. A “Welcome to BNSF Employee Secure Access” window will pop up. Under Username, input your computer logon ID (generally the “B,” “S” or other letter followed by the numbers of your employee ID). Then enter your password. (See note below about passwords.)4. In the “My Account is” box, choose Windows or Mainframe (whichever you use to log in), then hit sign in. You will be taken directly to the portal. (For access to your BNSF e-mail account, click on the Homemail link on the left-hand side of the screen.)

note: All BNSF employees have access to the portal. If you have not used your logon ID in more than 90 days, your password will need to be reset. Call the TS Help Desk at 1-800-435-7649; press option 4 and then option 1 to request a password reset.

Fanfare for bnsf.com“If you have ever wanted to learn more about railroading and the BNSF in particular, this is a great place to start.” – gene Bowker, Railroad examiner

“The new website sets a high benchmark for BNSF’s competitors. The new design makes it easier to fi nd everything you’re looking for and the new layout positions BNSF as a forward-thinking company.” – mike Checchi, director intermodal operations at ooCl

“BNSF has done a good job of addressing and segmenting the various groups of their target audience – current and prospective customers, employees, retirees and communities. I applaud BNSF’s effort to remain fresh and current and to use technology, not for technology’s sake, but to attain, maintain and foster a quality experience and relationship in today’s media-rich and accessible environment.” – Joe Perry, Chasing Steel Blogger

raiLWay I SUMMER 2010 15

• Do you choose the double-meat cheeseburger with fries or the grilled chicken sandwich at lunch?

• Once home from work, do you settle in for an evening of TV or re-energize with a walk or family activity?

The seemingly “easy” path – the one dotted with fast food, inactivity or continued tobacco use – actually takes a staggering toll on our health, costing roughly $8,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. That’s the cost of preventable health conditions to Americans last year alone. Chairman and CEO Matt Rose sums up this situation, saying, “As a nation, we are simply not doing a good job of taking care of ourselves.”

That cost shows up in the continually rising price you and BNSF pay for medical coverage; the increasing tax burden at local, state and federal levels; and as part of the cost you pay for virtually all goods and services.

And the unseen costs could be even greater, in the form of lost productivity, diminished quality of life, and opportunities missed for individuals and families because of preventable health conditions.

“There is a solution,” says Rose, “and it begins with each one of us. Our personal commitment to healthier living is really the only

way we can begin to turn the tide on health care costs. That means taking a hard look at our own lifestyles and making smarter choices about how we take care of ourselves.”

BnSf as your guide“The senior leaders at BNSF have become

increasingly concerned about the human and fi nancial costs of employees’ preventable health problems and want to be part of the solution,” says Linda Kazanova, vice president, Human Resources and Medical. “Because employees are with us for the majority of their waking hours, we want to encourage and equip them, along with their families, to choose a healthier path. That is why we offer so many tools and resources to help,” says Kazanova. (See green box.)

forks in the road“It’s so important to recognize that the choices

you make throughout each day affect your long-term health – for better or worse,” says Medical Offi cer Dr. Michael Jarrard. “Today, many BNSF employees face the proverbial fork in the road. Do you ignore the warning signs and stay on the current road? If so, midway down that path you may experience trouble breathing, aching joints, a lack of energy or sleeping disorders. Farther down the path there is the possibility of diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, cancer and other chronic or even terminal health issues – and all conditions that might have been avoided.”

And then there is the path that makes a difference, which can be as simple as losing a few pounds or taking more walks. For example, when overweight people lost as few as 10 pounds over six months – and maintained the loss over two years – they experienced signifi cant reductions in blood pressure, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health. In addition, fewer of them later had high blood pressure, compared with those not losing weight.

each day as a journey “Once you decide to take the healthy path,

it’s all about the opportunities you encounter

every day – the small forks in the road – and which way you choose to go,” says Dr. Thomas Pace, assistant vice president, Medical & Environmental Health. If you are ready to make good health your goal, it comes down to three activities:

• Eat less and better;

• Be active; and

• Stop using tobacco.“We have all developed our own patterns

and habits based on choices made long ago. If you step back and really look at all the activities of any given day, you can see the choices that you made, and how simple it is to change some of these,” says Pace.

For example, look at:

• When you wake up, do you allow yourself time to stretch properly or exercise?

• What is your breakfast routine, if you even have breakfast?

• Where do you park when you get to work?

• What snacks do you eat or drink during the day?

Simple steps everyone can take“So let’s be honest with ourselves,” Pace

says, “and ask, ‘Which way are my choices taking me?’” To get you and your family headed down the path to health, Pace recommends starting with these simple steps:

• Choose healthy foods. Cut back on over- sized portions.

• Get regular activity – even if just walking the neighborhood.

• If overweight, set realistic goals. Commit to a plan you can stick with for the long term. Avoid quick “miracle cures.”

• Stop smoking or using tobacco.

• If you take prescribed medicine, stay on it until your doctor recommends you stop.

• Like starting on any journey, have a plan; the healthy path is not complicated.“Simply eat better, move more and stop

smoking – so you can start really living,” Pace summarizes. “And if you are already proactive about your health, please keep it up!”

A Healthier Way Forward

It’s all about the choices you make

Tools for taking healthy stepsHere are some of the online wellness tools BNSF provides employees and their families (on employee.bnsf.com, under Employee tab and Wellness sub-tab):

• online Wellness Center (OWC) is a resource for health-action programs, practical information and useful tools.

• health Risk Questionnaire (HRQ) to assess your personal risks in areas such as blood pressure, cancer, nutrition, stress, tobacco use and fi tness.

• Tobacco Cessation Reimbursement Program offers reimbursement of up to $250 for yourself and your spouse for expenses incurred to become tobacco-free.

• health Action tools within the OWC provide personalized help to start a weight-loss program, healthy-eating plan, stop-smoking strategy and other healthy steps.

• Daily health Tips – brief and actionable – can be delivered to you automatically. Just click the Get Smart! button in the upper right portion of the OWC main page.

every day we make little choices that lead us down one of two paths. Which best describes yours?

16 raiLWay I SUMMER 2010

What are preventable health conditions? Those caused by the choices each of us makes – choices about what we eat and how much; getting enough physical activity; using tobacco, alcohol and drugs; and even about paying attention to our personal health condition. The most common preventable health conditions are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight/obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal problems and lung cancer.

The little things that make a differenceEvery workday, Louise Thompson and Nancy Flores make a conscious choice to take a healthier path – literally.

Since April 2010, the two administrative assistants at the Corwith Yard near Chicago have been walking together before lunch breaks. The women typically walk a mile or more each day around a lot that formerly stored trailers.

“The benefi ts are amazing,” says Thompson.” In less than three months, she and Flores have lost a combined 30 pounds and feel happier and more alert.

Both women have their own motivation. Thompson is planning a trip to Israel in the fall and wants to be ready for the long walks that will be part of the sightseeing, including the climb up the 972 steps in Petra. For Flores, the motivation is simply to feel better.

The two also are making other simple, healthy choices, both at work and at home. They have reduced the size of their meal portions, added more fruits and vegetables to their diet, and are eating fewer desserts. The women also have become more active at home with help from their families and friends.

“You need to change little things in your life,” says Thompson, “and soon you realize that the little things are what make the difference.”

Louise Thompson, left, and Nancy Flores

Former scholarship winner’s advice: Follow your passion

n the spring of 1975, high school senior Laurie Hudson was interviewed, along

with 20 other semifi nalists, for a college scholarship sponsored by predecessor Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). The 17-year-old sat at a table in front of a rather intimidating panel of BN offi cials who asked questions about her interests and aspirations.

Hudson had an affi nity for science and had been a junior volunteer at a local hospital. Her mother was a nurse, which seemed a likely trade for her to follow. So Hudson was a little surprised when a panelist asked, “Why do you want to be a nurse? You’re capable of being a doctor.”

“That interview turned out to be a very good experience because the question challenged me to think about the possibilities,” recalls Hudson, daughter of retired Conductor Wilfred Hudson of Vancouver, Wash.

Little did Laurie know what those possibilities might eventually entail. Now, 35 years later and with a bio that includes multiple degrees, honors, positions and publications, Dr. Laurie Hudson is conducting research to slow the progression of cancerous tumors.

In hindsight, when Laurie received the news that she had been awarded the scholarship ($1,000 per year for up to four years) she did not know that it would set her on a course upon which she otherwise might not have ventured.

“The money made a big difference. It meant for certain I would go to a four-year university rather than the local college,” says Laurie. “It was a big door opening.” From 1975 to 1980, she attended the University of Washington, graduating with not one but two bachelor’s degrees (biology and zoology) and a new-found interest in research.

While the $4,000 scholarship might not seem like a lot today, Laurie says it helped cover half of her living expenses – a sizable chunk, since she was paying her way through college. In addition to double-majoring, she worked 20 to 30 hours a week.

On top of being a hard worker, Laurie was an excellent student. She applied to several graduate schools and chose Harvard, which provided her books, tuition and a stipend. In 1985, she graduated with a doctorate in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Today she is on the faculty at the University of New Mexico, where she teaches, publishes and conducts bio-medical research.

And her parents are just as proud of her today as they were when she received news of the scholarship. Notes Wilfred: “The scholarship made a difference to our daughter, and we hope her story will inspire future winners of the scholarship program.”

As those winners (listed on this page) and other college-bound students prepare for the four years ahead, Laurie offers one piece of advice: “Follow your passion – and be open to change.”

raiLWay I SUMMER 2010 17

International Scholarship and Tuition Services (ISTS) manages the scholarship program for the BNSF Foundation, including establishment of criteria and decisions on scholarship recipients. Questions about the selection process and criteria should be directed to ISTS at 615-627-9075.

Information about applying for the BNSF College Scholarship Program for 2011-12 will be announced later this year in BNSF News and in Railway.

2010-2011 BNSF Foundation Scholarship winners namedThe BNSF Foundation has awarded scholarships to 33 dependents of BNSF employees, retirees

and deceased personnel in recognition of their outstanding high school academic achievements. Each high school senior will receive a $2,500 scholarship, renewable annually for four years.

The foundation established the scholarship program to recognize and reward outstanding academic achievement and to assist a limited number of college-bound children of BNSF employees with some college expenses.

Student’s Name Parent/Guardian Title LocationLaurenAlumbaugh BradCowles GeneralClerk Topeka,Kan.DanielleBower DonaldBower Gang/SectionForeman Olathe,Kan.StephanieBurger StevenBurger Conductor Alliance,Neb.ErikChristiansen WilliamChristiansen Switchman Joliet,Ill.JuliaCoulloudon-Baca DennisJamesBaca Switchman Albuquerque,N.M.KatherineElwood DanElwood LocomotiveEngineer Fresno,Calif.RobertFreeze RandallFreeze SignalMaintainer Alliance,Neb.GregoryFuller RonaldFuller Conductor Thayer,Mo.ThomasHale WeldonHale Director,ShortlineMarketDevelopment FortWorth,TexasJacobJames MarkDavidJames Manager,EnvironmentalEngineering Topeka,Kan.RachelJames JimmyLynnJames MaintainerForeman(Deceased) Memphis,Tenn.TriciaJensen MartinJensen MachineOperator Douglas,Wyo.PatrickKelly PatrickKelly Manager,LocomotiveUtilization FortWorth,TexasAmandaLocke GeorgeLocke Dispatcher Warrensburg,Mo.DanielMcEowen KennethLeeMcEowen GeneralLaborer Alliance,Neb.MichaelMondragon HenryMondragon ProjectEngineer,Engineering SeattleBenjaminEzekielMunday ZacharyScottMunday Inspector Ada,Okla.EmilyOwen JeffOwen GeneralDirector,LineMaintenance SanBernardino,Calif.JohnPerrodin MichaelJamesPerrodin Manager,EnvironmentalOperations Havre,Mont.TylerPerry AlanScottPerry LocomotiveEngineer Amarillo,TexasTraciPopejoy VickiePopejoy LegalAdministrativeAssistant FortWorth,TexasLukePorter MichaelPorter LocomotiveEngineer Amarillo,TexasJohnPowell MichaelPowell Retired Topeka,Kan.BrandonProctor GaryProctor Brakeman LosAngelesTaylorRobinson PaulRobinson Supervisor,Signal Vancouver,Wash.NadineRooney RobertRooney MotorVehicleOperator Willmar,Minn.WilliamSalisbury PatrickHazen Carman Omaha,Neb.ElainaSicilia FranklinSicilia LocomotiveEngineer Spokane,Wash.AshleySmith SamuelSmith LocomotiveEngineer Gillette,Wyo.BrittneyThomson ClarkThomson LocomotiveEngineer Dilworth,Minn.JordanWebster KennethWebster TrainDispatcher FortWorth,TexasChristopherYant MatthewLeeYant LocomotiveEngineer Alliance,Neb.MollyYoung RichieYoung SignalMaintainer Hoxie,Ark.

National Merit Scholarship winners for 2010 namedCongratulations to two high school seniors who are children of BNSF employees and who have been selected as 2010 BNSF National Merit Scholarship winners. Each student receives an annual $5,000 grant renewable for up to four years of undergraduate college education from the BNSF Foundation Scholarship Program.

Student’s Name Parent/Guardian Title LocationDevonSandberg TimSandberg GeneralClerk St.Paul,Minn.WestonFountain SandraFountain SeniorSystemsDeveloperII, FortWorth,Texas TechnologyServices

Laurie Hudson, 1975 and 2010

i

18 raiLWay I SUMMER 2010

Lost now foundAfter seeing a confused man pacing back

and forth on a bridge, Jack Shewbert, bridge tender, Portland, Ore., decided to take action. Shewbert contacted another bridge tender as well as Amtrak, and then proceeded to approach the man.

“I simply told him it wasn’t a safe place to be and walked him down off of the bridge,” he says.

Later that evening, he learned that a 67-year-old man with Alzheimer’s had wandered away from his sister’s home. He realized that this was the same man he had encountered on the bridge.

Shewbert and his wife, Debbie, got in their car and scoured the northwest part of the city. They had no luck there, but they decided to look along a nearby highway, where they found the man. After contacting authorities, the man was reunited with his sister.

“It seemed like we were looking for a needle in a haystack, but I’m so glad we found him,” Shewbert says.

BnsF runners support brain surgery and epilepsy

About a dozen Fort Worth BNSF employees and spouses laced up their running shoes and ran/walked the 2010 Hemi Foundation Dreams on Wings 5K to support children who have endured radical brain surgery due to epilepsy.

The participants and supporters from Team BNSF banded together to raise awareness and funds for these children.

Overall, the BNSF team raised $15,000, and the BNSF Team won third place in the Corporate Team Category.

The “Across the BNSF System” section is about BNSF people who are making a difference, who care enough to better the workplace as well as the communities where we live and where our trains operate. This feature is designed to connect us – from one point of pride to another. If you have a story you would like considered, please drop us an e-mail, via Communications, Corporate in Outlook, attention Railway Editor.

The “Across the BNSF System” section is about

BNSF Hemi Foundation run-ners/walkers, from left, Matt Eaton, Addie Engstrom, Mike Engstrom, Rick Knutson, Bob Wientge, Gretchen the Wonder Dog, Cris Hall, Bob Thomas, Michele Caywood, Cynthia Smith, Cherie Coles and Nannette Samuelson. Not pictured: Colby Bullard, Dana Bullard and James Martinez.

helping the United WayFrom November through February, more

than 140 employees from the Alliance, Neb., Transportation and Mechanical departments gave the United Way Box Butte County chapter

a sizable boost, raising $37,000.

The entire drive raised $86,000. The 2008 event totaled $15,000.

BNSF Foundation also donated $21,000 to the campaign.

Approximately 155 Alliance Transportation and Mechanical department employees donated through automatic payroll deductions. Each Transportation employee who pledged to donate at least $5 per pay period was entered into a drawing for weekly prizes.

BnsF participates in its fi rst Berkshire hathaway annual meeting in omaha

BNSF participated in its fi rst Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting on May 1 in Omaha, Neb., where an estimated 38,000 people gathered.

BNSF showcased its operation and the environmental and economic benefi ts of rail in a booth. There was also a large model train display and locomotive simulators.

Shareholders who visited the booth were greeted by BNSF leaders and other representatives and had an opportunity to learn more about BNSF and the rail industry.

BNSF also provided a train featuring a new locomotive and vintage business cars, parked on track not far from the annual meeting. The train was used to welcome special guests and media and to house some of the BNSF representatives at the meeting. The railcars captured media attention, and BNSF was featured in many news reports.

alert engineer honoredHouston Locomotive Engineer Steve

Counterman recently received an On Guard Award after his observation enabled law

enforcement offi cials to safely remove a trespasser from BNSF property.

Counterman was operating a train on the Galveston (Texas) Subdivision when he saw someone curled up on a nearby

street and contacted Resource Protection.Local police found a 19-year-old woman who

was arrested and booked for public intoxication.

Steve Counterman, locomotive engineer, center, receives his On Guard Award from Robert McCutcheon, senior special agent, left, and Alfi a Rozzi, yardmaster.

Jerry Tolstedt, one of the weekly winners.

A BNSF business car train was used to welcome special guests and media during the annual Berk-shire Hathaway meeting in Omaha.

BnsF employees help ‘build on a dream’

In far south Fort Worth, BNSF employees recently swung hammers, aimed caulk guns, brushed paint and hung siding for two days to help a family realize a life-long dream of owning a home. More than 70 BNSF

volunteers from eBusiness and Finance helped build a home that the BNSF Foundation partially sponsored through Trinity Habitat for Humanity.

The following Saturday – with

the dust settled, the paint dry and the house nearly complete – Cyndi Kubich, director, Technology Services, presented the key to the house to the proud new owners, the Douti family, immigrants from Togo, a country in northwest Africa.

“It was an honor and a privilege to share in the dedication to make the family’s dreams a reality,” said Kubich, who helped organize some of the volunteer efforts.

The Doutis, a young couple with a 2-year-old son, admit that becoming homeowners will be a “very big change,” but working with Habitat has allowed them to fi nally realize their dreams. When the father, who now works for FedEx, fi rst moved to the United States, he was living out of his car.

Now, thanks to Habitat, BNSF and the employee volunteers, the Douti family will soon move into their new home.

BnsF recognizes student for doing the right thing

Little did third-grade student Aspynn Davis know when she followed the rules for crossing train tracks on her bike that her safe actions would be recognized.

Don Algiene, signal maintainer from Hudson to Wiggins, Colo., witnessed Aspynn riding her bicycle. She stopped at a highway-

rail grade crossing and looked both ways before proceeding across each of the three tracks.

“It was nice to see,” says Algiene, who thought it would be good to recognize her. He contacted the principal of the

school and then Paula Thomas, coordinator, Field Safety Support, to share the good news.

To recognize Aspynn, Thomas, the principal, and the girl’s family surprised her in front of her class. She received a stuffed wolf cub wearing a BNSF shirt and a certifi cate.

Hudson Elementary School third-grade student Aspynn Davis was recognized by her principal and Paula Thomas, coordinator, Field Safety Support, far right, for model-ing safe behavior around a highway-rail grade crossing.

Cyndi Kubich, director, Technology Services, and Jim Hubbard, presi-dent, Trinity Habitat for Humanity, with the new homeowner and his son.

help with invoice cover sheetstired of receiving cover sheet errors and invoice rejections?tired of re-faxing invoices?

Do it RIghT the fIRST time

Visit our Invoice Processing and Cover Sheets Wiki to find helpful information, including:• Cover sheet resources• Links to tools• Answers to frequently asked questions• Help with error codes

http://wiki.bnsf.com/display/env/Invoice+Processing+and+Cover+Sheets

raiLWay I SUMMER 2010 19

BnsF Units* handledYear-to-date through June 27, 2010 2010 2009

Coal 1,142,443 1,195,431

Agricultural Products 503,731 431,633

Industrial Products 659,371 570,471

Consumer Products 1,959,472 1,906,605

System 4,265,017 4,104,140

BnsF Performance Measures

BnsF reportable injuriesYear-to-date through June 20, 2010

2992009

2010 342

2010 BnsF Velocity PerformanceQuarter-to-date through June 27, 2010 2nd Qtr. Goal Actual QTD

Locomotives miles per day 315.8 310.6

Agricultural car miles per day 207.0 197.6

Merchandise car miles per day 146.8 145.8

Coal car miles per day 336.3 320.6

Intermodal transit days 3.23 3.53

Locomotive data is measured as miles per day.

Agricultural, Merchandise and Coal active car cycle data is measured as miles per day on the BNSF system.

Intermodal average transit days=Average time between cutoff and deramp or interchange delivery (transit time starts at cutoff or first train departure if cutoff is after first train departure). The measure weights average trailer and container transit times. With this measure the lower the number the better.

*Carloads, trailers or containers

GeiCo: Welcome to the family! GeiCo is excited to welcome BnsF employees to the Berkshire hathaway family.

As a BNSF employee, you could save even more on your car insurance with a special Berkshire Hathaway associate discount.

GEICO offers low rates, exceptional 24-hour customer service and high-quality car insurance to more than 9.5 million policyholders in the United States. Visit geico.com http://www.geico.com/landingpage/go51.htm?logo=17735, your local GEICO representative, or call 1-800-258-1847 for your free, no-obligation rate quote to see how much you can save today.

In addition to car insurance, GEICO can help you with your homeowners, renters, condo, motorcycle, personal umbrella protection and more.

Note: A number of variables affect the total discount amount for which employees may be eligible. The auto insurance discount is “up to 8 percent” for employees of Berkshire Hathaway companies. The percentage amount can fluctuate, depending on a number of variables, including where the employee lives, any other discounts the employee may receive and various state restrictions.

Also, some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies: Government Employees Insurance Co., GEICO General Insurance Co., GEICO Indemnity Co. and GEICO Casualty Co. These companies are subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. GEICO: Washington, D.C. 20076. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2010. © 2010 GEICO

If you submit invoices for payment through the oCR/ICR fax process, to ensure proper and timely payment to BnSf’s vendors, please follow the steps on this checklist when filling out your cover sheets.

❑ In the Employee ID field, be sure to enter the 7-digit employee number (e.g.,1234567) not the Logon ID (B123456).❑ Vendor Number – Be sure to use the correct SAP vendor number related to the contract, not the old vendor number from FastTrack. ❑ Invoice Number – Be sure the number on the cover sheet is complete and matches the number on the invoice.❑ Invoice Total – Be sure the invoice total amount is on the cover sheet.❑ Service Date – Enter the service date and be sure that it is in the correct format mm/yy.❑ Contract Number – Enter the full 10 digits with leading zeros (e.g., BF0000012345). ❑ Cost Center – Be sure to include the correct Cost Center. ❑ Amount excluding sales tax – Be sure the invoice amount, less sales tax, appears in the middle section of the cover sheet.

❑ State code – Be sure to include the correct state code. ❑ Distribution box – Be sure to check the appropriate distribution box in the bottom section.❑ Other box – When you select “Other,” you must write the new natural account number in the text field below the box. ❑ WBS – Be sure to include the correct WBS (formerly AFE) on Project cover sheets.

note:a. Project Cover Sheets are for Type A or 7 WBS codes only.b. Casualty Cover Sheets are for Type D WBS codes only.c. Generic Project Cover Sheets are for all other WBS codes.

For help finding information needed for filling out cover sheets, see our Wiki at http://wiki.bnsf.com/display/env/Invoice+Processing+and+Cover+Sheets

Cover sheet errors result in• Additional work for you: correcting errors and re-faxing

• Frustrated vendors

• Additional cost to BNSF Railway

CoVeR SheeT CheCKlISTAvoid UnnecessAry invoice Processing delAys

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This year’s limited-edition safety plate – featuring the painting Mount Index of the Cascades by John Fery (1859-1934) – will be shipped to all BNSF employees who worked without a reportable injury in 2009. Additionally, employees must have worked at least three consecutive full months of the year of the award year to receive a plate.

Set at the western edges of the Cascades, Mount Index features a steam train roaring from a dense forest flanked by a rippling river. Created around 1930 as part of the artist’s last commission for the Great Northern Railway, this work depicts the only train found in any of BNSF’s Fery paintings.

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