I know some of you like to bash BNSF, so here is something good that BNSF is doing.
snips from the article: BNSF gives $100,000 to Belen to buy fire truck
Belen The City of Belen was presented a $100,000 check from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Foundation Monday night at the regular city council meeting.
Director of Government Affairs for BNSF Railway Bob Munguia said they became aware of the city’s need of another fire truck about a year and a half ago when informational meetings were being held on the Aragon Road grade separation and railroad crossings.
“We needed to step up and do some different things,” Munguia said. “We want to become more involved in the community, and we want to continue to be involved. This is not just a one shot thing.”
Mayor Ronnie Torres said the city desperately needed another fire truck, and “without the help of the railroad it wouldn’t have happened.”
“We appreciate all that BNSF has done for us,” Ulivarri said.
Could this have been influenced by the trestle fire near Belen that BNSF suffered over the weekend?
The trestle wasn’t as big as the UP’s in Sacramento, but it severed their Transcon just as cleanly. I haven’t checked to see how repair/replacement has progressed.
Anyway, UP did do something similar in the wake of the Sacramento trestle fire–I think it was other firefighting equipment, as opposed to a new truck, but it was probably a reaction to the departments’ needs.
I checked the BLEt web site. Trains are moving today. A temporary gravel fill with a culvert lets the trains creep past. A new bridge construction is underway.