Freeze frame: Photos capture BNSF trains in winter wonderlands

By SUSAN GREEN
Staff Writer 

Winter is tough, weather we like it or not, but it’s also beautiful. When snow blankets the landscape, railfans get the chance to wrap up, venture outside and snap winterful photos of BNSF’s bright orange locomotives against a crisp, white backdrop.  

Our 2026 Winter Photo Contest was hosted on BNSF Railway’s Instagram and X accounts, as well as the Friends of BNSF Facebook group. It was snow ice to see all the eye-catching entries our railfans submitted, and hard to narrow them down to winners and honorable mentions! So don’t give us the cold shoulder — scroll down to enjoy this year’s top BNSF winter train photos.

FIRST PLACE
Ken Edmier 

Our snowverwhelming favorite is this shot by Ken Edmier of a grain train along the Flathead River between Paradise and Dixon, Montana. The location is east of Perma, where snowcapped mountains and reflections created the perfect setting.  

SECOND PLACE
Rich Wallace 

A mixed freight train crosses a snow-covered hay field on a cold mid-February day in Montana, with Bad Rock Mountain in the background. The location is between Plains and Thompson Falls, and west of Missoula. Ice job, Rich! 

THIRD PLACE
Matthew Marshall 

Snow way we were going to leave this one out! During a January blizzard, a grain shuttle makes its way back to Crookston, Minnesota, from Beltrami, Minnesota. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Peter Kubiak

On a January morning with temperature below 10 degrees, this local train headed north of Longmont, Colorado. The early hour made for some great lighting.

Nate Shedd 

An intermodal train climbs Stevens Pass at Deception Falls, Washington, bound for Chicago. Snow blanketed the tracks with fresh powder from a snow shower that started early on a February morning. 

Hunter Williams 

Approaching the community of Lignite, Idaho, just after crossing Lake Pend Oreille, a westbound crude oil train cruises through the snow on a cold, rainy morning. 

Hunter Williams 

With a light blanket of snow and bright morning sunlight covering the mountains near Noxon, Montana, an eastbound train passes the Clark Fork on a chilly December day.

That’s all for this year’s brr-illiant slate of winners. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated!

To see all the entries on social media, search #BNSFsnowphoto on X or Instagram, or you can join our Friends of BNSF Facebook group. Remember, never trespass on railroad property to take photos — it’s dangerous and illegal.