Burlington Northern Question.

[Anonymous]

Why didn't the BNRR just call them selves just Burlington Northern instead of BNSF Railway. I know this sound realy crazy but I still like Burlington Northern Railroad. Any help from Railroaders & Railfans. I realy miss the BN.
BNSFrailfan.

[Anonymous]

I would imagine it was due to the fact that is was a merger and not a takeover ala UP's "mergers". Nothing against UP but I do think it is a diffrent kind of inverstor that invests in the BNSF.

[Anonymous]

I always thought it was a mistake to give BN top billing

I always thought "Santa Fe & Northern had a nice ring to it [:D]

[passengerfan]

Only one problem and that was AT&SF probably would not have survived without meger with the BN. I cant\'t think of anything worse than a UP takeover of the Santa Fe. Believe it or not BN predecessor GN had much in common with AT&SF look at the roads large fleets of EMD FT units and the money each spent on their mainlines. Both kept their infrastructure in top notch shape and both ran first class trainbs til the end and look the Empire Builder still operates over much of its original route and the Southwest Chief operates over most of the route of the former Super Chief/El Capitan. Both had strong leadership throughout their existence and it showed in the way the roads were operated.

[Anonymous]

How about the Burlington, Atchinson, Topeka, Northern and Santa Fe, or "Bat-nasf" for short [:)][8D] ?

[Chris30]

QUOTE: "Bat-nasf"

...sounds like something you would get a rabies shot for.

CC

[nanaimo73]

They should have called it the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, The original A&P became the Frisco across Missouri and Oklahoma and the western part became the AT&SF mainline from Albuquerque to California.

[jrbernier]

I have agree that the BNSF name is 'clunky', but the railroad runs good, and give UP some real competition. The ATSF fans will just have to remember the good old days, like the GN/CBQ/SPS/NP/Frisco fans have over the years.

Jim Bernier

[martin.knoepfel]

Perhaps the trade-mark Atlantic and Pacific Railroad belongs to some other company. In this case, it is protected by the law, unless you buy it and pay for it.

[eastside]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

Why didn't the BNRR just call them selves just Burlington Northern instead of BNSF Railway.

Well, to me at least, the "Northern" part would be somewhat misleading considering that the scope of their business is all over the West, much of it in the Southwest. Then if you took off the "Northern" you have a giant railroad named after a small town in Iowa [:D] -- all-be-it a really nice one (I've been there) -- probably not as impressive sounding as the management would want. (How is Burlington central to the activities of the corporation?) The fashion in corporate names these days is for short, snappy combinations of acronyms and letters, not actual words which might later sound restrictive of the company's activities.

[nanaimo73]

There is also a Burlington Carpets and a Burlington Resources out there. Are they all related?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

There is also a Burlington Carpets and a Burlington Resources out there. Are they all related?

Nope, no relation other than the name

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

They should have called it the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, The original A&P became the Frisco across Missouri and Oklahoma and the western part became the AT&SF mainline from Albuquerque to California.

Uh... why would you want to call it the A & P when it does not even come within 1000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean [%-)][C):-)]???

[Anonymous]

Well in Omaha there a Store called Burlington coat factory.[:D].

[espeefoamer]

Before the BN name was decided on, one proposed name was Great Northern Pacific and Burlington lines.

[Anonymous]

Serveral years ago there was an old 'river rat' fellow that lived in a fairly run down cabin right next to the BN line near Bellevue, NE. I got to visit with him on a couple occasions and he was always a little more than upset by the various name changes. He was adament that it was, and always would be, the CB&Q...Chicago Burlington & Quincy. One comment he made that struck me funny and that I still remember is "They'd have to make the engines 15 feet longer to fit all them @!#$@# names on them!" [:D]