Many a good railroad, and some that were down to their last dollar, have fallen victim to fire, flood, wind, heat, you name it under the category of weather. Show me a railroad with 57 miles of track and 57 bridges, and I will show you a railroad that is seriously exposed to what Mother Nature might just churn out. I've seen it on short lines. I've seen it on Class I railroads. Nobody is immune. The best railroaders are the ones who, like BNSF Railway and Union Pacific did last year in Texas, understand the risks and the challenges and know how to plan ahead for them. They're the folks who know where to position the trains of riprap and ballast. They're the folks who know the nearest high ground where locomotives can be parked safely without fear of water spoiling the traction motors. We admire railroaders in the execution of their everyday jobs. It's a tough profession that is physically and mentally demanding. We also salute the folks who tackle the challenges that weather presents. Earlier this spring, heavy rains washed out Norfolk Southern's S-Line in Western North Carolina, where I grew up. In a matter of weeks, their engineering folks had trains running once more. Resilient? You bet!
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