Railfans come in all ages. For 11-year-old Jacob Meissner from Laurel, Montana, his love for trains started almost from day one, watching Thomas the Tank Engine and playing with his Thomas model railroads. As he grew, so did his passion—his model railroad collection grew right along with him, and he dove into train documentaries and railfan social media groups to connect with others who shared his love.

This summer, Jacob, along with his mom and sister, got the chance of a lifetime: attending BNSF’s annual Employee Appreciation event where he got to ride a special BNSF train. It was a dream come true for Jacob, who hopes to one day be a part of the rail industry he admires so much!

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