18-Year-Old From Minnesota Living His Best Life Riding The Rails
Some people know what they want to do when they grow up sooner than others. It took me a while to find what I wanted to do, but one 18-year-old from Dilworth Minnesota knew he wanted to work with trains early on. Now at 18, he is conducting a BNSF locomotive across Minnesota and North Dakota.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway's social media page shouted out Alex Wacker of Dilworth on Valentine's Day.
It all starts with a dream. Alex Wacker is an 18-year-old locomotive conductor based out of BNSF’s Dilworth, Minnesota terminal. Growing up in an area where BNSF operations held a strong presence, Wacker explained railroading was in his blood.
“When I was a kid, I remember telling my family ‘I want to drive the big orange trains,’” Wacker said. “Now that I’ve graduated high school, that dream came true – I’m in the cab of the big orange trains.”
After getting his start with BNSF’s Conductor Trainee Program, Wacker now operates routes across Minnesota and North Dakota, delivering goods to communities he knows well. He said every day in the cab is a day to live his dream.
“I look forward to getting in the cab every shift,” Wacker said. “But one of the best parts of being a conductor is getting to wave to my mom and buddies from the window.”
Congrats to Alex on doing what he loves, and if you're ever in the Dilworth area, keep an eye open for a friendly wave from the cab of a big orange locomotive.
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You can find more details on the conductor program here from BNSF.
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