Commentary
After Nearly 50 Years of Service, BNSF Engineer Dale Dannewitz Retires
Written by Paige Romanowski, Staff Writer, BNSF
In 1975 Dale Dannewitz had a three-week stint on the railroad, then began his locomotive engineer career in 1978. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of BNSF)
It was 1976, a year when there was a resurgence of leisure train travel with the start of Amtrak, when Class I railroads in the Northeast joined to form Conrail, and railroads across the nation debuted patriotic livery paint schemes in honor of America’s bicentennial. And in Minot, N.Dak., a young Dale Dannewitz started his railroading career that would span nearly a half century.
After a phenomenal run with the railroad, on Feb. 11, 2024, Dannewitz hung up his grip and called it a career.
Before joining BNSF predecessor Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) as a full-time employee, Dannewitz worked for a three-week stint on a BN maintenance of way crew in the summer of 1975. As the season ended, Dannewitz began pursuing a degree in diesel mechanics from the University of North Dakota-Williston and would go on to gain work experience with the engine manufacturer Cummins.
Dannewitz then found his way to BN’s Minot roundhouse. The roundhouse foreman showed him the facility and asked if he was ready to join.
“I hired out as a machinist apprentice two weeks later,” Dannewitz said. “With my experience at Cummins and a degree in diesel mechanics, I held the apprenticeship role for just one year instead of the typical two.”
Between locomotive overhauls and piston changes, Dannewitz earned his stripes and in February of 1978 was one of the first employees to participate in the locomotive engineers training program in Minot, which was full of opportunities for on-the-job experience.
“When I went into the six-month locomotive engineer program, you started out as a fireman right away,” Dannewitz said. “You’d ride along with an engineer and actually run the train half of the way for training.”
On July 24, 1978, Dannewitz began his locomotive engineer career, working the extra board and Minot local trains. He eventually ran the route between Minot and Glasgow, Mont. When demand for service slowed in the 1980s, he worked as a fireman on Amtrak for three years.
Dale was one of the Trauma Response Action Involvement Network (T.R.A.I.N.) team members from 1990-1993. This team of locomotive engineers included spouses, who would help counsel those involved in a critical train crossing accident or event.
He also spent time as a volunteer supporting Operation Lifesaver Inc., a nonprofit and nationally recognized rail safety education leader. Dannewitz committed time to meeting with students and young drivers to help them understand how to be safe when driving around railroad tracks and highway-rail grade crossings.
In 2003-04 Dale was a Distributive Power (DP) mentor in Minot and from 2009-13 he was a road foreman of engines at Mandan.
A lot has changed in the industry since 1976. With advancements in technology and service design, Dannewitz has experienced a front row seat to the evolution of transportation.
“From the engineer’s seat, I’ve seen the industry change with big improvements in safety and technology,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed everything and learned to take the safe route, always—it’s what it’s all about. It was a good ride.”
Dannewitz said one of the best advancements he has seen was Positive Train Control. PTC works in tandem with our other safety measures to prevent excessive speed or train movement without track authority.
While Dannewitz has stepped out of the engineer’s seat for the last time, his legacy lives on with his son, Dave Dannewitz, who is celebrating 21 years at BNSF and following his father’s footsteps as an engineer.
Thank you, Dale Dannewitz, for your dedication to BNSF and the countless miles traveled guiding trains safely. Enjoy your retirement with your wife, Laurie—and congratulations on 48 years of service!
