Locomotive engineer welcomes railfan to world of railroading

By MIKE PAGEL 
Staff Writer 

A lifelong devotion to railroading only needs a spark and a little encouragement, like it did for Harrison Sadler. By age 8 he had developed an interest in the trains that rolled right past his own backyard. 

“I grew up in Arizona, and we lived by a local spur,” said Sadler, a locomotive engineer on BNSF’s Montana Division. “I’d watch trains from my backyard all day.”  

One day, after repeatedly seeing this child observing the trains, an engineer approached Sadler and struck up a conversation.  

“He was great,” Sadler recalled. “He told me a lot about what he was doing. He would visit me often and over the years became a part of our family. He was the one who inspired me to chase this job.” 

Now Sadler is paying it forward. Five years ago, while on a biking excursion in Northwest Montana, he came across a young man, Xander, and his father watching trains. Little did Sadler know that a simple introduction and a brief conversation would lead to a genuine friendship and an opportunity to foster a love for railroading. 

Xander, 16, has an affinity for trains and would love nothing better than to one day become a locomotive engineer for BNSF.  

Sadler has shared with Xander his love and knowledge of railroading. He tries to quench Xander’s thirst for detailed knowledge about railroad operations and what it’s like to “run the rails.”    

Xander’s fascination with railroading started when he was a tot.  

“My dad would bring me to the depot in Whitefish when I was six months old to watch trains pass,” he said. “I can remember as early as 3 thinking that it would be cool to be a locomotive engineer someday.” 

Recently, Xander picked up photography and loves to capture BNSF trains. His dad drives him to scenic points, like Marias Pass, to hang out and wait for trains.  

Sadler is proud to fuel Xander’s interest in railroading and sees it as an investment in shaping the next generation of railroaders.  

“I appreciate guys like Xander,” he said. “These are the kind of people I want to work with in the future.”