Mergers have affected railroads in ways few other industries have 
experienced, and in the last 50 years they have steered the 
business direction of American railroads. Leaders Count brings 
readers the dramatic story of how the Aurora Branch Railroad, 
which spanned from Aurora, Illinois, to Chicago, grew and 
developed into the modern-day BNSF Railway.

    The story begins with the many ways railroads shaped and 
settled the country and tells how the founders' commitment to their 
dreams ensured the railroad's success. The profiles of tenacious 
leaders like James J. Hill, known as The Empire Builder, and 
Matthew Rose, current CEO of BNSF, will inspire readers. This is a 
case history of the business strategies that have taken this company 
from its humble beginnings to the industry giant that it is today. More 
than 75 photos from the company's extensive archives accompany 
the story of BNSF's evolution.

    As one of the largest and most successful of U.S. railroads, BNSF 
Railway is a vibrant example of today's freight railroad industry. 
While the book provides a brief history of railroads in general, 
including the five principal companies making up the present day 
BNSF, its focus is on the critical decisions and strategies 
implemented by its leaders, choices that ensured the railroad's 
survival.

    Leaders Count will be released on the tenth anniversary of the 
merger that brought together the Burlington Northern and the Santa 
Fe railroads to create the industry titan that it is today.

_________________________________________________________

LAWRENCE H. (LARRY) KAUFMAN has spent more than 35 years 
promoting, working for, and commenting on U.S. railroads. As a 
journalist, he was transportation correspondent for Business Week 
magazine and broke the news of the Penn Central bankruptcy in 
June 1970. At the Association of American Railroads, he led public 
affairs when the industry was deregulated. After deregulation, he 
was vice president for public affairs of the Burlington Northern 
Railroad. He then covered transportation issues for The Journal of 
Commerce before joining the Southern Pacific Transportation Co. He 
now writes regularly on transportation issues for The Journal of 
Commerce magazine and Rail Business newsletter. He also is the co-
author, with David J. DeBoer, of An American Transportation Story: the 
Obstacles, the Challenge, the Promise.


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