It is my understanding that the trackage in question is owned outright by Montana Rail Link. As I recall, one of the sale stipulations was that BNSF would guarantee a certain number of " overhead trains " ( those that operate across the entire MRL mainline ) each month. MRL simply runs these overhead trains, with MRL crews, across the MRL from ( in this case ) Laurel, MT., to Sandpoint,ID., or Spokane, WA. This arrangement has served MRL well at times in the past when their own traffic was down. It now serves BNSF well as an alternate route for keeping lower priority trains away from the Northern Transcon through Marias Pass. Not sure if the Boeing cars travel on a single BNSF Waybill; if so this could make them liable for the damages. I'm pretty sure Boeing would not be able to sell these fuselages anyways after what happened to them. From the pics posted above, at least 2 of them are now beer can material. I'll be asking some of my Boeing friends about this tonight.
Keep in mind that BNSF handles both the pickup and delivery of Boeing fuselage cars, in Wichita,KS., and Renton,WA. respectively, so this accident could just as easily have occured on their tracks. The questions I have are : What do the engines look like??? As the Boeing fuselage cars ALWAYS travel on the head end, right behind the power, did the train hit a rock slide ???