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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
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Author: ciao8   😊 😞
Number: of 21941 
Subject: Re: Data Point: Railroads
Date: 06/23/26 12:27 AM
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I recall a quote from Warren Buffett during the purchase of BNSF that a ton of freight could be moved by rail from San Francisco to Los Angeles by a gallon of diesel. (~$2.50 to $3.50 at today’s WTI spot price)
This is confirmed by An AI inquiry…

—————————-

“Because a single gallon can move a ton of freight 470 miles, you could absolutely transport that ton all the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a single gallon of diesel—with nearly 100 miles worth of fuel to spare. 
Buffett loved this metric because it perfectly illustrated a massive economic "moat" and a win-win for society:
Cost Efficiency: It is roughly three to four times more fuel-efficient than moving freight by truck. 
Environmental Impact: If just 10% of the freight currently moving on crowded U.S. highways were diverted to rails, it would save over 1 billion gallons of fuel a year. 
It's one of those classic Buffett insights where a single, simple data point completely reframes how you look at a giant, traditional industry.”

ciao
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This community has written 21,448 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 57 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 54 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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