A buyer for BNSF???

There have been many stories in the past from reputable news sources about Warren Buffett's investments in BNSF Railway stocks.  Today, his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, cranked it up to 11 and announced plans to purchase the remaining 77.4% that it didn't already own in a deal valued at $26 billion.  Here are a few links to articles with more information:

• Berkshire Bets on U.S. With a Railroad Purchase (New York Times)
• Berkshire Hathaway to buy Burlington Northern Santa Fe (MarketWatch)
• Berkshire Buys Burlington in Buffet's Biggest Deal (Bloomberg)
• Warren Buffett: Buying at the Bottom ... Again (Wall Street Journal)

While the news outlets are all pondering what this means for the company and various BNSF forums are rabidly discussing how this will affect operations, I'm left to wonder if Mr. Buffett is secretly a model railroader at heart and hiding a closet full of Thomas The Tank Engine toys.  Just like the number of licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know.