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     This guide starts at Cheney, WA.  Cheney is located on the in Eastern Washington about 15 miles southwest of Spokane, WA.  At one point in time the SP&S, MILW, and NP all ran through the town or its immediate vicinity, but over the passing of time things have changed.  Now the old SP&S route is a trail for walking or riding bikes.  The old Milwaukee grade is now owned and operated by Union Pacific.  Burlington Northern Santa Fe operates over the old NP route which is the route that this guide follows.  Also in Cheney is were the ex-NP route to Coulee City takes off.  This route is now owned by Watco and operated under the Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad.  The PCC usually serves the route on an as needed basis.  Cheney is served by the Lind Turn which is a daily local based out of Yardley.  There is a small rail yard of about 6 tracks with a couple of grain elevators.  Sometimes MOW also gets stored on the west end of the yard on weekends.  There are 3 major crossings located in town.   Also gas, food, and lodging can all be found in town.

     Heading west out of town on Hwy 904 take a left at S Mullinix road.  After a short distance you should cross the BNSF tracks and then immediately after that are the UP tracks.  Up until this point, the UP parallels the BNSF but from here on the UP veers on a more southerly course.  Since the tracks head in a southwest direction afternoon light for westbounds is very good.   There are multiple curves along the line though which allows both eastbounds and westbounds to have good light almost any time of day.  Ok next head back out to 904 and turn left.  Take the next road to the left again which is W Lance Hill Rd, and you should come within sight of the east switch of Babb siding.  At 8,800 feet long, Babb can fit any train that operates over the line.  There are often meets here since it is a ways for trains to get to or from Lakeside Jct.  Track speed from Cheney west is 60mph all the way down to the other side of Fishtrap.   Heading back to 904, turn left again and head west.  Off to the left you will be able to see the tracks and Babb siding as they traverse an open area.  At S Griffith Rd take another left to get to the west switch of Babb.  The tracks are relatively straight in this area so it isn't anything too spectacular.  After looking around here head back to 904 and turn left.  For the next 2 miles you won't be able to see the tracks or anything since you are both running through a forest.

     At S Ritchey Rd take a left, and you will run into the tracks in just a couple hundred feet.  This isn't a bad spot for photos, and in the later part of the day it makes a nice westbound shot.  Head back to 904 and continue west for another 1.5 miles or so.  The tracks can be seen off and on in this stretch off to the left.  After 1.5 miles though, there should be a little road to the left with lots of parking and some trees for shade.  After checking this out head back to 904 and turn left.  In just about a mile you will come to the little town of Tyler.  Located near town is the detector at MP 25.7 which serves as a good heads up.   From here you have two choices, either take I-90 Fishtrap exit or take S Columbia Basin Hwy.  If you take I-90 then take Fishtrap exit, and then turn left onto the Old State Hwy.  Then turn left again at Peterson road in about 1 mile.   If you go the other way, just follow it from Tyler all the way to Fishtrap.  Now either way you went you should be at the west end of Fishtrap siding.  This is a good spot for the dispatcher to meet trains.  From here down to Sprague, it is about 14 miles of a 1% ruling grade for eastbounds.