I left home with my dad around 7:30am on July 31, 2002, to spend 3 days watching trains near Sandpoint, ID. In Spokane we saw our first train. It was a UP (UP 4677, 6275, 4363) manifest with a couple of vehicle cars thrown in. Our next train was a BNSF TOFC in Spokane, WA. It was headed west with four engines (BNSF 4576, 4554, 4815, 5464). After that we drove around Yardley and saw an Eastbound (BN 6823, 7048) stack train. A westbound TOFC was ready to depart Yardley (BNSF 4427, 4335, 5281, 4733) and an Eastbound was just coming in (BNSF 4344, 1019, 4762, SF 644). Heading out of Spokane (east) we saw a manifest going west (BNSF 6375, BN 9296, SF 820). The next train was an Eastbound earthworm at Hauser Yard (BN 8056, 7055, 7050). Driving on, Ramsey siding contained a westbound earthworm (BNSF 1054, 4447, 5290(DPU) EMD 9010(DPU)) with 2 DPUs. At Athol a westbound stack (BNSF 4618, 4980) waited for an Eastbound manifest (BNSF 1020, 4647, SF 910). We ate our lunch at Athol while we saw two more Westbounds. One was a stack and vehicle (BN 7151, 6917, 8020) and the other was a tie and rail train (BN 8041, 7049). We then drove on to Sandpoint, stopping at Round Lake on the way to pick out a campsite.

    At Sandpoint we waited for 2 Eastbounds before seeing our wanted Westbound. The Eastbound 1 (ATSF 6898, BNSF 5434, SF 654) had TOFC and vehicles. Eastbound 2 (BN 7888, ATSF 6357, 6452) had 57 cars of stack. The westbound (MRL 312, 252, 251, 330, 306) was a MRL hopper train with 112 cars. Then at 4:30pm, at Algoma we saw a westbound stack (SF 925, BNSF 5454, ATSF 6759) with 98 cars. After that we settled down to wait an hour or so for an Eastbound stack with TOFC (BNSF 4313, 4197, 4311). Next we headed for Sandpoint park to eat supper. While there, 2 westbounds came through. Westbound 1 had stack and TOFC (BNSF5407, 4833, 5482) and Westbound 2 (BNSF 5499, EMD 9070) was a manifest with 109 cars. Still in Sandpoint we saw 2 Eastbounds. The first one at 6:45pm was a bare table with 103 cars (BN 6855, ATSF 6359) and the second one was a stack and vehicle train (BNSF 5277, 4314). Then back at Algoma we saw a westbound 86 car manifest (BNSF 4374, BN 6707, SF 935) and an Eastbound TOFC (BNSF 4317, 741, 4964). There was a UP southbound manifest at Sandpoint (UP 9120, 2574(old), 3084, 3280). Then as the last rays of light were fading a westbound stack (BNSF 5428, ATSF 6497) rumbled past the depot. At 9:20pm a 99 car manifest rolled off the MRL and past the depot (SF 667, 919, 123). After that just as we were leaving a Railgrinder (RG 314) headed west at Sandpoint.

    The next morning we got up at 4:30am and headed for Sandpoint. There we saw the Empire Builder, both westbound (Amtrak 86, 157) and Eastbound (Amtrak 93, 181). A Westbound then rumbled into view with 104 cars of hoppers and 2 DPUs (BNSF 742, 4380, 4919(DPU) 756(DPU)). Then heading down to Granite we met a power train. Eastbound manifest with 8 engines (BN 6368, 7034, ATSF 6955, MRL 252, 251, 306, 330, 312). At Granite we ate breakfast and saw 3 Eastbounds. Eastbound 1 was a stack (BNSF 4749, 4397) and eastbound 2 was 111 cars of stack (BNSF 5333 4357, 6844). Eastbound 3 had 103 cars of stack and TOFC (BNSF 1077, 4877, NS 8357(ex-CR), SF 642). Following the eastbounds where 3 Westbounds. Westbound 1 was 113 cars of stack and TOFC (BNSF 977, 4182, 1042, SF 931). At 9:10am 77 cars of manifest (BN 6808, 7803, ATSF 6314) came into view. The third was trailing the second by about a minute on the other main. It had 97 cars of TOFC (BNSF 5456, 1085, 1084, 4514). Moving down to the cut just above Athol, we saw an Eastbound stack, TOFC and vehicle train (BNSF 748, 5438, 4976). Then we waited for an hour and a half before an Eastbound manifest (BNSF 961, 5230, 4346) came. Then just as the last cars were going out of sight a Westbound passed by with 80 cars of manifest (BNSF 6376, ATSF 6709, BN 3127, 3153).

    As we drove higher up the side along the cut a 98 car, westbound stack rounded the corner (BNSF 710, SF 909). Five minutes later an Eastbound and Westbound earthworm train came into view and met. The Westbound had 2 DPUs and 112 cars (BNSF 5235, 1096, 5316(DPU), 4680(DPU)) and the Eastbound had 110 cars (BNSF 4733, NS 8777). Next at Cocolalla a 75 car Eastbound stack (BNSF 5284, 4698) rounded the sharpest curve on the funnel. Minutes later a Westbound stack and vehicle (BNSF 714, 110, BN 6841) rounded the same curve. At 4:40pm after a 2 hour + wait an Eastbound stack (BNSF 4771, 653, 7321, NS 9503, BN 3147) silently bared down on us. We quickly jumped into our car and chased it all the way to Elmira where it met a Westbound stack (BNSF 1092, 5475, BN 2900) stuck in the hole. After a few minutes another Eastbound (BNSF 4554, 779, 4851) arrived at Elmira with vehicles this time. After that we headed down to Colburn where we saw 4 Eastbounds before a Westbound. Eastbound 1 had 4 engines (BNSF 4621, 4306, 4614, NS 9585) and manifest. Eastbound 2 had 73 cars of stack and vehicles (BNSF 5481, 775, 6847). Eastbound 3 (BNSF 4427, 725, SF 650) and Eastbound 4 (BNSF 4576, 5464, 4815) both had TOFC. The Westbound finally came with 3 SD40-2s and manifest (BNSF 7317, 8006, 6781).

    Then in Sandpoint we saw a Southbound UP manifest (UP 9119, 9273, 3316, 2587(old)) and a BNSF Eastbound stack (BNSF 4441, 4404). At 8:25pm a Westbound stack and TOFC (BNSF 4685, SF 865, 864) rolled into view of the Amtrak Depot. Then I remembered that I had forgotten my sweatshirt at Granite that morning so we headed back to get it. On our way we missed an Eastbound manifest and then got stuck in road construction. At ten we were almost to Granite when we saw an Eastbound manifest (BNSF 5459, 6707, + 3 more). Then a couple minutes later another Eastbound manifest came into sight (EMD 9070, BNSF 6701 + 1 more). After retrieving my sweatshirt we headed back to Sandpoint where we saw an Eastbound earthworm at 11:15pm (BNSF 4435, 4675). We then retired to our tent at midnight only to get up at 5:30 the next morning.

    Our first train of the day was a Westbound TOFC (BNSF 4987, 4348, 4641) at Cocolalla. Next we drove to Sandpoint park again to eat our breakfast. At 6:25am we saw the Eastbound Empire Builder (Amtrak 88, 97). Then it was a long wait till 8:40am to see another train. An Eastbound manifest (BNSF 4940, SF 644) rolled through, followed by a Westbound stack and TOFC (BNSF 5330, 4710, 1073, BN 3144) which met an Eastbound hopper at Algoma (ATSF 6314, BNSF 6886). Next at Cocolalla we saw an Eastbound 106 car stack and TOFC (BNSF 8280, 4335, 4593). A 94 car stack, vehicle and TOFC headed East at Algoma (SF 858, BNSF 4741, 4912). Things were still busy with a Westbound stack and vehicle passing Algoma (BNSF 7314, 341). At 11:00am we chased a Westbound manifest (SF 668, BN 8012, 7046, 7904) from Algoma to Cocolalla to get a good picture at the curve. Next we set up for a Westbound train coming under Hwy. 95 and at 12:20pm it came. It was a Westbound hopper with 107 cars and 2 DPUs (BNSF 4982, 771, 4963(DPU), SF 800(DPU)). At the south end of Cocolalla lake a Eastbound manifest (BNSF 1123, 4622, BN 8085, 7851) waited for a Westbound stack (BNSF 4871, 4787). On our way home we saw an Eastbound stack at Ramsey (BN 8044, BNSF 5281, ATSF 6360). Also at Ramsey there was a slew of MOW vehicles working on the siding. At Rathdrum a 94 car Westbound stack (BNSF 4992, 721) came into sight. We then waited for a Westbound at the west end of Hauser Yard. In the time we waited, we saw 5 Eastbounds. East 1 had 81 cars of manifest (BNSF 4649, 5418, 5253) while Eastbound 2 was a 110 car hopper train (BNSF 791, 4481). East 3 pulled 67 cars of stack, vehicles and TOFC (BN 3022, 8020) and East 4 had (BNSF 6912, 7035, 8048, BN 6846) 74 vehicle cars. Eastbound 5 was a long earthworm (BNSF 711, 4187, 4194). The Westbound finally arrived with it’s 109 cars of stack and vehicles (BNSF 4425, 4767, ATSF 6300).

    At Hauser there was an Eastbound stack and TOFC (BNSF 965, 4534, BN 7072, ATSF 6736). At last in WA again, Spokane contained 3 Eastbounds. Eastbound 1 (BNSF 4527, 5252) had stack and East 2 (BNSF 4733, 4833, 5482) had an even amount of TOFC and stack. Eastbound 3 had an assortment of almost every kind of car (BNSF 6781,8006, 7317, BN 7902). At 6:25pm a westbound left Yardley with two extra locomotives BNSF 789 and BN 7151(I had already seen it in ID). As we were leaving Spokane we saw our last train, an Eastbound manifest (BN 6784, 6318, 7817). Overall it was a fun and exciting trip with seeing almost 300 engines, shooting over 500 still shots and 2 hours + of video. I am looking forward to doing it again next summer.