My dad and I left home around 4:00am on Thursday April 24, 2003.  Our objective was to photograph BNSF's Kettle Falls Local.  The local leaves Spokane around midnight and heads for Kettle Falls (symbol M-SPOKFA).  Then it returns, leaving Kettle Falls around 5:00am and arriving back in Spokane mid morning (symbol M-KFASPO).  It travels up north of Spokane on the Kettle Falls Subdivision.   The power is usually made up of older units and the number of units will vary from only 3 to as many as 16!  The route is also full of grades and beautiful scenery.

    Anyway we first sighted the local at Valley, WA around 6:00am.  It had 5 engines (BN(BNSF) 3126, 3019, 3014, 3133, BNSF 3136) and around 90 cars.  The engineer first made several pickups, did several other things in Valley and then got a Track Warrant to Napa St. Jct.  After his pickups the train had 101 cars.  We left a couple minutes ahead of him and found a good place for a photo.  When he started to blow for the crossings, the sound of his horn echoed off the sides of the valley for several seconds.  My dad got all of it on video while I used my still camera.  We then jumped into the car and raced down to a road crossing for another shot.  We paced it getting several other shots before moving off ahead of it.  We stopped near a horseshoe curve and ate our breakfast while we waited.   It didn't appear anytime soon and then we heard on the scanner that the 4th unit (BN(BNSF) 3133) was giving them troubles with the Ground Relay Switch.  In the end the unit ended up being dead in consist and so then they had only 4 locomotives working.   The dispatcher asked if the engineer would have to double his train over the hill but he replied that he was already heading up it at full throttle and keeping a steady pace of 9mph!!!  The train finally rounded the corner and slowly ground past us.

    Getting back into the car we drove on down following it and taking a couple more pictures.  Just below Loon Lake, WA we took a side road to an old bridge over the tracks.  It was a perfect spot so we waited momentarily before the local poked its head around the curve.  After it had passed, we drove down the road a little farther to turn around and discovered an awesome place for a reflection shot.   Too bad that it had already passed!  We then beat the train down to Deer Park where I took a couple more photos.  Driving to an S curve we quickly set up and got some good pics of the local.  Then we again raced ahead to another spot where it crossed a little bridge.  Taking a side road we took several more photos before we reached Mead, WA.  In Mead the track speed increased from 25mph to 40mph.  Then coming into north Spokane we started to have trouble keeping up with it.  It finally stopped and waited for permission to enter the yard.

    By this time it was 10:45am and we headed for Yardley.   Waiting to enter the yard were two eastbounds.  The first had 51 stack, TOFC and vehicle cars (BNSF 4482, 4897) while the second was all stack (BNSF 4341, 4440, BN(BNSF) 6787).  BN(BNSF) 3003 and 3027 led a westbound stack and vehicle train out of the yard and through Spokane, WA.  In the engine servicing area there were several engines including ATSF(BNSF) 6710 and BN(BNSF) 1438.  At the east end of the yard BNSF 3646 was couple up with BN(BNSF) 6198 and they were jockeying cars.  Waiting to depart the east end was a manifest (BNSF 5328, 1039, 4544, 4301).  Then waiting to depart west was a 110 car grain train with 2 DPUs (BNSF 4421, 4412, 4572(DPU), 4860(DPU)).   We next headed for Marshall, WA and saw an eastbound at Latah Jct. with a bunch of empty flats (BN(BNSF) 7828, 7910).  At Marshall an eastbound empty grain train waited for the westbound to pass so it could take the low side (the high side was all blocked up by MOW).  The westbound with the DPUs finally arrived and passed by.  Then the eastbound got the green light and departed.  After that it was around 12:40pm and we headed back home.  Happy hunting and see you trackside!

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