On Sunday July 27, 2003, my dad and I decided to head off to town and see if there was still a backlog of manifest and grain trains after the Fisher River derailment.  After dropping my brother off at the Interstate Fairgrounds we headed to Yardley.  The first train was the X-INBHUR (ATSF(BNSF) 6728, EMD 9068) which had just changed crews and was heading towards the east end of the yard.  We quickly drove over to the Fancher bridge over the yard and parked.  I arrived up above the yard just before the eastbound grain empty arrived.  In the yard was an eastbound manifest (BNSF 4469, 761, 6378) with about 40 cars.  At the engine facility there were 20 units including BNSF 4676, 6772, BN(BNSF) 3115, 2139, and a newly repainted BNSF 3002.

    At 11:00am the S-CHCTAC arrived at the west end with a couple of autoracks and a long string of stack cars (BNSF 769, 8053, 335).  It pulled up to the west end to re-crew.  Several minutes later the H-SPOEVE prepared to leave west (BNSF 4698, 758, CN 2437) only to find that the 3rd car from the front was malfunctioning.  So they had to switch the offending car out to be looked at later.   About this time 12 of the units that were in the engine servicing area got moved over and onto the front of the Kettle Falls Turn.  What a consist it was: BNSF 2724, 2090, 2172, 2726, 2876, 3136, 2373, BN(BNSF) 2710, 2286, 2741, 3021, 2078!!!

    The entire time we had been at the yard we kept hearing of the M-PASLAU but never saw it.  The H-SPOEVE finally left the yard so we headed into town to try some urban shooting.  On the way we finally saw the end M-PASLAU waiting to get into the yard.  We caught the westbound as it crossed Sprague St. in downtown Spokane, WA.  Afterwards we headed back to the yard only to find that the M-PASLAU (FURX 7212, NS 9405, BNSF 7040) was already leaving.  Quickly we drove down several miles to a bridge over the tracks to shoot it.  It barreled past with 90 cars in tow at 12:30pm.  As we drove back to the yard we heard on the scanner about a stack train and an empty grain train.  Nothing showed up immediately so we headed for the UP yard just a few blocks away.

    In the UP yard we found UP 2050 which had escaped being renumbered so far.  Also in the yard was UP 507 and 300 which had been renumbered.   After getting a couple of pics we heard on the scanner about a dead train at Otis Orchards which is only 8 miles east of the yard.  So we decided to drive on down and see what it had for power.  Well we got there at 1:20pm and found that it was a westbound manifest with a warbonnet BNSF 4714 on the point and BNSF 7071 as the trailing unit!!  It was great to see some nice warbonnet paint up front for a change.   Just as I got out of the car I saw a S-CHCTAC coming up beside it (BNSF 5250, 4809).  It rolled right on through with its 111 cars.  After he had passed I took several pictures of the westbound manifest and then we headed back to the Fairgrounds to pick up my brother and drop me off.  It was pretty good as far as traffic level and I was happy to see a CN and NS unit.  Have a great week!!