On December 4, 2004 I headed up to the BNSF funnel to enjoy the tail end first snowfall of the season.  There wasn't much snow on the ground in most places but it did snow for most of the afternoon.  Well the first train I saw was the M-HKSK arriving in Spokane, WA around 9:00am (UP 2487, 2232).   Heading on to Yardley I found a couple of westbounds waiting in the yard.   First was a westbound stack (BN 7889(patched), HLCX 7198).  A couple of tracks over a westbound manifest with BNSF 4446 and NREX 9926(ex-UP) was sitting.  Next I headed out of town towards Idaho.  I didn't get very far before I met a westbound.   It turned out to be the V-KCMPTL (BN 1514(patched), HLCX 9031).  After getting a photo I continued on my way.  But I found out that today was a day for westbounds.   At Otis Orchards I met a westbound 79 car manifest train (BNSF 8014, 7047, CN 5279). 

     A couple miles farther down the road I stopped to wait for the next westbound.  It wasn't long before the Coeur d'Alene local came flying through with 10 tank cars from Hauser refueling center (BN 2745(patched), BNSF 2346).  After that it was on to Hauser, ID where I found a westbound Boardman coal train sitting in the yard (ATSF 8217(patched), BNSF 8265, EMD 9044).  It was 10am by this time and another westbound had a light at Rathdrum.  So after waiting a few minutes a westbound stack train rolled into sight (BNSF 7334, NS 7431).  I next headed up to Ramsey siding where another westbound was lined through.  After walking around for awhile I finally found the angle I wanted and didn't wait long before the westbound manifest barreled past (BNSF 5181, 6751, BN 7134(patched), FURX 7290). 

     Within 10 minutes another westbound rolled down the line.   I was ready and waiting when it arrived with 2 engines and a long line of stack cars (BNSF 5288, 818).  Next I headed up towards Athol.  But on the way I met another westbound with an ex-SP tunnel motor in the consist.  I couldn't turn up this so I turned around and beat it back to the west end of Ramsey siding (ATSF 874(patched), GECX 8497).  Finally arriving at Athol, ID, I found the tail end of a southbound UP hopper train.  Not much more was happening on the scanner on BNSF so I decided to chase it south.  After getting on the highway it still took me all the way back to MP 29(almost back to Coeur d'Alene) before I caught up with it.  The dispatcher told them to wait there for awhile before continuing down the Spokane valley in town.  So after taking several photos from a variety of angles I hit the road again.  After arriving back at Ramsey I noticed that the light was on for an eastbound finally.

     I decided to head up to Athol, ID to wait for it.  By the time I got to Athol it had started snowing with a fury.  In one of the spurs I found a couple of flatbed cars with rails on them for carrying MOW equipment.  I noticed on one end that there was a ramp in place so they could drive the stuff right up and on.   It was quite interesting as I had never seen anything like it before.  After getting some photos I headed to the crossing and just in time for an eastbound stack train (BN 7874(patched), BNSF 7054, HLCX 6082, CSX 8082).  Next I followed it up intending to get another couple shots.  It met a westbound coal train which I missed just north of Athol.  It stopped for a bit at the south end of Cocollala where I got another couple shots of it.  Next I headed up to Algoma for another shot.  But I missed a westbound stack and TOFC train and the detector went off at milepost 8.5.  I assumed this was another westbound so I turned around and headed back to the next crossing back.  After waiting awhile I realized it must have been an eastbound or something.

     So I headed up to Algoma and parked to wait for a westbound to come out over Lake Pend Oreille.  About 12:20pm a westbound hopper train with two engines on the front and two on the rear rounded the curve (BNSF 4662, 765, 4539, 4106).   After the train with its 109 cars passed by I headed up north of Sandpoint to see what I could find.  At 2pm I found a westbound up just north of Elmira, ID (BNSF 4305, EMD 9099).  After following this stack train back to the siding it went into it for an eastbound.  So I headed back up north towards Naples, ID to set up for the shot.  In a little while it arrived blasting down the little valley (NREX 5097, BN 8128, 7811(both patched)).  After getting my photo I explored a little more here and there in the area before heading back towards Sandpoint, ID.  After checking the signals at Colburn, ID only to find them dark I went to put the car in reverse and only the engine revved up.

     At first I thought it just didn't get in gear but after trying it in 1st with the same results I was worried about my transmission.  After taking my foot off of the clutch I noticed a click..click..click sound coming from the right front side of the car.  After investigating I found that my axle was turning around.   With that I called home and talked to my dad.  We figured it was most likely the CB joint was gone so he said he would come and pick me up.  A few minutes later an eastbound manifest rolled through (BNSf 4789, 4412, 4114, GECX 3073, CSX 8807).   After getting a last photo I went back to my broken down car to wait for my dad.   To make a long story short I waited for the next 3 1/2 hours before he got there with a our suburban and car dolly.  In that time 2 westbounds and 2 eastbounds came by but it was too dark to get any photos.  Well apart from my car braking down it was a great day with a little bit of snow.  And to finish up the story for those interested I got my car fixed a week later so I am back running.