With school out for Christmas I have been working but I decided to take Wednesday off to do a bit of railfanning.  Our main objective for the day was to follow the Union Pacific's Plummer local.  My dad and I left home around 8am heading for Cheney first.  On our way over we heard that an eastbound was stopped in Babb siding for two.  We just missed the first one as it was pulling through as we arrived.  We decided against chasing it and headed out of town to a nearby crossing to set up for the next one.  The weather was foggy and cold and after 10 minutes of waiting outside we were just a little chilled.  It finally blew its whistle for Cheney and soon appeared.  It was a westbound Z-CHCPTL with a colorful lashup for power (BNSF 1122, ATSF 624, UP 3870).  Next we headed down to Scribner to wait for the eastbound coming out of Babb.  On the way we stopped by Cheney siding to see a northbound UP manifest train that was tied down (CP 9660, 9534). Before the eastbound arrived at Scribner a southbound UP manifest train rolled through (CP 8578, SOO 6022).

     Around 9:30am the eastbound arrived and coasted to a stop just before the grade crossing.  Next they uncoupled from their train and headed down into Marshall to make a 4 car pick-up.  After putting their hopper train back together they headed out (BNSF 4831, 1029, ATSF 909(patched)).  Meanwhile we heard about another westbound so quickly moved up to the highside.  I just had enough time to set up before a hopper train rounded the corner (BNSF 4480, 721, 1033, NS 9366).   After the two DPUs passed we headed in towards Spokane, WA.  We stopped to set up at Empire siding for the eastbound hopper train but the sun started to come out and ruined the lighting.  Next it was on towards Yardley.  On the UP's SI track we found BN 2720 and 2374(both patched) switching cars around in several industries.  In the roundhouse area of Yardley two ex-SP engines sat waiting for something to do (7371, 5387).  I couldn't tell who they were marked for now because it was too far away.   Heading to the UP yard we found UP 1055 and 551 getting filled up with diesel.

     Next it was back over to the BNSF tracks where we found the Z-SSECHC just getting ready to pull out.  Heading down Trent a few crossing we stopped and waited for it (BNSF 4573, 882, FURX 3050, RLCX 8510).  Back at the east end of the yard we found another interesting consist on a S-SEACHC (BNSF 4788, TFM 2609, HLCX 9034).  After getting a couple shots of it in the yard we heard a horn back over in the industrial section.  Driving over there we found BNSF 2121 coupled up to about 15 cars.  We headed back to the next crossing to get a picture but when we got there it was gone.  Then we figured that it back out going the other direction.  So after some looking we found it again backing up by a grain elevator.   I got some photos and watched it switch its cars for awhile.  Then it pulled out and back towards the yard.  After following it back to the yard we left it and headed to the UP yard.

     At the east end we found the two Union Pacific engines we had seen earlier.  A couple crew members were just walking back up to the cab and after they got on they headed out for Plummer, ID.  We followed it through Spokane and finally got ahead of it near Dishman, WA.  After a photo there we headed down a mile or so for another.  Next it was up the valley as the tracks climbed out of the Spokane Valley and onto the Palouse.  After getting another shot it we headed up to Mica, WA.  I pulled the ropes out of the car and used them to get my desired elevation on a nearby unused telephone pole.  After the train went by I climbed down and we headed down the road to catch up with it.  That wasn't hard since it stopped just a half mile farther down the road to switch a couple of cars at a mill.  Heading down we found another good spot to wait for it.  After a few minutes it pulled through the dip in the track where we were at and we raced on to Freeman for another photo.  After that it was on to Manito where the junction down to Rockford and Fairfield is.  Unfortunately they didn't take this and so we headed down the tracks to find another couple good spots. 

     After a shot in Setters and Worley, ID there wasn't much else good until Plummer.  We arrived just ahead of it and watched it switch the local industry before heading back towards the BNSF funnel for the rest of the afternoon.  On the way we found a southbound manifest train backed into the Coeur d'Alene spur track (CP 8548, CEFX 1008).  At the east end of Hauser yard an eastbound hopper train was parked (BNSF 4125, 5288, 4108).  Down at the west end we waited for a few minutes for a westbound Z-train to pull out of the refueling pad (BNSF 4760, 6861, BN 3143(patched)).  Next we headed down to a elevated curve near Otis Orchards.   Because of slow traffic and high train speeds we didn't beat the westbound Z-train so we decided to wait for another train.  A couple minutes later an eastbound stack and TOFC train rolled through (BNSF 1018, 4437, 4720).  But it was coming out of the sun and wasn't really late enough in the day for good glint.

     At 3:00pm a westbound hopper train arrived (BNSF 4783, 4039, 5429 ATSF 686(patched)).  After getting a good photo of it we decided to wait for the P-TACKCM which we knew should be here soon.  A little while later it arrived with a long line of stack cars (BNSF 5241, 7043, FURX 7253).  After getting a glint shot of it we headed back towards Spokane, WA.  Over the scanner we heard some talk about turning an engine in the yard but by the time we got there the turntable was empty.  At the west end of the yard a switch engine was putting together the M-SPOKFA for later that night and BNSF 1029 and BN 7873(patched) were sitting waiting for something to do.  The M-LAUPAS was also waiting to depart the yard (BN 7008(patched), BNSF 4671).  After that it was 4pm and getting dark so we decided to head for home.   Thankfully the sun was out for most of the day after the fog was burned off so we had a great day.  Well Merry Christmas and hope your Holiday season goes well!