With highschool finally over I decided it was time for some relaxing time watching trains.  So I packed up my gear and headed out on Monday morning.  I decided this time to spend two days around Providence Hill.   My first train of the trip was the eastbound X-KALMNS9-04A which I ran into at Fishtrap (ATSF 614(patched), BNSF 4392, 1108).  I was barely able to get a picture as it rolled through on the main.  I heard on the radio that it was going to meet a westbound or two at Babb but since Providence was my destination I figured I could just as well get the westbounds down there.  The next train I found was the G-TMPVAW9-05A loading at the loop elevator track at Templin (BNSF 4750, 4743, 4539).  I watched this train for a little while and found it interesting that the engines were pushing the train backwards around the loop instead of pulling it.  Next I headed south stopping at Paha and Lind before reaching the summit of Providence Hill.

    As I drove up I noticed another car near the top so I pulled up next to it.  It turned out to be Drew Mitchem waiting for some trains.   We talked for a little while and then at 11:30am we heard rumbling in the distance.   It turned out to be the Z-CHCPTL1-03A with 106 cars (BNSF 4982, 1020, NREX 6454).   I decided to chase this train west and so I headed out.  I beat the train down to Mesa where I found a spot to shoot it.  I wanted to try to find a way up the tracks to Cactus siding and after a little looking I found a road that did the trick.   After exploring for a little while I found the M-LAUPAS1-03A rolling down through the valley (BN 3126, 8059(both patched), MRL 265, BNSF 768).  After shooting this train I up to Connell.  I found the H-KCKPAS1-31A sitting in the siding waiting until Pasco wanted the train and grabbed a couple shots (BNSF 665, SP 8852(patched)).  Next I headed back east to the summit of Providence Hill. 

     After waiting around for a little while I heard an eastbound which turned out to be the B-TACSTA5-04A with a MRL leading (MRL 311, BN 7015(patched)).  Drew and Ted arrived just in time to get some pictures too.   Next we all sat around talking and waiting for some more trains.  About 30 minutes later we heard another eastbound approaching.  It soon rounded the corner with two dash 9s leading the long heavy S-TCECHI1-04L (BNSF 4831, 776).  After it passed, it was time to wait again.  At 3:45 we heard an eastbound approaching and soon after we heard a westbound coming too.  I decided to set up for a good westbound shot and not worry too much about the eastbound.  Soon the H-NTWPAS1-02A rounded the corner with quite a surprise right behind the lead units (BNSF 4766, 1075, ATSF 895(patched)).   It was an old E9 lettered for Indiana.  I believe this is the ex-Milwaukee 33C that was being restored at the Indiana Railway Museum but I am not positive.  Just as this train reached the summit the eastbound arrived too which was the X-TACEME9-04B (ATSF 937(patched), BNSF 4347, 4330).  It was buried behind the westbound though so pictures were pointless.

     I decided that the westbound was definitely worth chasing so I headed out west to beat it to another good location.  I found a good spot just west of Hatton and waited a few minutes before it arrived.  Next I drove around for a little while trying to find a good spot for an eastbound.  Unfortunately I didn't find really much of anything in time.  The H-PASCWY1-05A arrived a couple minutes later (BNSF 4175, 916, 8632, ATSF 6360(patched)).  Next I decided to drive down into the coulees and see if I could find a good spot.  After exploring for a bit I found a good hill that overlooked the tracks and set up watch.  Unfortunately by the time the next train came the sun had sunk into a bank of clouds.  It was the M-SPOPAS1-05A with quite a long train (FURX 8126, BNSF 8046, 7814).  Then following just a few minutes behind him was the G-SMNTAC9-01B with 1 DPU on the rear (BNSF 5514, 1078, 4517).  By this time the sun had really gone behind the clouds and it didn't look like they would be out again.  I stuck around the area though but no more trains came.  In fact not another train came until after 10pm. 

     After making a run back to Sprague to meet my dad and pick up a power cable I stopped at the top of Providence for the night.  Just as I was getting to the top I ran into the X-KALEDU9-04A (BNSF 5260, 5142, Ferromex 4518).   The next morning I woke up at 6:15am to wait for trains.  Just before 7am the G-ABATAC9-01B pulled its 103 car train over the summit (BNSF 7685, 922, 4856).  I followed this train down to Hatton and then set up for a hoped eastbound.  A little while later I heard the whine of a locomotive and so got into position.  It turned out to be another baretable, the B-PTLSTA (BNSF 8081, 7132).  The clouds were nice enough to not block the sun while the train passed.  Next I headed deeper into the Coulees.  I found a great location for morning westbounds and quickly set up.   In a couple minutes the G-CLFKAL rounded the curve and slowly descended into Connell, WA. 

     Then a few minutes later I heard a whistle in the distance for the Columbia Basin Railway.  So I quickly drove down a little bit and climbed the hill on the opposite side of the valley.  In a couple minutes CBRW 2282 (an ex-ATSF) rounded the corner followed by CBRW 171 and 41 cars.  After getting a bunch of pictures I decided to head west.  I explored around Connell for a little while and then drove down to Mesa.  I heard that there wasn't going to be anything moving until at least 11am so I drove down to Eltopia and then back.  At 11:05am the Connell local with a long string of cars rounded the curve heading west (BN 2891(patched), BNSF 2276).  Just a couple minutes later the H-CSXPAS8-04 rounded the corner following the local (BNSF 5241, BN 3009, 8034(both patched)).  I heard more westbounds were on the way so I headed up to Cactus to find something.

     As I arrived at the siding the westbound G-CSNKAL was just entering the east end of the siding.  It was a big train with 2 DPUs on the back (BNSF 4197, 4633, 9733, ATSF 696(patched)).  It was nice to see the SD70MAC since that isn't common power in the northwest.  It was around noon by then so I headed up towards Connell.  I found a great spot for another westbound and sat down to wait.  Pretty soon the Z-CHCPTL rolled by with a brand new NS locomotive (BNSF 5168, 4119, NS 2662).  After that I drove up to Connell.  I was trying to get back up to the Hatton Coulees for the afternoon trains but I met another one at Connell.   This time it was the H-LAUPAS and it rolled into the siding (BNSF 4305, 4770).   I knew there would be an eastbound coming so I took that opportunity to head to 395 and drive north to Hatton.

     I arrived at Cunningham and found a westbound hopper train waiting at the end of the 2 main tracks for an eastbound.  On the radio I heard there was another westbound piled up right behind him so things were looking good.   At 1:30pm the eastbound Z-PTLCHC train rumbled uphill and passed the waiting westbounds (BNSF 728, 965, 809).  I hurried down to the Hatton coulees to find a good location for westbounds.  I found one just in time as the first westbound hopper train rolled downhill (BNSF 4881, 4552, 4706).  Next I moved down around a couple more curves and waited for the next one.  It too was a grain train, the G-SMNTAC9-03A and the four engines were in a 2x2 setup (BNSF 7720, 7687, 7675, 4594).  After this train passed I followed it west for a little bit before settling down to wait again.   The next train was the M-SPOPAS with MRL 393 in the consist (BNSF 8048, MRL 393, FURX 7240). 

     I heard on the scanner that he was going into the hole at Connell so I quickly looked for a good eastbound shot.  I found about the only one there is in the afternoon and set up.  The wait wasn't long until I could hear the locomotive pulling upgrade.  The train was a heavy S-TCPCHC1-01 and as it went by it was still trying to pick up speed (BNSF 861, 8050, CN 5321).  Then following close on his tail was the X-TACBIL9.  It had BNSF 1050 leading which has yellow "BNSF" lettering instead of the common black color for Heritage I units (BNSF 1050, 5234, 1022).  After his 103 cars disappeared, I headed towards Connell a little ways to find a better spot for westbounds.  While waiting for the next train I took a few pictures of a crop duster as it flew overhead.  Around 4:25pm I could hear a train in full dynamic braking.  Soon the G-HMMTAC9-02 rolled around the corner.   It was yet another big grain train with a 2x2 setup (BNSF 5321, 5039, ATSF 942, 611(both patched)).  It slowly entered the siding at Connell and came to a stop.I figured there would be an eastbound next but as soon the train cleared the east switch the light came on for another westbound.  As I was trying to figure out why there would be another westbound running around the first I heard it coming.  It was the H-KCKPAS with a new BNSF unit on the point (BNSF 7691, BN 6792(patched)).  After this train passed I decided it was time to head back up to the top of the hill. 

     I didn't meet anything else and had to wait for 30 minutes or so before an eastbound showed up at the summit.  It was another empty grain train, the X-TACEDU9, but with a Powerbar unit on the point this time (BNSF 7790, 7756, 5397).  I decided to follow this train east and try to get a broadside of it somewhere.  But it stopped at Sand to wait for a westbound so I headed towards Lind to find a good spot.  At 5:45pm the G-SHMWCL rumbled through Lind and up the hill (BNSF 866, 1000, 5074).  Next I continued east to try and find a westbound.  I didn't run into anything more so I decided to set up and wait for something near Babb.   After waiting for almost an hour the eastbound grain train rumbled by and then rolled into Babb siding.  I hurried to the west end of the siding but by the time the westbound came the sun was gone behind the clouds.  It was the G-SPITAC9-29 with 2 units on the point and one on the rear (BNSF 4363, ????. ????).  I decided to head back toward home since it was 8:30pm already.  But on the way I met the last train of the day.  It was the Lind turn heading west at a good clip (BN 2921, 2976(both patched)).  And that was the end of my first trip for the summer.