Frosty Times on the Lakeside Sub

[funnelfan]

I don't think today could have been much more perfect as far as the weather goes. Not only was there snow on the ground and not a cloud in the sky, but the temp was hanging out just below freezing in the mid-20's and the air was still. It also helped that the Lakeside sub was busy on this Friday afternoon (although it's been busy and congested all during fall).

1. I ran into fog just before Connell early in the morning, so I caught the meet here and turned back toward Spokane. The H-KCKPAS in the hole here is waiting on the H-PASKCK that is coming past the west switch of Connell.

2. The power on the H-KCKPAS was interesting enough, but the dispatcher also took a keen intrest in it as well (he asked some questions of the crew about the lead unit that sounded like railfan questions).

3. Hot on the tail of the H-PASKCK was this empty grain train, shown climbing the Hatton Coulee.

4. I was hoping that a westbound would be at Cunningham ready to come down the coulee, but it wasn't to be. I caught up to the grain train at Paha for another meet.

[funnelfan]

Things got intresting coming into Paha. Some carman at Pasco found a 12" section of wheel flange along some track, but had no idea which train it would have come from. So all trains that had left Pasco in the previous several hours were inspected by other train crews or roving carmen. I watched the rollby of the empty grain train at Paha with the crew of the M-LAUPAS.

5. The M-LAUPAS leaving Paha after inspecting the empty grain train.

6. The Z-CHCPTL coming through the east end of Paha.

7. M-DILPAS slices through the rock cuts along Sprague Lake.

8. Another M-LAUPAS working across a hogback in the middle of the Fishtrap Hill.

[funnelfan]

Things continued to get interesting. A rail break occured west of Beatrice, and since the empty grain train was the last across it, it had to be inspected again for a broken wheel (only two axles on one car even had flat spots).

9. A loaded grain train at the west end of Babb.

10. Z-PTLCHC with Mount Spokane in the distance.

11. V-HAUPTL coming into Cheney.

12. And going away past a empty rail yard. I noticed that the PCC has yet to run out the Coulee City line since the snow fell a week ago, and the only power is a WAMX ex-CN unit at the far west end of the yard.

[funnelfan]

13. A westbound stack train at Yardley.

14. Going away into the fading light at 3:30pm (damn these short days!)


That's it for right now, but I really need to post more of the snow shots that I've gotten so far this season.

[drew mitchem]

Excellent photos Ted. I like the shot of the M-DILPAS at MP 47 on the BNSF Lakeside Sub alot. Keep the snow shots a comig!!

[westbnsf]

Great shots Ted!! I really like number 7 and 8. This whole week has been torture for me to stay in school with all the snow and great sunny days. I am hoping to get out tomorrow but the weather report is calling for clouds.

[Mike]

Nice shots Ted. What were the tracked vehicles on the first car in #2?

[funnelfan]

They were just some tow trucks for tanks. I'm guessing they're on their way to Fort Lewis.

[Mike]

That's what I thought they looked like, but I couldn't see enough to be sure. Thanks.

[duckdogger]

Nice shots. Makes me shiver - course we were by the pool yesterday afternoon.