Chewelah Turn

[funnelfan]

Ever since the BNSF sold it's cluster of Kettle Falls branchlines to the Kettle Falls International, the old Kettle Turn has turned back at Chewelah, WA. The Chewelah Turn goes on duty at 7:30pm Sunday through Friday running up to Chewelah where interchange is made with the shortline railroad around 5am in the morning. The train returns to Valley, WA where the crew is relieved. It used to be that a fresh crew from Spokane would take over for the expired crew, but recently a work window has put the southbound run in the afternoon. Providing the rare oppritunity to capture the southbound run in afternoon light, versus the very early morning light that was the norm for this run. A tie gang was been replacing ties along the route in a effort to raise the speed above 10mph between Mead and Chewelah.
I took advantage of the rare oppritunity to catch a afternoon southbound run this past Wednesday. I arrived in Valley at 3pm to find that the outbound crew was already switching out Lane Mountain, a company that produces refined Silica Quartz, that is used for everything from glass making to locomotive traction sand. By 4pm the train started it journey south to Spokane. The train this day had BNSF H1 GP40 #3002, GP40 #3026, GP40 #3018, GP40 #3022, GP50 #3159, GP40 #3020.

#1 After putting the train back together at Valley, the train starts it's way south. The block of brown cement hoppers at the head end are the sand filled cars from Lane Mountain.

#2 The head end passing Lane Mountain just south of Valley. The heavy trains tied in with the steep grades and sharp curves requires the use of multiple geeps on this route. Old GP40's seem to be the preferred power, as newer GP60's and BW40-8's were tried briefly, but proved too slippery on the serpentine rails.

#3 Climbing through the forested hills at MP 50. Most of the track between Valley and Springdale is just inside the treeline, from the fields that cover the valley floor.

#4 Despite the 10mph pace, there is quite the pull on this line. It's not the speed of the train kicking up dust at the crossing, but the traction motor blower that is doing what it can to keep the truck-mounted motors from going into meltdown.

[funnelfan]

#5 The railroad forms a big arc around Springdale, this trestle being the grand entrance into this small town.

#6 Above Springdale the railroad snakes it's way through Sheep Creek Canyon.

#7 On the outskirts of the community of Loon Lake, the railroad doubles back on itself with a pair of sharp horseshoe curves. That provides the final vault out of the Sheep Creek Canyon and along the shores of Loon Lake. Here the train grinds up the toughest part of the pull, between the two horseshoe curves.

#8 The serpentine rails curve along the edge of Loon Lake.

[funnelfan]

#9 Freightcars on the shore of Loon Lake.

#10 Just south of Loon Lake is a narrow gap in the hills that proves to be the summit of the line. From there it is mostly downhill to Spokane.

#11 The main drag in downtown Clayton was once Hwy 395, but these days the road seems about as busy as the tracks that runs beside it.

#12 Between Clayton and Deer Park, the tracks Parallel Hwy 395, unfortunately I was already starting to lose light.

[funnelfan]

#13 South of Deer Park the tracks turn down Dragoon Creek to reach a crossing of the Little Spokane River.

#14 & 15 In a couple of final views, the Chewelah Turn crosses the Little Spokane River in failing light.

[abmitchell]

I like #12 -- not quite sure why, I just like it.
Thanks for the inland NW fix, Ted...