One of the more unique BNSF "local" trains, is the Chewelah turn (M-CHWSPO1). Based in Spokane, Washington, this local runs 50 miles on the former Great Northern Railroad to Chewelah, Washington. Unlike most locals, this one utilizes EMD GP60B units which are fully under power and online, providing a true A-B-B-A GP60 consist. The sharp curvature of the line and steep grades limit only four axle power, which make the B-units a perfect match with GP60M-3 power.

This local leaves North out of Spokane in the late evening hours, taking about 3 hours to complete the journey. Once in Chewelah, the Kettle Falls Railway interchanges with the BNSF. This interchange occurs under the cover of darkness, in the early morning hours of the new day. The Kettle Falls Railway has a connection to Canada at Laurier, Washington, which is where majority of the railcars originate from. The return trip back home to Spokane begins around 6 AM in Chewelah, and takes about four hours, including stops to pick up and set out cars in Valley. As mentioned earlier, the former Great Northern line is some of the most scenic local trackage in the Pacific Northwest.

I chased the Southbound run over a couple of days in 2020. While it was raining the majority of the chases, it was still great to see this unique operation. Chasing the local is extremely easy, as the majority run takes place under 20 MPH. The chase starts in Valley, WA, where switching operations take place for a local industry. From there, it's a slow speed chase down south to Spokane. All locations listed in video in order from North to South.

M-CHWSPO1-23A
BNSF 104 (GP60M-3)
BNSF 341 (GP60B)
BNSF 335 (GP60B)
BNSF 105 (GP60M-3)

Thanks for watching! | Video and Content by MichaelLovesTrains 2020

Timeline:
00:00 Valley, WA
04:04 Grays, WA (Boyles Road)
06:24 Springdale, WA
08:44 Loon Lake, WA
17:32 Clayton, WA
18:53 Spokane, WA

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