History
  Now for a little history. At the turn of the century (the 1800-1900 one) the OWRN's (a early UP subsidiary, the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Co.) route from  northeast Oregon to Spokane, the heart of the Inland Empire, was a twisting line through the Palouse Hills of far eastern Washington. This route which left the mainline at Pendleton, OR and went north through Walla-Walla and Dayton to the Snake River at Riparia. After crossing the Snake River the line once again climbed into the hills first north and then east to Colfax, WA. Going north out of Colfax the line eventually made it to Tekoa. At Tekoa the line split (the wye fell in the shadow of Milwaukee Road's large trestle that was built later). From Tekoa OWRN could either go through Plummer or Fairfield to Manito Jct., where the two lines rejoined. Come 1910, OWRN was competing for Spokane to Portland traffic with the original NP line and the newly built SP&S line to Spokane. To say the least OWRN's long-way-around route wasn't cutting it. OWRN made the fateful decision to construct a straighter and faster route. The first part of the route had actually been constructed in 1899 by OWRN subsidiary, Snake River Valley RR. A line from Wallua (Where OWRN's first predecessor had started constructing it's Wallua to Walla-Walla line before 1880) along the "Snake" to Riparia. But to really compete OWRN still needed  a line that avoided the Palouse hills altogether. 
    The final piece of the route involved a new line that began climbing at Ayer Jct., crossed the Snake and continued to climb along Cow Creek until it reached the top of the Columbia Plateau where it made a bee-line to Cheney and Marshall Canyon for it's grand entrance into Spokane and a new joint UP/MILW passenger station. But before any real construction could begin, the bridge had to be built across the Snake. So beginning in 1911 and finishing the bridge in 1912, the new line cut away at Ayer Jct., MP 269.7 and climbed a .6% compensated grade up to the south end of the bridge.  The .6% grade continued across the bridge and up the Cow Creek Canyon. The Joso bridge has 55 spans and is 3920' long. It also stands some 261' above the bottom of the Snake River. But  Lower Monument Dam built in 1968 submerged the lower 67' of the bridge piers leaving only 194' between the top of the bridge and the surface of the river.
    A siding named Joso was located at the northern foot of the bridge. The rest of the line was completed and opened for operation on September 15th, 1914. This route from Hinkle to Spokane is commonly referred to as the "Washy", a hangover from the days of UP's Washington Division. The line is now the Ayer sub of the Portland Division. Two dam projects along the lower Snake (Ice Harbor and Lower Monument) and one  (McNary) on the Columbia River  has caused nearly half of the line between Hinkle and Ayer to be relocated since the 1950's.
    On the northern end of the line, the UP took control of the Spokane International, a longtime interchange partner in Spokane. UP took control in the 1940's but didn't fully merge the line until 1965. The SI was built by Canadian Pacific interests after the turn of the century. That line extended north-east out of Spokane  and curving north through Idaho to Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry. The line then climbed out of the Kootenai River Valley and threaded it's way north to a connection with the CP on the Canadian border at Eastport, ID./Kingsgate, BC. The old SI is now known as the Spokane sub of the Portland Division. This completes the line we know today. All of the branches in the Palouse Hills have been either abandon or sold to shortlines, leaving just the Hinkle-Spokane main and the short branch to Riparia and another to Kennewick, WA from Wallua.

Trip Report
 On Saturday April 1st, 2000 (but this ain't no joke) Ron Trowbridge, his wife Kelley and I left north Idaho on a railfan trip to UP's Joso Bridge.  None of us had been to this remote location before, and the only real reason you'd want to go there is for the railroad action. A couple of other factors also prompted the trip. 
     One is that traffic has steadily been on the increase for the last two years with some significant trains being added over the winter. Among those is the new PGEX coal trains which have added 5 trains a week in each direction over the line, but the other new operation is even more unique. Every Saturday the Blue Mountain RR (BLMR) runs a "Grain Shuttle" train starting out of Wallua in the morning with a couple BLMR geeps (usually the GP35's). After collecting the empty grain cars from the Port Kelley and Port Wallua barge loading facilities at Wallua on the Columbia River, the grain shuttle ventures north over the UP on trackage rights through Ayer and Joso to Hooper Jct. where it returns to it's own tracks. This northern line was once known as the Palouse River Railroad (PRR), but to avoid confusion with the nearby Palouse River and Coulee City RR (reporting marks PCC) it's name was changed to BLMR. The BLMR, PRR, and PCC are all owned by WATCO and the PRR and PCC used to share a office in Colfax, WA.
   The other reason for going on this particular Saturday was that UP was still busy trying to clear up a massive backlog of trains resulting from a derailment at Ayer Jct. earlier that week. The derailment happened on March 27, 2000 and involved the CBUPG (PGEX coal train). The last 10 cars of the train derailed and with a few of them tumbling down the hill. The line was blocked for more than a day causing a major backlog of trains on this already over-stressed line. The backup was so severe that it took a few weeks before things started to settle down.
    Our first stop was the PF&S model railroad warehouse in Pasco to pick up some much needed model railroad supplies. This is located just north of Pasco and just off of 395. From Pasco go north until Sagemore Rd. and make a left. Go over the tracks and make a right on the next road (Ione Rd). Head up this gravel road to the cluster of buildings just ahead and pull in. This is PF&S and Sharon is the lady who runs the place. She will be able to help you locate what you need. I must warn you though, it will take you some time to browse through the selection which includes several items that have been long discontinued and out of stock at most other places.
  After grabbing the items that Ron and myself needed for our modeling, we took a quick swing by BNSF's large Pasco hump yard. This is BNSF primary classification facility in the Pacific Northwest. Several dozen manifest trains enter and leave the facility on a daily basis. This is also where you want to fill up, mainly because Pasco frequently has the lowest gas prices in the northwest. (A couple years ago gas got down under 80 cents a gallon here). After a bite to eat we head back north on 395 to Connell.
   At Connell we got off the highway and made a right onto Hwy. 260. Following this road to Kahlotus, we turned right onto Devils Canyon Rd. and climbed up a short hill. As you go up the hill, look to the left and you'll see the abandon SP&S grade swing in beside the road and dive into a tunnel that passes under the road. As you crest the hill you enter a very steep sided canyon. Down the middle of the canyon you can see where so many photos were taken of this SP&S line during it's final years of operation under BN stewardship. 
   Follow the road down the canyon until you reach the Snake River and the Lower Monument Dam. Use the "road" (and I do use this term loosely, no big trucks or RVs here) across the dam to continue the journey. The road is only open between 6am and 7pm each day, so if you don't make it you will have to back track to Kahlotus and then make a right onto Hwy. 260. and go north a few miles and make another right onto Hwy. 261. and follow it to the Snake River.
    Anyway, back to where we were. Following the road across the dam and up the other side of the canyon you soon cross the UP tracks which follow the Snake River on it's south side. Continuing up the road and looking west down the canyon back on the SP&S side you will see three of the large bridges on the old SP&S grade. There is one place where you can even get all three of the big bridges in one shot, too bad I never saw that shot with a train in it.
     Continue to follow Lower Monumental Rd. south several miles until you reach Casey Rd. Turn left onto Casey Rd. and follow it north to Ayer. Ayer is a place that can either be busy or just dead. Camas Prairie Railnet (The shortline operator who took over operation from BN and UP) brings it's manifest interchange traffic into Ayer six days a week except Saturday. Fortunately for us, with the backlog of interchange traffic from the recent derailment on the UP, CSP was in Ayer this Saturday dropping off a interchange train and picking up one from UP this Saturday. Also in the yard was a light set of UP power trying to add another loco to it's consist. Anyway, after a couple photos of the CSP locos, we soon left to see the ultimate goal of the trip, the Joso Bridge.
   The UP road channel (160.740) was mostly silent since Pasco, but I believe that was mostly due to the fact that we were driving along the bottom of Coulees far from the UP line. So mostly unaware of where all the trains were we left Ayer south on Ayer Rd. after several miles we drove into the wide spot in the road called Pleasant View. Make a left here and follow the new Lyons Ferry Rd. until you reach Hwy. 261. Once at Hwy. 261, make a left and in a short distance you will be at the Snake River and the Joso Bridge. We drove across the river and through the fish hatchery to a quiet spot on the Snake. From here we could see the bridge over the river and the line that climbed up to it's south end.
    After half an hour of semi-constant radio chatter, the first movement occurred. It was the now four unit light engine consist heading down the Riparia branch. This seemed odd, because we hadn't heard of UP having a use for the branch. The CSP uses it to get to UP's mainline at Ayer Jct. 
  Several minutes after the light locomotives disappeared, I again heard a rumbling but could not see a train. The rumbling continued for a while with no train in sight. Finally I spotted a train climbing up toward the south end of the bridge from Ayer Jct. The northbound MHKET had a UP SD90MAC, two UP SD40-2's followed by two CP SD40-2's. The train was crawling along at 5 mph as it climbed the south wall of the canyon and onto the Joso Bridge.
    As it ventured further onto the bridge I took a few photos and Ron captured most of the climbing and crossing on video. As the train got toward the near bank of the Snake river, we both realized that it was moving so slow that we would be able re-position without any trouble. As we wound back through the fish hatchery I grabbed my video camera and leaned out my window to get some video of the train 150' above, praying that the local sheriff wouldn't catch me pulling this stunt (I did get some great video for my effort). We got back on Hwy 261 and headed north back under the bridge climbing the hill till we were track level at the north end of the bridge. From this pull-off we had a excellent view of the whole bridge reflecting the late afternoon light on it's west side. Up on knoll on the other side of the road, a group of deer were assembled enjoying the spectacle as well.

    The train pulled to a stop at the south end of the Joso siding and "toned" the DS. During this time we headed back down 261 and up Joso Rd. to about the mid-point of Joso. As I later found out, people are not supposed to venture down this road because at the other end is a indian burial ground. But since we remained within sight of the Park Rangers house, he didn't seem inclined to chase us out. Over the scanner we learned that this northbound was set to meet a southbound "grain shuttle" at Joso, but that was still a little ways off. 
  We also learned that the light locos that we had seen earlier went to Riparia to retrieve a grain train that CSP had set out there waiting for the derailment to clear. That train was now ready to depart Riparia for Ayer. We quickly returned to 261 and headed south across the Snake to the lower RR bridge. Here we waited for the train to return in the fading light. Even though direct sunlight had just recently been eclipsed from the bridge, the light was terrific. Soon a headlight rounded a distant bend near the river and flicker through the numerous cut along tracks. Seemingly with little effort the train quickly made the curve on the far bank and passed through the large truss. The result was a impressive photograph with subtle lighting.
  Jumping in the rig we soon caught up to the train and video-ed it's progress towards Ayer in the shadows of the tall cliffs. As the road pulled away from the Riparia branch and prepared to cross the Snake river, we could see the Grain Shuttle pulling up to the south end of Joso. Since the sun had set far enough down that it was no longer shining on the Joso Bridge, but was painting the sky with red, orange and  pink. I mentioned that a silhouette photo would be perfect. So we pulled into the campground on the north bank of the snake and threaded our way along the river to the furthest most west camping spot. This is the ideal spot for camping as you are just below the bridge and the Riparia branch is clearly visible on the opposite bank. As the BLMR Grain Shuttle slowly eased out over the river I began clicking away and Ron was busy with his Video Camera. As the 35 car shuttle descended down to Ayer Jct., we just stood there adsorbing the moment, and the end to a wonderful day.
    It was just one of those perfect moments were the landscape was bathed in the colors of the sunset, the temperature was just right with a slight breeze coming off the river, and a train rumbling away in the distance.

Operations
 UP's operations over this line have increased significantly in the last couple of years. Here is a listing of trains and their jobs:

MHKET/METHK: This is the main train on this line. It operates the whole length of the line from Hinkle to Eastport. This train can and does run in more than one section. It also frequently sports solid consists of CP SD40-2's, but can have any power UP or CP has on hand.

MHKSN/MSNHK: This is the Hinkle to Sandpoint, ID turn that operates daily. It leaves Hinkle in the early afternoon and Sandpoint in the late morning. It mainly picks up and drops off cars at Trentwood and Sandpoint. this train usually has just two road units of UP lineage.

MHKSK/MSKHK: This train leaves Hinkle early in the morning and arrives at the Spokane Yard around noon. It then departs Spokane mid-afternoon and returns to Hinkle. This train also sports two road units and is often short (roughly 30 cars) leaving and entering Spokane.

OETPD/OPDET, OHKET: This train carries potash from Canada to a export terminal in Portland near Barnes Yard. Often this train is  made of solid strings of CanPotex cars, either the older cylindrical hoppers or the newer Centerflows. The operation of this train varies a lot, from 1-5 times each week.

CBUPG/CPGBU: This is the PGEX (Portland General Electric) coal trains of the BNSF/MRL in Spokane to the Boardman, OR facility. These trains operate 3-5 times each week in each direction. BN/BNSF SD70MACS mostly rule this train with occasional UP power. This train will not operate from the middle of May till the end of July due to a maintenance shutdown at the Boardman facility.

CETGV/CGVET: This is the Canada to Geneva, UT coal train that operates a few times each month. The collection of coal cars in this train boggles the mind, with cars from the likes UP, CNW, SP, DRGW, MP, CHTT, MKT, and even BN.

WVXGRT/WGRVXT: This is just one of the many tie trains that operate from CXT's facility at Velox, WA to anywhere on UP's lines east and north Wyoming. These trains run as needed.

Locals also operate out of Wallua, Spokane, Trentwood and Sandpoint. The trains listed above are the most common, other symbol freights do operate over the Washy, but they are infrequent. 

Timetable for the Ayer Sub       TW=Track Warrant

Scanner Frequencies

Disclaimer: Nothing in this guide or anywhere on this website, expressed or implied, gives you the right to trespass or tamper with private property. You are simply liable for your own actions!!!