Talk:Spokane Subdivision

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End points

There's inconsistent information about the endpoints of this subdivision. The 2006 Northwest Division ETT (#3) puts it as Spokane-Lakeside Junction, with the Kootenai River Sub extending from Whitefish to Spokane. The current BNSF Subdivision Map reflects this. However, the individual division maps [1] [2] show an expanded Spokane Sub. Mackensen (talk) 15:02, 16 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I would love to figure this out. This dispute may affect information in three other subdivisions (two of which have Wikis). I am curious if BNSF has enacted changes to their timetables in the last ten years. The first endpoint dispute lies in the Latah Valley, just west and southwest of downtown Spokane. In that valley, the Spokane Sub becomes the Lakeside Sub, and somewhere in this transition, there is also a jct. with the Columbia River Sub. Two employee timetables: NW Division #3 (2006), and NW Division #4 (2009) detail information that contrasts significantly with information on this page (and also should be more clearly distinguished and documented), particularly the route map. If these time tables are still accurate, the Spokane Sub should start in Downtown Spokane, proceeding west. At Sunset JCT, the Spokane Sub goes west over the High Bridge and Latah Creek, while the Lakeside Sub begins and proceeds south. After crossing the Latah Valley, the High Bridge y's (Latah Jct.) wherein the Spokane Sub turns south, and the Columbia River Sub begins to the north. The Lakeside and Spokane subs continue south and then west (towards Cheney) on separate sides of the valley. Near Marshall, the Union Pacific tracks spur off (ending the shared usage portion), and soon after, the Spokane Sub ends where it meets up at Lakeside Jct. and continues to Pasco as the Lakeside Sub. In total, the Spokane Sub is only roughly 11 miles long.

In addition, these timetables, plus the Montana Division #8 (2009), state that the BNSF route starting west of Downtown Spokane is actually all part of the Kootenai River Sub, which goes from Spokane through Sandpoint, ID (where the NW Div becomes the MT Div) and then all the way to Whitefish, MT.

Sources: (BNSF Employee Timetables) Columbia River Subdivision NW#3(2006), NW#4 (2009); Kootenai River Subdivision MT#7 (2007), NW#8 (2009); Lakeside Subdivision NW#3(2006), NW#4 (2009); Spokane Subdivision NW#3(2006), NW#4 (2009)

I hold one major reservation with changing all the information on the pages of the Spokane and Lakside Subs to reflect this information since the routemap was actually constructed using the NW Division #5 Timetables. This source is not easily accessed, and I have not seen it, but may reflect a restructuring to the way BNSF labels these sections of track. In addition, the sources provided in the comment above (from Mackenson) are dead links. So I wonder what the proper plan of action should be. Should this page be changed to reflect the information from timetables 3/4 (that is now over 10 years old), or should this page assume that the information and routemap is reflective of a major change to the "subdivision allotments" that references a timetable and other information that I personally cannot verify? Would love to hear other input and try to sort out a tangible plan for this dispute. Does anyone have anything that more closely reflects the content of this page?

Thanks! --LoganNT (talk) 13:58, 29 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

An update: A blogpost from BNSF in 2018 refers to a section of track from Spokane to Hauser as a part of the "Spokane Subdivision." It seems that some of the Kootenai River Sub has been siphoned off to the Spokane Sub since 2009 (likely between Spokane and Sandpoint). To raise some purely speculatory musings: It is possible that the Lakeside Sub also underwent some revision in this process. I hypothesize that both tracks heading west out of Spokane along the Latah Valley have been placed into the Lakeside Sub. --LoganNT (talk) 02:13, 1 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]