I had plans to be at Warden, WA on Saturday 1-23-10 for a 1:00PM open house of the ex-Milwaukee Road depot turned museum in town. 

I left home early enough to spend an hour or so around Providence Hill first.  It wasn’t much time but it had been awhile since I was last there.  Just as well I’d just planned an hour as the weather was very overcast all the way over.  Coming down the hill on Highway 26 towards the Hatton-Cunningham Road I debated which way to turn, right to Hatton or left to Cunningham?  My decision was made for me as I watched three BNSF C44-9W’s on an autorack train motor under the overpass headed east.  A left turn was made and as I headed towards Providence Summit I heard the dispatcher talking to someone on “Connell Radio” about a detector giving a wrong axle count of their train.  Could be something else coming.  Past Cunningham I noticed the road was very wet and it appeared I was right behind a rain shower!  Kind of a surprise.  I arrived at the Summit well ahead of the train photographing it at 11:46 AM.   

Leading the V-PTLLPC8 were BNSF 4371/5075/5389 and note the “peach” 5389 which has a lighter shade of faded orange.

About 5 minutes after the train was by I heard a meet on the scanner.  Had to be the V-train meeting a westbound I figured so I got out of the truck and listened to see if I could hear anything.  All I could hear was horns blowing, to the west.  There was an eastbound coming all right.  Then after a few more moments I heard something climbing the grade from the east.  Westbound.  So I set up for the westbound which turned out to be loaded coal train C-SCMRBE0-13A with units 5808/6080 up front.

After the head end was by at 12:02 PM I waited for the DPU’s to pass expecting the eastbound to charge around the curve before the westbound cleared.  Luckily that did not happen and the coal trains DPU’s BNSF 9918/5629 were by long before the eastbound showed.  But I could hear it coming and at 12:10 PM the Z-PTLCHC with units 978/4620/4886 came around the curve towards the summit of Providence Hill.

Cresting the hill and starting downgrade. 

The old Milwaukee Road line is off in the distance but the tracks are gone with nothing but the ROW left from Warden past here to the east.  With the Z-train by it was time to head towards Warden for the open house but even though it was overcast I was still happy to have seen the three trains on Providence Hill.  Not bad for less than a 30 minute wait!

Saturday morning 12-12-09 I was in Spokane after a good trip to Montana to photograph the MRL.  It was a cold overcast day but after taking some photos around Spokane of the former NP depot and a few ex-NP overpasses I headed west towards home on I-90.  I didn’t see any trains at all past Sprague but I got off the freeway at the Tokio scales exit and followed the tracks towards Ritzville.  In the siding at Tokio was a westbound grain train with KCS power on the head end and on the DPU.  So I decided to go into Ritzville to wait on it for some photos.  Normally on a day like this I would not have bothered but the KCS power made it a little more interesting.  Soon one eastbound grain empty went by, then the eastbound Z-PTLCHC and lastly an eastbound autorack train.  Busiest I have seen the Lakeside Sub in a long time!  At 12:47 PM the westbound with BNSF 4528/KCS 3973 up front went by.

Then a back shot of the DPU power BNSF 4830/KCS 4694 passing by the former NP Ritzville depot, now a museum.

After it had gone I continued west towards Moses Lake.  As I neared the Warden exit I decided to get off and head south to see what Columbia Basin power was there.  On my trip to the MRL I did not see any MRL GP9’s and knowing there were a few ex-NP’s on the CBRW I hoped they might be at Warden today.  After driving the 8 miles to Warden I was pleased to see both the 302 and 1626 were here along with two non-NP locomotives.  All were running and the 1626 even had ditch lights on.

But as it was Saturday no crews were around.  I figured they were running as it was well below freezing so the railroad wanted to keep the engines from freezing up.  The 302 was over on the other side.

Then I drove back to I-90 and continued west.  I crossed Snoqualmie Pass as it was getting dark but the road was bare and dry making it an easy drive home.

Sunday morning July 12, 2009 I was in Spokane, WA headed home after spending a few days on the MRL.  My plan was to take pictures around Spokane before heading west.  However it was overcast and the scanner was very quiet so I left earlier than I had planned.  Heading west the clouds were getting darker the closer I got to Sprague.  Though it was overcast I wanted some photos of the former NP depot so I got off I-90 and headed into town.  I noticed it was getting new coat of paint.  The solid white it wore in BN days was being replaced.  Here is a photo from the North B street grade crossing.

The Sprague depot was originally west of B street but was moved to the east side a number of years ago.  This next photo is from the east end of the depot.

I then went up the hill overlooking the depot and tracks.  As I was taking this photo the rain started to fall.

I quickly went down to the depot and stood under the eves until the shower ended.  I decided I ought to get a photo of me with the Sprague depot so I set the camera up on the bay window and took a self portrait.

I went back to the car and as I was leaving took one more photo from the other side of the tracks. 

I can’t wait to see the depot once it is finished.  Not sure what the plans for it are though.  Perhaps a museum?  A westbound train appeared under the highway overpass with a filthy H1 C44-9W leading.  Still it was something to follow towards Ritzville.  I could see clearing to the west and hoped the sun would be out by Ritzville.  It was filtered enough for a photo at the east switch of Ritzville but still not brightly sunlit. 

It was a nice lashup with BNSF 1055/BNSF 5247/CSX 7692 leading a V-train.  (with a cut of garbage cars on the head end)  I then stopped in Ritzville and first got a photo of the NP built tool shed.

And lastly a broadside view of the Ritzville depot.

I then got back on I-90 and headed west for home.

This is a continuation of my Thursday 7-9-09 drive across Eastern Washington to Spokane and the MRL. 

After leaving Warden I headed the 8 miles back to I-90 and east to Ritzville.  I wanted to check out the late afternoon light at the depot for some photos on the street side.

The shadows were kind of long but the light was pretty nice.  My first photo of the west end of the depot was taken at 6:20 PM.

Here is a view showing the north/west side of the depot turned museum.

This last view shows part of the brick platform at the west end of the building.  I am not sure if these are original NP installed bricks but I would like to find out for sure.

At the east end of the depot/museum is this NP painted caboose that has seen its colors fade over the years.  It is not an actual NP caboose but a former BN built painted up to look like one.  Thus the number 10425 as the NP cabooses were numbered 10400-10424.

Before leaving for Spokane I took one last photo through the fence of the old NP tool shed across the tracks.  A very simple building but I still do not know what BNSF stores in there!

Then it was back onto I-90 and east for Spokane where I was going to spend the night.  Really had a great day photographing things ex-NP!

As the Columbia Basin Railway operates between Connell and Moses Lake, WA interchanging with the BNSF on the Lakeside Sub at Connell it made the most sense to make this update here. 

Driving across Eastern Washington Thursday afternoon July 9, 2009 on my way to the MRL in Montana one of my goals was to get off I-90 just past Moses Lake and drive to Warden, WA and see what locomotives were at the Columbia Basins engine facility.  I knew that ex-WCRC GP9 302 had been seen there at times and as it was a former NP GP9 I thought I should take a look.

In all my trips across the state I have never gone up to Warden.  Past Moses Lake came the exit and I was headed south to Warden.  I had no idea of how far it was or where the motive power was kept.  But it was sunny (though high clouds were headed east fast) and I was just driving to Spokane tonight so I had plenty of time to explore.

It was about an 8 mile drive before I came into town.  I turned right crossing the former Milwaukee Road mainline, still intact here at Warden and a few blocks later came up to the ex-NP facility to my left.  Lots of power here and I could not believe my eyes.  A GP9 painted in BNSF’s H1 scheme.  I knew it must be the 1626 and sure enough it was.  CBRW picked up this former NP GP9 in 2000 and it was high nosed at the time.  It was chopped later on but from the rear it still has the NP’s long hood!  It was only recently I learned this GP9 was even in Washington state!   Last I’d heard the 1626 was working the Gibbon branch near Prosser.  It had been interchanged to BNSF at Gibbon and sent to Yakima.  Then the trail went cold.  I figured it must still be at Yakima and wanted to spend some time there trying to locate it but never had the chance.  And now here I was looking at it, although it was the third unit in the lashup.  There were two sets of power here, that one with the 1626 and a two unit set with the GP9 302 facing me!  As I got out of the car I heard the engine consist with 1626 rev up and start backing away from me!  But the power tied onto a string of cars on the main track and pulled up to the yard office and stopped.

Power was three 9’s, the 171/2282/1626 (SD9/GP9u/GP9). 

The crew then pulled ahead over the crossing and I got my 1626 photos.  CBRW 1626 is the former BNSF 1626 built as the NP 328 and after the BN merger became the BN 1913.

The front end view shows the chopped short hood.  At least CBRW tried to match the orange paint!

I then walked over to the CBRW 302 for a photo of this ex-NP GP9 and SD9 166 trailing it.

Built as the NP 306 in 1957 it became BN 1754 after the 1970 merger.  Retired by BN 12/85 it went to Washington Central, had the nose chopped and became WCRC 302.  It and GP9 301 (another former NP GP9) worked the Spirit of Washington dinner train out of Renton, WA before being replaced by F-units.  In the mid-1990’s BNSF bought back the Yakima main line from Washington Central and the 302 ended up working the short lines kept by the newly formed Columbia Basin Railway which is why it is now on the old NP Connell Northern Line.

To my surprise the train with the 1626 stopped and started backing up again giving me a chance to photograph the 1626 in the consist again.

After stopping at the yard office again I noticed the 1626 and 302 were lined up to be in the same photo so I took advantage of the situation.

A crew was now on the 166 and started moving forward taking the 302 with them.  I managed one last shot of the 302 before they moved further away.

I felt the trip could not have started any better!  Two former NP GP9’s bagged on the first day!  I was very pleased.  But the day wasn’t over yet.  I still had to go to Spokane and wanted to stop at Ritzville first.

On Friday morning May 22, 2009 I was at Pasco, WA hoping to photograph some trains on the former NP line around Pasco.  It was a beautiful sunny morning and I was waiting in the park at the east end of the long bridge over the Columbia River hoping for an eastbound.  While most of Pasco is on the BNSF’s Lakeside Sub a short stretch from SP&S Jct to MP 231 near the engine terminal is the far eastern end of the Fallbridge Sub stretching all the way from Portland, OR to Pasco.  Since the bridge to the engine terminal was a part of the NP mainline I will include it here on the Lakeside Sub Blog report.

Not much was going on so I decided to check out the old NP signal bridge at the east end of the Columbia River Bridge.  New signals are already in place and working but the signal bridge still stands for now, minus signals.  No telling when it might be removed so I thought I’d better get a photo while it was still here.

Next I walked up to the levee to get a look at the Columbia River Bridge.  It was very impressive!  I then took some photos at various angles.

Note how the three spans on the far west end are different from the six spans to the right of the lift span.

Now for the technical stuff.  The bridge is 2659′ long and 65′ high which I am guessing is from the tops of the ties to the bottom of the river channel.  The 9 spans are 250′ long each and the lift truss is 307′.  Build dates show as 1906-1907.  A date of 1955 is also given which may be for the lift span.  I will have to do some more research.  In remarks there is a note of “piers 1955″ which is around the time the new Pasco Hump was completed.  After awhile the light started to turn bad so I decided to head over to the yard and get some photos of what NP buildings I might find.

I knew there was an old NP tool shed similar to the ones at Connell and Ritzville near the engine terminal so I first stopped there and snapped a photo of it before continuing east.

There is another NP signal bridge here as well with new signals also in place on either side of it but they are not in use yet so the signal bridge is still in service.  It is a better late afternoon photo so it will have to wait for another time.  I drove along the yard to Glade and came back on the other side.  I have never photographed the Hump Tower so I finally got my first photo of it.

Then I continued west beyond the car repair shops and photographed a couple of old buildings I thought might have been built by the Northern Pacific.

Then I photographed the old NP car repair shops before heading back to the west end of the yard.

Waiting back at the Columbia River bridge around 11:30 AM the westbound M-PASINB announced they were ready to leave the yard and head west on the Yakima Valley Sub.  I was hoping the PASINB would not leave until early afternoon but at least I had a train to follow towards home.  I have more photos I would like to take around Pasco but they can wait for another day.

There has been talk that BNSF wants the the now empty Cheney depot removed from its current location.  As I had plans to be in Spokane the weekend of May 2-3 the timing was right for me to get some photos of the building.  I arrived a bit after 2:00 PM but the light was pretty harsh being mainly directly on the west end.  The sides had no sun on them at all.  However I did photograph it as the shadow made the lights on the side of the building stand out.

I also took a photo of the west end of the Mission style building.  Northern Pacific built this depot in 1929.

I figured to get some late afternoon photos when the sun moved further north giving better light on the sides of the depot.  So while waiting for that to happen I followed a train down to Empire where the bridge over Latah Creek at Milepost 3.3 is located.  I wanted a photo of this structure located just west of Spokane as well.

Empire has a siding so the bridge here is double tracked.  It was built in 1921 and is 58′ high and 249′ long.  147′ of that is DRT (deck reinforced truss) right in the middle of the bridge.  I have not photographed a westbound on this bridge as most westbounds use the former SP&S line out of Spokane to Lakeside Jct.  It is the eastbounds that use the former NP over the bridge.

Back at Cheney later in the afternoon the light was indeed much better.  While the BNSF’s Lind Turn was in town cars blocking the depot were pulled out giving a wide open view on the north/west side.  I took advantage and got a number of photos before the local re-spotted the cars.

The west end with the arches.

The center of the depot

And the far east end.

The following morning I headed from Spokane back up to the Cheney depot to get some photos from the south/east side before attending the Mike Gelhaus open house of his former NP passenger cars.  It was a fine sunny morning.  Here is an overall view of the depot.

And this view shows the center of the depot.  It looks as if there was an NP monad above the “Cheney” sign at one time.  I can’t see any other reason for that raised circle up there!

And one last photo of the arches as the west end of the building and the arches. 

I was hoping BNSF would run an eastbound but there were no trains at all the entire morning through Cheney.  Still I was satisfied with the photos I had taken and headed back towards Spokane to see those former NP North Coast Limited passenger cars.

This is a continuation report of my drive across eastern Washington May 1, 2009 heading to Spokane.  The first part covering the Stampede Sub can be found here:

http://stampedesubblog.qstation.org/?p=251

The second part of my short detour down the Yakima Valley Sub to Umtanum can be found here:

http://yakimavalleysubblog.qstation.org/?p=57

The reason for my trip across Washington state was the open house for Mike Gelhaus’s former NP passenger cars was this weekend of May 2-3 at Spokane.  So on Friday morning May 1, 2009 I was headed east, following the former Northern Pacific.  After photographing a train on both the Stampede Sub and the Yakima Valley Sub catching something on the Lakeside Sub naturally came next.  Besides viewing the passenger cars another goal was to photograph the ex-NP Cheney depot as there is speculation it is to be removed soon.  BNSF MOW has already moved out so the building is vacant.  The time to photograph it was now before it’s too late.  Coming into Ritzville, WA about 1:04 PM I could see the headlight of a westbound down the tracks.  The light was very poor and it was just a grain train with an H2 C44-9W leading so I let it go continuing towards Cheney.  I wanted to be there by 2 PM in hopes of seeing a westbound passing the depot which I thought would be a good photo.

I was in Cheney shortly after 2:00 so now I would have to wait and see if BNSF would send a westbound out of Spokane.  Luck was on my side as I shortly heard BNSF 4569 West calling out signals headed my way!  At 2:17 PM the M-LAUPAS with 4569/4417/4354/4799 was by the depot and I had a good photo of it.

Looks like there are some “peaches” still left out there.  Made the lead unit stand out anyway.  With that train gone I made the mistake of not thinking something may be behind it and started towards Marshall.  Sure enough near Anderson Road I could see the cars of a westbound grain train moving.  A quick U-turn and I was even with the head end through Cheney.  The Lead unit was BNSF 6602, one of those new GE’s.  Would have been nice going by the depot!  I settled for a shot past Babb at a grade crossing.  Here BNSF 6602/5064 are on the head end at 2:51 PM.

Bringing up the rear was BNSF GE’s 7275/4553.

Back at Cheney I could hear this train passing a Ballast train with the BNSF 4081 leading at Missile Base which then got permission to head east.  Another goal I had on my list was the Latah Creek Bridge at Empire.  It would be backlit but it’s a broadside so that does not really matter.  Besides, it is one of the most scenic shots on the whole Lakeside Sub.

Once the 4081 was close to Cheney I started east past Marshall down to Empire and set up overlooking the creek.  It was really a pleasant scene and I almost missed the train admiring the shot!  I figured a loaded ballast train would come down slow but this train snuck up on me a lot quicker than I thought it’d be.  Managed to get the shot anyway and the two units, 4081/5525 fit quite nicely on the bridge with a few of BNSF’s newest ballast cars following.

The solid train of new BNSF cars looked nice so I took a photo of them stretched out on the bridge. 

Once the train was by at 4:35 PM I headed back up to Cheney.  There was still plenty of light left.  BNSF’s westbound Lind Turn was next arriving at 5:10 PM behind 5182/5495/2344.

The big GE’s were a surprise on the local!  The train stopped and worked the yard at Cheney.  This gave me a chance to photograph BNSF 2344, and ex-SLSF GP38-2 in the new image scheme.

The 2344 and I have a personal tie from more than 20 years ago.  Back in 1987 when it was the BN 2344 I rode it and the BN 2341 on the Paradise Local pre-MRL to Thompson Falls and back.  Now I found myself face to face with that same GP38-2 but wearing a new black and orange paint job.  I will have to do a “before and after” for the BNSF 2344 like the reunion report I made with BNSF 2341 back in 2007:

http://railfanreports.qstation.org/story10.html

It was good to see the 2344 again.  The Lind Turn backed past the Cheney depot and I took a lot of photos including this one.

Then the local cleared out all of the cars that were blocking the depot leaving the north side of it wide open for photos!  I had a lot of fun shooting from different angles.  Here is a simple complete view.

I noticed another railfan nearby and it turned out to be Roger Beckett.  I have seen a number of his photos from around Tacoma.  He was going to be at the open house tomorrow as well.  As we talked the BNSF 5182 re-spotted some cars blocking in the depot again but at least I had gotten some great shots of the structure.  Roger then left for Spokane but I stuck around figuring the Lind Turn would be heading towards Lind.  Turns out they didn’t.  In fact once the train was rearranged the crew called up the dispatcher to head east to Spokane.  I was already a mile of so west of Cheney waiting and once I realizing it wasn’t coming west I quickly headed back to town.  The train was still performing an air test so I had no problem getting ahead if it.  I drove down towards Scribner and waited for the train to come.  It seemed to take forever and I was afraid the sun would be down behind the hills before it finally showed up but the wait was worth it.  And look what’s leading. 

The 2344 looked great with those two H2 C44-9W’s where they belonged, behind it.  It was 7:00 PM when I walked back to the truck and headed for the motel to check in for the night.  It had been a great day and tomorrow would be the open house starting at noon in Spokane.  This was shaping up to be a really fun and productive weekend.

While my main goal was to photograph trains I was also searching for NP bridges and buildings on a day trip 4-16-09 to the Lakeside Sub.  There is not much left from the Northern Pacific era between Hatton and Lind, especially when you consider the line is now double tracked from Cunningham to Sand on the east side of Providence Hill.

While no NP buildings remain at Lind some bridges can still be found between there and Paha.  A short one at Lind is at Milepost 81.6 and at first thought it was an BN replacement but after a closer look decided it was indeed NP with a railing and walkway added to it later.  This 2 track coulee bridge was built in 1954 and is 3 RCT.  It is 48′ long and 8′ high. 

Where the state highway from Lind crosses the ex-NP just before 395 is a nice looking 8 RCT creek bridge built in 1928 at MP 79.  This bridge is 128′ long and 16′ high.  While it is notes being a creek bridge it must be a dry creek as I have never seen water running underneath it.

A little further to the east is a 4 RCT bridge that can be seen from 395 at MP 77.  This 64′ long by 15′ high bridge was built in 1927.  The area around it is pretty dry and the bridge tends to blend into the background.

There is not much NP to be seen between Paha and Ritzville.  But the depot and tool shed at Ritzville are honest to gosh NP built.  This depot was constructed in 1909 and today is a museum. 

The tool shed is similar to the one at Connell but no longer has the vent on the roof, removed sometime during the past few years.

There is nothing NP related between Ritzville and Sprague Siding worth noting.

As Thursday April 16 was my birthday I thought I would celebrate by heading over to Eastern Washington and the Lakeside Sub.  On my last visit a few weeks previous I concentrated on the area between Hatton an Connell so this time I planned to spend most of my time to the east between Hatton and Ritzville.

It took a bit longer than expected to get over to Hatton and it was around 11:00 AM as I turned onto the Lind-Hatton Road towards Cunningham and over Providence Hill.  Like the last time the weather was perfect.  Sunny and mild.  I stopped east of Lind to photograph a few old NP concrete RCT bridges and continued east to Ritzville since there wasn’t much rail action going on.  It was almost noon so I figured I’d get some lunch in Ritzville when as to be expected I spotted a westbound grain train headed out of town.  Well at least BNSF was running trains today!

Turning around and getting ahead of the train I soon heard it call out an approach for Paha so I knew there was going to be a meet here.  Turned out to be the eastbound Z-PTLCHC.  The eastbound was backlit but I wanted to photograph the meet anyway.  Here is the BNSF 7235/8223/4396 coming into Paha at 12:30 PM on the Z-train.

And the back shot showing BNSF 7235 East meeting BNSF 7699 West at Paha.

The westbound grain then left and I thought a photo at one of the concrete bridges I’d photographed on the drive here might be good.  BNSF 7699/1102 between Paha and Lind at MP 77.

Another bridge is just to the west at MP 79 so I got the DPU there.  Here is BNSF 4608/4643 on the rear of the westbound.  As can be seen the sun angle was not the greatest as the sun is pretty high this time of day.

Still hungry I headed back to Ritzville with a few goals in mind.  I wanted to photograph the depot and a small NP tool shed similar to the one at Connell.  Of course lunch was still on the list!  Coming into Ritzville for the second time I drove up to the depot and as I parked could hear horns blowing in the distance.  I could see a train coming and noticed a high mounted headlight right off.  At least I knew it wasn’t going to be a BNSF GE leading.  To my surprise it was a Grinstein SD70MAC leading a coal train!  And not just one but a pair of them on the head end!

As BNSF 9640/9605 passed by at 1:03 PM I knew lunch was going to be delayed again.  On the rear were BNSF DPU’s 9968/9139.  The sun angle was still not very good but the BNSF 9640 was calling me to follow it.  So west out of Ritzville I went again!  Like the grain train it called out an approach to Paha and stopped there on the main.  They were told by the dispatcher the westbound Z was going to run around them at Paha.  I could hear the BNSF 4802 calling out the approach and they quickly were down the siding and out the west end at 1:29 PM headed for Pasco and on to Portland.

After the Z-CHCPTL was gone the BNSF 9640 was on the move again.  Here the train is leaving Paha.

I could hear the BNSF 7601 West meeting the Z-train at Tokio so I stayed at Paha to photograph it.  It soon called out an approach to Essig and took the siding there.  There was another westbound following it and they soon found out they’d be the victims of a “run around” and as they were being passed I could hear “why are they letting you around us?” I was just west of Paha at the inside of the curve so I could photograph this train on a curve rather than another straight on shot.  I was pleased to see another EMD leading this train, the BNSF 8221. 

Leading this general merchandise train was the 8221/4570/4821.  I can see why the crew of the 7601 was wondering why this train was running around them. After they were by at 2:32 PM I gave chase to get another photo.  I made it Providence Summit and got another photo there topping the grade.

And then a back shot as the power is heading downgrade while most of the train is still climbing Providence Hill.

I was hoping they might stop at Cunningham but they rolled right on through.  But I set up for the BNSF 7601 in the Coulees west of Hatton as I could hear was right behind.  Heading downgrade BNSF 7601/5285 slowly made their way through the Coulees at 3:34 PM.

I was hoping some eastbounds would come but it was pretty quiet until I heard horns blowing up at Cunningham.  Another westbound.  I set up near the old grain elevator in Hatton for the BNSF 4018/4397 leading another general merchandise train. 

They were by at 4:13 PM and then it got really quiet.  I was surprised there were no eastbounds!  Finally around 5:45 PM I could hear the BNSF 4186 West calling out an approach to Cunningham.  They stopped and shortly after 6:00 PM I could hear an eastbound finally coming.  Still in the Hatton area I photographed the general merchandise train with 6171/CSX 5311/7698 crossing an old NP concrete bridge in rather low light.

Bringing up the rear was DPU 5842 shown here heading into Hatton.

I then drove up to the Highway 26 overpass for the westbound leaving once the eastbound cleared single track.  At 6:19 PM the BNSF 4186/755 leading a loaded grain train were leaving Cunningham in some nice low light.

I waited for the DPU which was a single BNSF GE and photographed it trailing off towards Hatton.

At that point I knew it was time to start heading for home.  It had been a really good day and a fine way to spend my birthday!