Hub. 1. The center of a wheel, fan, or propeller. 2. A center of activity or interest; a focal point. Without digging up the actual article from my collection, I believe Hastings probably used the word "center" instead of "hub." And he was referring not just to the physical hub of Spokane but to the large number of different road names that operated through Spokane in his day. Today, most of those names are gone, but much of their physical plant is still there in consolidated and realigned form, handling more tonnage than Hastings would have ever imagined. But your points are well taken. However, look at a contemporary map. Spokane has more real spokes radiating from its hub than Seattle, and at least as many as Portland/Vancouver. Real spokes meaning actual main line corridors, along with important branch lines more than just five or ten miles in length. And since you counted Portland/Vancouver as one hub, we could add BNSF's yard at Hauser, ID, and its junction with MRL at Sandpoint as part of the Spokane hub, which is how BNSF views it anyway. Most BNSF manifests running through Spokane with M or H symbols to stop for work at Yardley or Hauser, while others originate or terminate there including symbols running Spokane-Everett, Spokane-Pasco, Spokane-Longview Jct., Spokane-Laurel, Spokane-Kettle Falls, and others. BNSF Z and occasional Q trains make routine stops at the Parkwater intermodal ramp. Vehicle, Stack, and Q trains also exchange blocks frequently at Hauser or Yardley. Did I mention that roughly one-third of this traffic east of Spokane is coming/going via MRL? Now, over on UP, it's true that unit grain and potash trains skate through town (when they're lucky) without work, but manifests to/from the Canadian border usually have work at Trentwood on Spokane's east side, and UP's Spokane-Hinkle symbols originate/terminate out of Spokane. Not to forget UP's lengthy branch service out of Spokane to Fairfield, WA, and Plummer, ID, and Watco short lines feeding into BNSF connections near the edge of Spokane's city limits. They may be light on tonnage and carloads, but they're part of that originating/terminating hub action you mentioned. For the record, I didn't imply one way or the other regarding Spokane's daily train count. Yes, Seattle-Portland adds passenger runs to the mix. But those terminating grain/stack trains you mentioned, with the exception of those running via UP over the Blue Mountains or Cascades, must funnel through Spokane at some point. Total tonnage-wise, I'd wager Spokane's doubletrack between Sunset Junction and Napa Street handles more BNSF and UP trains than any single stretch of main line in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, or Portland.