The "Highball" originally was not a local, but a through train between Spokane and Lewiston. It returned within the 16 hour day allowed at the time. The only intermediate points they worked were Palouse and Pullman; all of this on the P&L branch. The "Kettle Turn" is kind of the same thing; makes a turn to Kettle Falls and does not do any station work at intermediate stations.

Almost all the locals originated at either Yardley (Spokane) or Pasco and generally were known by the name of the branch or in some cases the endpoint or basepoint town.

CW local. Ran the CW branch out to Coulee City one day and back the next.
Kendrick local. Ran the P&L to Kendrick. Same deal, down on day 1 back on day 2.
Pullman Switcher. Ran Pullman - Moscow - Joel (as needed) and the Genesee branch
Connell Northern. Ran a turn to Wheeler and Adrian if required. Ran out of Pasco.
Coeur D'Alene local. Ran east on mainline to Hauser Jct then down the CDA branch. This train exists today. They run between Yardley and Hauser yard as needed and one day a week take loads west for the Geiger spur.
There is also a new local, the Trentwood switcher. They spend most of their time at the industrial park.

As business on the P&L dwindled, the "highball" did become more of a local; especially after the BN quit running beyond Moscow. The "highball" name did survive the sale of the P&L to Watco in 1996 for a year or so. This version of BN's highball was a catch all job that worked anywhere from Cheney to Rathdrum, as needed. They may have even run the Geiger spur before it was sold.

The GN lines in the Palouse from 1953 to merger were accessed via UP trackage rights from Spokane to Fairfield and then over a 7 mile (1953 built) connection to "West Fairfield". This practice was discontinued at merger and stations on the GN were accessed from the nearest NP connection. For a period there was a "Rosalia switcher" which handled the Colfax line as well as the GN line north to Spring Valley and Mt. Hope. Since the GN Moscow line generally paralled the NP's P&L line, many of the middle sections of the GN line were quickly abandoned and the remaining stations were served from the nearest P&L station. An example would be the GN line from Palouse to Moscow. It was abandoned between Viola and Estis. Viola was served from Palouse and Estis from Moscow. Eventually all of the former GN line segments remaining were abandoned, leaving some large elevators like Steptoe and Cashup without any rail service.

Please understand that I am writing much of this from my pre BN knowledge basis. I was not around the Spokane area in the early days after the BN merger on 3/2/70, but was living in Olympia at that time.

Bruce Butler