From the future wye on the north side with the connector that will give access to the C&NW east-west line, and the 2,826 ft. siding and 2,500 ft. spur at Nevada (MP 107.0), the line heads east-northeast, single track, Automatic Block System, maximum speed 30 mph, past a bridge carrying the C&NW east-west main line overhead, where the line turns north, a 1,150 ft. spur at Fernald (MP 113.4), the 4,438 ft. siding and 1,400 ft. spur at McCallsburg (MP 119.8), where there is a flat crossing with the former Minneapolis & St. Louis, the 3,012 ft. siding and 1,250 ft. spur at Garden City (MP 125.4), a former flat crossing with an erstwhile C&NW line, a 1,100 ft. spur at Sherman (MP 133.0), and the 6,171 ft. siding and 6,511 foot spur at Buckeye (MP 137.5).
The line turns north-northeast, just north of due east alongside the Illinois Central Gulf at the 4,103 ft. siding at Purina (MP 146.3), northeast past a 750 ft. spur and yard at Iowa Falls (MP 147.4), a bridge over the Iowa River, and a flat crossing with a Rock Island line and then one with the Illinois Central Gulf at Mills (MP 147.7), and north, past the 4,191 ft. siding. 1,900 ft. spur and yard at Argon (MP 148.2), the 4,007 ft. siding and 5,076 ft. spur at Bradford (MP 155.4), Reeve, the 2,660 ft. siding and 1,950 ft. spur at Hampton (MP 163.7), a flat crossing with the former CGW at C&NW crossing (MP 164.1), a former flat crossing with an erstwhile M&StL line, an 850 ft. spur at Chapin (MP 170.1), and the 6,111 ft. siding and 1,250 ft. spur at Sheffield (MP 174.5).
There is a 2,800 ft. spur at Hurley (MP 182.2), the 4,780 ft. siding at Flint (MP 190.5), where the former CGW trails in from the west and the line turns northeast, the yard at Clear Lake Junction (MP 191.1), where there is a flat crossing with the Iowa Traction Railroad, with 600v DC overhead, a turn to the north with a former M&StL line joins (or will join in the future) on the east side, a flat crossing with the Milwaukee Road at Bear Trap (MP 192.0), the yard at Mason City (MP 192.6), with the right-of-way of the M&StL alongside to the east, 12th Street, where there is an angled flat crossing with the C&NW, a spur on the east side for Holom Cement, a bridge over a C&NW spur, a spur on the west side for United Sugar, Freeman, and the yard and junction with the line from Cedar Rapids, on the east side, at Manly (MP 202.1).