For northbound train 58, darkness falls in northern Mississippi, and dawn occurs in central Illinois. For southbound train 59, darkness falls in northern Illinois, and dawn may occur as far north as Memphis. Both ways, the route from Memphis to central Illinois is covered in darkness. The line coming from Memphis heads northeast to the north end of the freight bypass (trailing in, double track, ABS, from the south) at Woodstock (MP 380.4), and continues northeast past Lucy Junction, where it becomes single track, CTC, speed limit 79-60-50, Lucy, a detector at MP 376.6, Millington (MP 374.0), Kerrville, a 70-50 curve at MP 370.8, the 10,241 ft. siding on the west side at Tipton (MP 367.1), where an industrial spur once trailed in from the south, a 5,465 ft. siding on the west side at Atoka (MP 364.2), Brighton, where a curvy section starts with curve speeds of 60-45, 50-40 and then several at 70-50, the 4,365 ft. siding at Covington (MP 352.3, 40 mph on street crossings), curves at 70-50, 50 mph, and then two at 60-50, the 11,456 ft. siding on the east side at Rialto (MP 347.5), after the curves have ended, a bridge with 40 mph speed limit at MP 347, Henning, a detector at MP 341.3, two curves with 60-50 and then 45 mph from MP 338.8 past Ripley (MP 337.6) to MP 337.1.
Another curvy section starts with 60-50 at MP 336, and curves with 70-50, 45 mph, and 70-50, past an 11,174 ft, siding on the east side at Curve (MP 330.9), and curves at 70-5045 mph, 60-50 and 70-50, finally turning north at Gates, past Halls (MP 325.0), South Fork and Fawlkes, turning northeast (speed limit 45-40 at the 25,327 ft. siding on the east side at Dyersburg (MP 314.2), where there is a flat crossing and northeast quadrant connector with the Tennken Railroad, most of which is west of the flat crossing (extending to the east bank of the Mississippi), past curves with speed limits of 45-40, 60-50, 70-50, and 60-50, Newbern (MP 305.2), another 60-50 curve, and a detector at MP 303.7, a turn north (speed limit 60-50) past the 13,767 ft. siding on the east side at Trimble (MP 298.0), two more 70-50 curves and Obion, where it turns northeast (60-50 on the curve), past Polk, Moffatt, where a branch from Troy once trailed in from the west, the 16,287 ft. siding on the west side at Rives (MP 283.5, speed limit 50 mph on street crossings and on curves either side of town), where a branch to Union City diverges to the north, Gibbs where an L&N line once crossed at grade, Harris, Oaks (MP 270.8), where the Bluford cutoff line turns north-northeast past the large yard at Fulton, just north of the Kentucky state line, while the main line continues northeast and turns north-northwest at the wye at Fulton Junction (MP ??/406.1), where the speed limit is 25 mph and a line north from Jackson trails in from the south-southeast.
The Bluford Cutoff leaves the mainline to the east, here, crossing the Ohio west of Paducah, where IC’s locomotive shops are located, and rejoining the mainline at Edgewood.