From Troutdale (MP 15.6), where the speed limit is 45 mph, the Graham Line trails in on the south side, and the Kenton Line trails in from the west on the north side of the line, the single track, CTC, line heads east, past the 10,617 ft. siding at Sandy (MP 15.9, where the speed limit is 60 mph, to MP 18.1, where it is 45 mph), bridging across an inlet just east of the west end of the siding, coming along the south side of the Columbia River, east of the siding, at the west end of the Columbia River Gorge and running at the base of the cliffs on the south side of the gorge and line, and passing Corbett, and 654 ft. Tunnel 1 (MP 21.1), edging curvily east-northeast and passing Rooster Rock, a detector at MP 23.0, where the speed limit is 65 mph, the 5,360 ft. siding at Bridal Veil (MP 26.0-MP 27.4), where the speed limit is 50 mph, Multnomah Falls, Oneonta, the 10,617 ft. siding at Dodson (MP 32.3), where the speed limit is still 50 mph, to MP 34.4, where it is 65 mph, a spur at Bonneville (MP 38.0), where the speed limit is 50 mph again, a detector at MP 38.0, and 634 ft. Tunnel 1¼ (MP 39.6), on a line diversion caused by the building of the Bonneville Dam and the flooding of the gorge behind it.
There is a 6,751 ft. siding in the narrows of the gorge at Cascade Locks (MP 42.1, where the speed limit is 25 mph, to MP 43.5, where it is 40 mph), and the line turns curvily east, still along the foot of the cliffs on the south side of the gorge, past the 12,695 ft. siding at Wyeth (MP 49.2-MP 51.7), where the speed limit is 55 mph, a detector at MP 52.9, Viento, the 9,916 ft. siding at Meno (MP 57.4, where the speed limit is still 55 mph, to MP 59.4, where it is 40 mph), Hood River (MP 63.1), where there is a connection with the Mount Hood Railroad on the south side of the line, CP S063 (MP 63.5), where the speed limit is 45 mph, 350 ft. Tunnel 2 (MP 66.8), a detector at MP 67.5, the 6,388 ft. siding at Mosier (MP 69.4, where the speed limit is 30 mph, to MP 70.8, where it is 40 mph), where the line angles northeast and then curvily east again, Chatfield, a turn curvily east-southeast, a detector at MP 76.1, where the speed limit is 50 mph, and Rowena (MP 76.6).
The line turns south to Crates (MP 81.6), where Double Track, ABS, replaces single track, CTC, and then curves east to crossovers at The Dalles (MP 84.9), where the speed limit is 40 mph and there is a yard on the north side of the line as far as Seufert (MP 87.2), where the speed limit is 65 mph and the line heads northeast, past a west hold signal at MP 68.9, where the speed limit is 70 mph, and then east past Dune (MP 91.9), and detectors at MP 92.7, and beneath the south end of the massive steel girder bulk of the Oregon Trunk bridge across the Columbia River to crossovers at OT Junction (MP 94.9), where there is a connector on the south side of the line up to the Oregon Trunk line that has turned east along a ledge on the cliff face just above the former Oregon, Washington Railway & Navigation line now owned and operated by Union Pacific, before turning away to the south while the UP line continues east.