Sparks, MP 243.7, is the site of a yard, with a bridge over a road at the west end of the yard, 8-10 tracks, on the south side of the tracks, and locomotive facilities on the north side along with the former Amtrak spur on the north side, and the former SP depot on the north side. There is a road bridge overhead, east of the yard, a spur on the south side curving away into an industry, the depot track ends, extra track on the south side, the "Amtrak crossovers" (now Glendale, CP 244), spurs from the extra track curving away into industry on the south side, the extra track curving away into industry, and two road bridges overhead.
Double Track with Automatic Block Signals and Track Warrant Control ends at Vista (MP 249.4), where single-track, CTC, starts, and the speed limit rises from 30-25 to 60 mph, as the line turns from heading east to heading southeast, along the north bank of the Truckee River. There is a through truss bridge over the river, and a detector at MP 251.5, where the speed limit is 70-60, after which the line turns east and crosses the river on a through truss bridge, and passes a road bridge overhead, a slide fence alongside to the north, and a dirt road grade crossing just west of the 5,990 ft. siding at Hafed (MP 252.5, where the speed limit is 40 mph, to MP 253.7, where the speed limit is 55-50).
There is a bridge over a road, Intermediate Signals at MP 254.x and MP 255.x, I-80 alongside to the north, and then east-northeast on the south side of the river, all in a river valley with dirt hills along both sides, past a through truss bridge over the river, a grade crossing, the 5,874 ft. siding at Patrick (MP 256.8-258.0), with two dirt road grade crossings within the siding, where the speed limit has risen to 70-60, a spur to a power plant to the north, and one to a grain or cement plant, at the east end of the siding (MP 259.5), Wunotoo (MP 260.2), with extra track on the south side, extra track on the north side and a detector at MP 260.6), as the line turns east to the 5,745 ft. siding at Clark (MP 261.2-262.4), where the line turns east-northeast again, there is a road bridge overhead in the siding, a rail-served plant on the south side (with a critter, in June 2012), and a grade crossing to that plant, in the siding, near the east end, and then north-northeast across the river, with a line curving away on the east side to an electricity plant on that side.
The line continues along the north side of the river, past a dirt road grade crossing and a bridge over a road just west of the west end of the 9,600 ft. siding at Thisbe (MP 265.2-267.2), with a grade crossing in the siding, Intermediate Signals at Salvia, an oxbow in the river to the north of the line, a grade crossing, Derby, another (deck girder) bridge over the river, this time to the south side, two grade crossings, a detector at MP 270.4, Intermediate Signals at MP 272.5, and Gilpin, before the line turns east. There is a north-south mountain range, south of the line and southwest of Fernley, which is on the north side of the line, west of the eponymous siding.
At Fernley, there is a 10,100 ft. siding on the north side (MP 275.3-277.3), where the speed limit is 70 mph, and the SP Modoc Line once left to the northwest at the still-extant wye. (The original Central Pacific line through this area ran on a more northerly course than the current line, leaving today's line at Derby, and remaining north of the river as far as Wadsworth, and then heading directly across the desert to rejoin today's route at Toy.) The old depot is off to the south, across the road (presumably moved there), along the siding. There is a spur from a petrochemical plant to the north trailing in, a bridge over a road, just within the east end of the siding, a spur to a plant on the north side, a bridge over a culvert, silos on the south side with double-ended extra track, near the east end of the siding, part of the town, finally, on the south side, near the east end of the siding, a bridge over a culvert east of the siding, and a road bridge overhead.
In addition to the Modoc Line (which ran through Wadsworth), there was once a connection to the old line trailing in at New Junction, and another one departing to the northeast at Luva, as the main line heads east, with speed limit 70-65, past Argo, Intermediate Signals at MP 278.x, MP 279, a bridge over a culvert, Intermediate Signals at MP 282.4, a detector at MP 283.4, and the 9,400 ft. siding on the north side at Darwin (MP 283.5-285.5), with two bridges over culverts within the siding, turning southeast at MP 284, within the siding, past spurs on the south side serving petrochemical tanks, trailing in, and then east-northeast past a bridge over a culvert, Intermediate Signals at MP 286.7, a road alongside to the south, and a dirt road grade crossing just west of the west end of the 6,500 ft. siding on the southeast side at Hazen (MP 287.9-289.2), where the speed limit is 75-65, and the Fallon and Hawthorne branches leave to the south, with a bridge over a culvert just east of the siding.
The line heads northeast, through scrubland, past two sets of Intermediate Signals (one at MP 290.6), a lake on the southeast side, the 6,185 ft. siding on the southeast side, with extra track on the southeast side, west-facing, at Massie (MP 292.0-293.2), where the speed limit rises to 75-70, a detector at MP 297.0, MP 299, a bridge over a culvert, MP 300, the 10,200 ft. siding on the northwest side at Upsal (MP 301.2-303.1), a bridge over a culvert, and MP 304, and north, along the west edge of the Carson Sink, with mountains off to the east edge of the sink, past Intermediate Signals, a road alongside to the east, a detector at MP 310.0, the 9,600 ft. siding on the west side at Parran (MP 310.2-312.2), a bridge over a culvert, MP 313, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a river flowing east, three bridges over culverts, Intermediate Signals, a road on the south side, and a grade crossing, after which the Carson Sink is left behind.
The line turns north-northeast, past the 9,860 ft. siding on the east side, with extra track on the east side in the center of the siding, at Ocala (MP 319.0-321.0), where there are mountains off to the northwest, a bridge over drainage, a bridge over a river, and curves back to the north along the west edge of the Humboldt Sink, with mountains on the south edge of the sink, southeast of the line, past a bridge over a culvert, and Intermediate Signals and a detector at MP 323.7, where the speed limit falls to 75-50 . There are two bridges over culverts, a bridge over a culvert just west of a 9,620 ft. siding on the east side at Toy (MP 327.1, where the speed limit is 79-70, to MP 329.0, where it is 75-70), where searchlight signals are being replaced by hooded triple-lights in June, 2009, there is a lake off to the east, the original CP route is regained, I-80 is off to the west, and the line curves north-northeast, with multiple ranks of mountains off to the east, past a dirt track grade crossing, and a former mine off to the east side, and east-northeast past three bridges over culverts, a detector at MP 334.9, where the speed limit has risen to 79-70 again, a grade crossing just west of the west end of the 9,940 ft. siding on the north side, with extra track on the west side, at Granite Point (MP 335.8-337.8), with MP 336, a bridge over a culvert, MP 337, and a bridge over a culvert, within the siding. Many of the signals along this line are solar-powered.
The vegetation is scrub and brush, with multiple ranks of mountains off to the south. There was once a detector at MP 340.2, where the line turns north-northeast along the Humboldt River valley, past Perth (MP 340.5), a bridge over drainage, two grade crossings, a dirt track grade crossing, west-facing spurs serving silos on the south side, dual I-80 bridges overhead, a spur on the south side, a grade crossing, extra track on the south side, two grade crossings in Lovelock (MP 344.3), where the town is on both sides, with the former SP wooden depot now across a street to the west, there is a dirt road alongside to the east, the speed limit falls to 70 mph and the river comes alongside to the east, a bridge over drainage, a road bridge overhead, a bridge over a culvert, a grade crossing, two bridges over culverts, and a grade crossing just west of the detector at MP 347.2.
With irrigated fields on the southeast side, the line crosses over the Humboldt River on a deck bridge just west of the west end of the 13,713 ft. siding on the north side at Colado (MP 348.7-351.3), where there is petrochemical lineside industry on the east side of the line, I-80 to the east and mountains beyond I-80, continuing for many miles eastward, a grade crossing just east of the siding, Colado Spur trailing in on the south side, Intermediate Signals at MP 352.x, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 354.x, an embankment over a gulley, a dirt road grade crossing, MP 355, an embankment over a culvert, Intermediate Signals at MP 356.1, Woolsey, cutting, embankment, Oreana (MP 357.8), where the Nevada Short Line once headed east, a grade crossing just west of a detector at MP 358.0, where the line turns north, with mountains across I-80 to the east, Intermediate Signals at MP 362.1, Valery, the 12,060 ft. siding on the west side, with extra track between main and siding on the west side, at Rye Patch (MP 364.2-366.3), a grade crossing at MP 368.1, a bridge over a culvert at MP 368.2, a detector at MP 368.4, where the line turns northeast, away from the south-flowing river, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over a culvert, Intermediate Signals, a dirt road grade crossing, two bridges over culverts, Intermediate Signals at MP 376.x, Humboldt (old), a dirt road grade crossing at MP 377.1, a detector at MP 377.9, the 11,000 ft. siding on the southeast side at Humboldt (MP 380.4-382.4), with a bridge over a culvert, the main elevated above the siding, west-facing extra track on the southeast side, and two bridges over culverts, all within the siding, where the speed limit is 60-60, MP 383, a dirt road grade crossing, three bridges over culverts, and Intermediate Signals at Imlay (MP 384.1), where the speed limit is back to 70 mph and there is a small settlement to the southeast, with mountains off to the north.
The line turns east, rejoining the east/south side of the river, past the east end of the mountain range off to the south, a bridge over a culvert, MP 385, Intermediate Signals at MP 386.3, MP 386 (yes, in that order), a detector at MP 387.1, where it turns north-northeast, MP 388, two bridges over culverts, Intermediate Signals at MP 388.5, two dirt road grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at MP 389.9, the 11,000 ft. siding on the north side, with extra track on that side, at Mill (MP 392.1-394.1), a bridge over a culvert, I-80 parallel, off to the south, MP 395, a detector at MP 395.8, where the speed limit is 70-60, (former?) irrigated fields on the south side, an old house on the south side, and Cosgrave (MP 397.0).
There are Intermediate Signals at MP 397.7 and MP 399.7, a bridge over a culvert, MP 400, the line turns east-northeast with tall mountains to the north beyond the first range of hills, Intermediate Signals, Rose Creek (MP 406.6), where the speed limit is 79-70, dual I-80 bridges overhead from southwest to northeast, separated Intermediate Signals, a grade crossing just west of MP 409, MP 410, a grade crossing, a detector at MP 412.1, Intermediate Signals, MP 413, spurs to silos off to the north, and the 6,756 ft. siding on the south side at Winnemucca (MP 416.1-417.5), where there are rail-served silos on the south side, with west-facing spurs, a road bridge overhead, west-facing spurs on the south side, a passenger station (with short platform and shelter, but no depot on the north side), and the line turns north-northeast, past a grade crossing, a bridge over a culvert, a west-facing spur on the north side to a cement plant a bridge over a road and dual I-80 bridges overhead from west to east, and an embankment as the ex-WP line approaches on the north side. At Weso (MP 420.9), there are crossovers with the ex-WP line, at the west end of the Paired Track arrangement.