Gila subdivision from Yuma to Tucson
From the crossovers (speed limit through the crossovers) and junction at Wellton (MP 770.8), the little-used (and embargoed, in 2006) Phoenix line heads away northeast while the main line continues east-northeast, returning to single track, CTC, with a speed limit of 79-70. This part of the Sonoran Desert has many saguaro, as well as cholla and yucca cacti along the line. The line heads generally east-northeast, with a few minor curves, for the next 125 miles or so, passing a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 772, a detector at MP 772.7, a road bridge overhead, I-8 alongside to the south, two bridges over drainage, the 8,371 ft. south side siding at Noah (MP 775.7-777.4), with a bridge over a canal, extra track on the south side, and a grade crossing within the siding, Intermediate Signals, three bridges over drainage, a grade crossing, Tacna (MP 780.4), a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals, five bridges over drainage, and the 8,415 ft. north side siding at Colfred (MP 783.1-784.8), with a bridge over drainage within the siding.
There is a bridge over drainage, a detector and Intermediate Signals at MP 787.5, I-8 parallel to the south, a detector and Intermediate Signals at MP 790.0, the 8,401 ft. north side siding at Mohawk (MP 792.0-793.7), where the speed limit is 55-50 for a curve at the east end before reverting to 79-70 further east, Intermediate Signals, a detector at MP 796.6, dual road bridges overhead, five bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals, the 8,386 ft. north side siding at Stoval (MP 800.2-801.9), in a landscape of scrub, Intermediate Signals at MP 803.5, Intermediate Signals at MP 805.3, a detector (box on the south side) at MP 806.3, a bridge over drainage, Dateland, Intermediate Signals at MP 807.3, three bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals at MP 809.1, four bridges over drainage, the 8,388 ft. north side siding at Aztec (MP 810.7-812.4), with two bridges over drainage within the siding, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 813.9, a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals at MP 815.7, a detector at MP 815.6, Intermediate Signals at ~MP 817, and a dirt road grade crossing..
A short stretch of Two Main Tracks, CTC, begins at the signals at Stanwix (MP 818.8), with a bridge over drainage, detectors at MP 820.4, two bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over drainage, a bridge over an arroyo, a stretch of roadbed grading on the south side, Intermediate Signals, several small curves, a bridge over an arroyo, six bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over drainage, a double-ended short extra track on the south side, five bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals, and three bridges over drainage, and ends at the signals at Sentinel (MP 831.2), reverting to single track, CTC and continuing past a bridge over an arroyo, Midway (MP 834.2), a detector at MP 834.9, two bridges over drainage, and the 8,392 ft. north side siding at Piedra (MP 839.2-840.9).
There are two dirt track grade crossings, a bridge over irrigation, a detector at MP 843.1, Intermediate Signals, irrigated fields, Intermediate Signals, the 8,356 ft. north side siding at Theba (MP 845.2-846.9), with extra track on the south side, a bridge over a canal, a dirt road grade crossing, a hold signal at CP SP848 (MP 848.4), a bridge over drainage, Smurr (MP 850.3), a bridge over a canal, a dirt track grade crossing, a hold signal at CP SP851 (MP 850.8), Intermediate Signals at ~MP 852.x, a detector at MP 851.3, two bridges over drainage, the 17,014 ft. north side siding at Gila (MP 854.1-857.4), whence a line once headed south-southwest to Ajo, with a grade crossing, a concrete depot pad on the south side, a spur on the south side trailing in, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, and a through truss bridge over the Gila River (dry), all within the siding, five bridges over drainage, a detector and Intermediate Signals at MP 859.8, six bridges over drainage, the 8,049 ft. north side siding at Bosque (MP 862.1-863.7), where the speed limit falls to 55-50, with two bridges over drainage within the siding, two bridges over drainage, a detector and Intermediate Signals at MP 865.0, two bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals at ~MP 866.x, and a bridge over drainage.
The first significant curve for 95 miles is to clear the north end of some mountains, curving north-northeast and then east-northeast again, past a bridge over drainage, the 8,883 ft. north side siding at Shawmut (MP 868.7-870.4), with a bridge over drainage and curves within the siding, a turn east-southeast past two bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals at ~MP872.x, a detector at MP 873.5, where the speed limit is 65-60, and a resumption of the steady east-northeasterly heading with a curve west of the 8,305 ft. north side siding at Estrella (MP 874.5-876.2), where the 79-70 speed limit also resumes and there are four bridges over drainage within the siding, followed by four bridges over drainage.
There is a detector at MP 878.7, four bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals at ~MP 880, two bridges over drainage, the 8,330 ft. north side siding at Mobile (MP 882.1-883.9), with two bridges over drainage within the siding, seven bridges over drainage, as grade crossing, a detector at MP 888.4, and the 8,359 ft. north side siding at Enid (MP 889.1-890.8). The line turns away from the east-northeasterly heading, and the speed limit falls to 70 mph, past a grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals, a detector at MP 893.6, a grade crossing, two bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals, fiver bridges over drainage, MP 896, a bridge over drainage, and the start of Two Main Tracks at Maricopa (MP 896.0), with a bridge over drainage, extra track on the south side near the west end, and three bridges over drainage, and has reached a southeasterly heading by Phoenix Junction, where a line from Phoenix once joined, and today's Maricopa Amtrak station is located (MP 897.75), with a depot on the north side, out-of-service extra track on the north side, and a stuffed-and-mounted former California Zephyr round end dome-observation car north of the depot.
The line continues past two bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals at Cow Town (MP 901.3), site of many cattle-feeding lots on the south side, a bridge over drainage, a divided highway grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, more cattle-feeding lots on the south side, a grade crossing, extra track on the south side, detectors at MP 902.0, a bridge over drainage, additional tracks on the south side for the huge grain silos on the south side at Arizona Grain at MP 903.9, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, the reversion to single track at Bon (MP 908.3), with two bridges over drainage before the single track starts, where there is an industrial spur on the north side of the line, three bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals, three bridges over drainage, a grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals, two bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals, a dirt road grade crossing, a siding on the south side at "Eden" (west end at about MP 913.x), with two extra tracks on the south side, ending west of a grade crossing immediately west of the strat of Two Main Tracks at Casa Grande (MP 915.7), where a new industry is being built on the south side, there are several extra tracks being built on the south side, and there is a bridge over a street and more extra track on both sides, within? the siding.
There are two grade crossings, a spur heading away to silos on the south side, Seco (MP 921.0), two grade crossings, a spur heading away to silos on the south side, Arizola, a grade crossing, a detector at MP 922.0, a grade crossing, dual road bridges overhead (I-8), a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over drainage, crossvers at MP 927.1, the reversion to single track at Toltec (928.8), with a grade crossing within the siding, a grade crossing, a detector at MP 930.8, a grade crossing, a bridge over a canal, a grade crossing, a spur trailing in from industry on the south side, extra track on the south side, Eloy (MP 932.9), two bridges over drainage, two grade crossings (in Eloy), a dirt road grade crossing, signals for the junction, and dual road bridges overhead (I-10) before the line south from Phoenix and Magma trails in just west of MP 937 and Picacho (MP 936.7).