· Oregon Trunk Subdivision from Chemult to Fallbridge
The line is single track, operated under Track Warrant Control, and is "dark" (i.e. has not signaling system) between Chemult and Bend. The speed limit is 49 mph for the first 60 miles or so from the south end. From Chemult (MP 67.8z), where there is an 8,339 ft. siding, the BNSF (ex-GN) line to Bend heads northeast, due north, northeast again, past a detector at MP 59.3z and a 7,816 ft, siding at Crescent (MP 50.7z), and then north-northeast at Fremont, passing through Beal on the descent. At Pine, the line enters the Deschutes River valley, a spur to a cinder pit once headed east, and there is a 7,835 ft. siding at Lapine (MP 31.8z). The line continues along the east side of the Deschutes River, through the pine forest, past a detector at MP 26.0z, Stearns, where the straight line from the south starts to curve back and forth along the contour of the land, an 8,725 ft. siding at Lava (MP 12.6z), where the curving line turns generally northeast and then north-northeast again to a 4,675 ft. siding at Cascan (MP 2.0z), where the speed limit drops to 40 mph. The line then turns northwest, past some spurs on the southwest side where a logging railroad once ran, and turns north into Bend.
At Bend, OR (MP 0.0z/152.0), there are freight sidings and a depot. North from Bend, the line is now that built by the Oregon Trunk Railroad, later part of the Great Northern, with the occasional section using the route developed by the Oregon and Washington Railway & Navigation Company (OWRN), later part of the UP. It remains TWC, but now has Automatic Block Signals. The speed limit rises to 50 mph, and the track, still to the east of the Deschutes River, runs north-northeast across open country, with the Three Sisters mountain peaks visible to the northwest, passing the 6,336 ft. siding at Deschutes (MP 143.3), a detector at MP 137.0), and the 5,122 ft. siding at Redmond (MP 134.1), where the line turns north.
At Prineville Junction (MP 131.8), a wye, the City of Prineville railroad joins from the east, there is a 4,202 ft. siding, the line turns north-northwest, north through the 2,548 ft, siding at Terrebonne (MP 129.0), northwest across the high bridge over a side river, northeast and then northwest past the 5,570 ft. siding at Opal City, and the speed limit drops to 35 mph as the line starts down the grade into the Deschutes River canyon. The line turns north, northeast, north again past the 2,677 ft. siding at Culver, and north-northeast. North of the 4,885 ft. siding at Metolius (MP 109.7), the line follows the route of the OWRN into the Canyon at Irvine, where it rejoins the OT route. From Metolius, the line continues north-northeast, past a detector at MP107.2, with the erstwhile OT route a short distance away to the east.
The OWRN line crosses over the abandoned OT route (which then descends to the bottom of the canyon) on a spectacular bridge at Madras (MP 104.7), where there is a 4,885 ft. siding. The OWRN route turns east, briefly, and then north to the 2,474 ft, siding at Paxton, where the speed limit drops to 22 mph down the sinuous curves heading generally north, then generally northeast through the 1,746ft. siding at Gateway (MP 93.5), then east , north through 542 ft. tunnel 5 (MP 91.6), west, north again and then northwest to the base of the canyon at Irvine, where the speed limit rises to 35 mph again, and the erstwhile junction between OWRN and OT lines at South Junction (MP 85.3), where there is a 5,386 ft. siding and use of the OT route resumes.
There are many curves as the line north of Irvine follows the west bank of the Deschutes River along the canyon, curving back and forth but heading generally north to its junction with the Columbia River. There are often whitewater rafters along the way, and the scenery is spectacular, if a bit barren of trees and vegetation. The line passes Jersey, the 5,294 ft. siding at Kaskela (MP 79.6), 584 ft. tunnel 4 (MP 75.4), a detector at MP 74.8, North Junction (another place where there was once a connection between OT and OWRN lines), where the line crosses the Deschutes River deep in the canyon, Nathan, and a 5,533 ft. siding at Dixon (MP 70.6). The speed limit falls to 30 mph through Dant (MP 67.0), 519 ft. tunnel 3 (MP 66.5), and the 2,557 ft. siding at Nena, and then returns to 35 mph, along the still curving canyon walls, past the 4,526 ft. siding at Cambrai (MP 55.1), Maupin (MP 54.2), a detector at Tuscan (MP 50.4), Sherar (MP 46.9), and 610 ft. tunnel 2 (MP 43.6).
The canyon becomes very curvy as it heads northeast, requiring a reduction of the speed limit to 25 mph through the 6,292 ft. siding at Oakbrook (MP 39.2), the 2,539 ft. siding at Sinamox (MP 29.9) and the 2,554 ft. siding at Dike (MP 25.9), where the speed limit returns to 35 mph and the canyon curvature lessens as it and the line turn generally north. All along here, the rail line is on the west side of the canyon, and there is a road along the erstwhile OWRN formation on the east side of the canyon. The line passes the 5,449 ft. siding at Lockit (MP 17.8), where canyon and line turn northeast and then abruptly northwest, Kloan, where both turn north and the 4,399 ft. siding at Moody (MP 5.4), as the line turns northwest along the cliff above the Columbia River and descends to river level.
At Oregon Trunk Junction (MP 1.0), where the speed limit drops to 10 mph for the rest of the way to Fallbridge, the line passes a junction with the UP line along the south bank of the Columbia, crosses over that line, then crosses the Columbia River Draw Bridge (MP 0.6), with a wye from the apex at MP0.4 (MP 0.4) into Fallbridge, WA (MP 0.2) on the former Spokane, Portland & Seattle line, with legs of the wye turning west towards Vancouver, WA, and east into Wishram, WA. The whole stretch of line along the north bank of the Columbia is on a shelf alongside the river at the base of basalt cliffs separating it from the high country to the north. The “river” along here comprises wide stretches of flat, apparently lifeless water penned up behind the various dams. There is no sense of the flow of a great river.