Wishram to Pasco

The route is divided into the following subdivisions:

From Wishram (MP106.1), where there are Two Main Tracks, CTC, the speed limit is 60 mph,  the depot (and stuffed-and-mounted GN 4-8-2 2509, now under a roof but still in the open air) is on the north side of the tracks, and the small yard is on the south side of the tracks, adjacent to the river, with crossovers between them (both west of the Wishram Center depot and at the east end of the yard), the line heads east along the north bank of the river, with a road alongside to the north, up the hillside, a small lagoon on the north side, the two main tracks reduce to single track, CTC, and the speed limit rises to 70 mph for passenger trains and 60 mph for freights, and another small lagoon on the north side, through 385 ft. tunnel 12 (MP 108.1), and past a slide fence on the north side at the east end of the tunnel, and then three more slide fences on the north side as the line turns southeast and then east-northeast along the course of the river, opposite the mouth of the Deschutes River to the south, with a road bridge overhead, an island mid river, and past the 7,092 ft. north side siding at Maryhill (MP 113.8), with extra track on the north side. This whole stretch of line 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. The UP is visible across the river as far as Sage.

The line continues past Hewett (MP 117.6), a slide fence on the north side, Cliffs (MP 118.6), where there is a spur to an aluminum plant to the north, and John Day Dam blocks the river to the south, the speed limit rises to 79-60, past the 9,136 ft. north side siding at Towal (MP 125.0), with extra track on the north side of the siding, and a slide fence on the north side at the east end of the siding and beyond, where the line turns east, a detector at MP 128.0, where the line turns southeast, a bridge over a culvert, Goodnoe (MP 130.7), where the line turns east again, a grade crossing, a road alongside to the north with a lagoon behind it, up a side canyon, MP 135, a slide fence on the north side at the west end of  the 7,099 ft. south side siding at Bates (MP 135.9), a slide fence on the north side east of the siding, where the cliffs are next to the line, extra track on the north side at Floxton, a small lagoon on the north side, Sundale (MP 140.4), a slide fence on the north side, below the cliffs, a dirt track grade crossing, a slide fence to the north, and a road bridge overhead.

The line turns northeast, past a bridge over a side river and the road, the road alongside to the north again, the 8,459 ft. south side siding at Roosevelt (MP 147.8), where the speed limit falls to 70-60, and then east-northeast, past a detector at MP 152.2, where the speed limit is again 79-60, a grade crossing at Moonax, the 7,103 ft. north side siding at McCredie (MP 157.7), with extra track on the north side near the east end, where the speed limit falls to 70-60 again, a bridge over a side river, a dirt road grade crossing, and Intermediate Signals at Alderdale (MP 162.3). The line turns northeast and then just south of east, to run around the backside of an island in the river, past Intermediate Signals and a bridge over a "road", and then east-northeast again  at the 9,126 ft. south side siding at Whitcomb (MP 170.4), with a lagoon on the north side of the road and line.

The road moves away, the island on the south side ends, there is a ballast track on the north side at Whitcomb Point, as the line turns northeast, Sage (where the UP line across the river turns away from view), where the line turns east-northeast again, a bridge over a stream, the road returning alongside to the north, and then moving away again (to the top of the cliffs), a detector at MP 177.2), where the speed limit rises to 79-60 again, a dirt track grade crossing at the west end of the 7,052 ft. north side siding at Paterson (MP 179.8), the line turns east-southeast, away from the river for a short distance, and then east along the river again, past Longview, and a grade crossing, back from the riverbank again past a grade crossing, a non-rail-served petroleum facility on the north side, shuttle-enabled destination rail-served grain silos on the north side at a detector at MP 190.8 and the 9,351 ft. north side siding at Plymouth (MP 192.0), with extra track on the north side of the siding, and along the riverbank again, past dual road bridges overhead, and a cutting with slide fences, at North McNary, adjacent to the McNary dam on the river.

The line curves east-southeast and then starts a big slow curve around to the east, east-northeast and northeast, past the 7,015 ft. 'north' side siding at Berrian (MP 203.3), a slide fence alongside to the 'north', McAtinger, a detector at MP 207.8, and Intermediate Signals at Tomar, where there is a slide fence to the 'north'. The line follows the Columbia around to the north, past several lagoons on the 'north' side of the line (away from the river), a slide fence on the 'north' side, the 9,352 ft. 'north' side siding at Yellepit (MP 215.8), with a lagoon on the 'north' side in the siding,  and then northwest, with more lagoons on the 'north' side bridging over an inlet and then leaving the riverbank in a northwesterly direction, past  a petrochemical facility on the 'east' side, Finley (MP 223.9), a grade crossing in town, a dirt road grade crossing, two grade crossings, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, a flat crossing with a UP branch, the 7,932 ft. 'west' side siding at Hover (MP 228.5), two road bridges overhead, a spur on the 'west' side, a road alongside to the 'west',  a grade crossing, and a rail-served warehouse to the west, to reach Kennewick, as the line turns north, and SP&S Jct. (MP 229.7), where the speed limit is 35-25 and the line joins with the ABS ex-NP main line, trailing in from the west and heading north-northeast, where it crosses the river on the through truss Columbia River bridge (MP 229.9), where the speed limit is 35 mph, past a road bridge overhead at the north end of the river bridge, into Pasco.

The former SP&S line turns east-southeast immediately on the north side of the bridge, with a further connection to that line at West Wye Junction (MP 146.3 on the ex-NP line), a grade crossing, a spur from trackage along the left bank of the Columbia River trails in, and the north leg of the wye with the ex-SP&S line to the east is at Pasco (MP 145.6/231.4), where there is a bridge over a street and the depot is on the west side of the line north of the wye, as the ex-NP line it is on turns north-northwest, and the major yard at Pasco is on the east side of that line extending north from the area of the depot.