According to John Signor's book Southern Pacific's Salt Lake Division, Espee made a line change after the derailment that eliminated that crossing of the Humboldt River. In the Harriman era, Espee was constantly making line changes across Northern Nevada to lessen grades and improve poor alignments stemming from the Central Pacific's haste to meet with Union Pacific as far East as possible. Western Pacific would later use parts of the old CP Right of Way, especially through the Palisade Cyn. area.