Dick Dorn Wrote:
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> Ryan, Neat shot to say the least. Awesome Nevada
> sunrise!! This location is actually not on the
> orginal CP line as that pretty much followed the
> alignment of I-80 out of Fernley and as you drive
> along I-80 you can see much of the old CP right of
> way. This giant cut was put in when they relocated
> the mainline south out of Fernley through Hazen
> and Perin and Ocalla and then reconnected with the
> orginal CP right of way near Toy. This new route
> constructed in the 1920's did away with the helper
> district over the hill between Toy and Fernley.
> Also this large hill like structure that the
> railroad cuts through extends across the valley
> and this is where the Humboldt River ends and
> forms a lake on the east side. Kevin first went
> to this location when he was about 5 years old in
> 1989.
>
> Dick Dorn

Dick
You are correct on all counts.
This cut was made during the Harriman Ownereship of the SP and was part of the project to change line and grade from Wadsworth to Toy.
The cut was made through what the Railroaders called the "Natursl Dam" that separates the Humboldt Sink from the Carson Sink. There is however and naatural channel through the south end of the dam and during wet weather in the Great Basin ,as in 1984-86, heavy flows happen in this channel and gives the RailRoad trouble just west of US95 crossing.
Considerable gravel was removed from this cut in 84 and 85 to raise the track and subgrade from Ocala to west of US95.