A Short History of the Line
It was built by the Los Angeles and Salt Lake RR and finished by the UP in 1905. Until Edward Harriman from the Union Pacific took control most of the line was cheaply built and trouble was brewing from the beginning. Afton Canyon in California and the whole canyon district here in Nevada from mile marker 383 in Moapa until Crestline at milepost 493 were prone to flooding and destruction. When the construction crews came up to Rainbow Canyon to lay down tracks next to the mostly dry Meadow Valley Wash an old Paiute Indian that lived down there approached them. He stated, "You white men are stupid, water up there."  And pointed to a water mark on the canyon wall. They laughed at him and kept on building. In January 1910 the water was not only up to the mark on the canyon wall but beyond it and gone was the whole railroad including a freight train that was caught in the disaster. A new line had to be built much higher up with several tunnels and bridges.
From Moapa, elevation 1670 feet (509 meters) it is a steady climb to the summit at Crestline which is at an elevation of 5990 feet or 1825  meters. The maximum grade is a stiff 2.1 percent in Clover Creek Canyon east of Caliente which is at an elevation of 4390 feet or 1340 meters.

Caliente Milepost 460
 Known at first as Culverwell's Ranch the name was then changed to Clover Junction because it was the junction of Clover Creek and the Meadow Valley Wash. The name officially became Calientes in July 1901, then it became Caliente in 1903. "Caliente" is Spanish for warm, hot or heated. There are hot springs in Caliente.
Caliente soon became a division point with yard, turntable and a good sized roundhouse. A branch to Pioche and the mines at Caselton and Prince was built and the roundhouse was home to a whole bunch of helper engines to help trains up the long grade.The beautiful mission style depot was built in 1922-23 after the old frame depot burned to the ground.
Today Caliente is far less important to the UP. With modern diesel locomotives there is no need for helpers anymore. The turntable and roundhouse are long gone and the yard is reduced to the mainline, the siding and one storage track.
The town itself has seen better days and some buildings are empty and in disrepair including the Cornelius Hotel, Carl's Burgers, etc. With a population of 1,100 people it is the largest town in Lincoln county and the UP is still the biggest show in town.
The first time I passed through the canyon and Caliente was in 1984. Instantly it became my favorite spot on the whole UP system. Rainbow Canyon took my breath away, and that the first train had two Centennials in the lash up didn't hurt either.