Peoria Station

Late this afternoon, I shot this image of the new control tower now under construction at General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport. View looks east-southeast from the passenger terminal parking lot.  This structure is located east of the existing tower, and is actually closer to the Byerly Aviation business aviation terminal (out of view at left). Construction is expected to be completed in 2027. By then, the old tower, will have been in operation for 68 years! - David P. Jordan

Early Sunday afternoon, I learned that the TP&W was handling a grain extra out of Chenoa for Union Pacific at Peoria. This was the second train in as many days, one had been pulled from Grainland Farmers' Cruger elevator on Saturday. I did not see it, but understand it was also delivered to Union Pacific at Adams Street Yard. Apparently, the two carriers have decided to shift their interchange point for grain trains from Crescent/Powerton near Pekin or the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track mainline to Adams Street Yard/Low Line in Peoria. Saturday's Cruger train is reportedly bound for Mexico via Eagle Pass, Texas, and Sunday's Chenoa train is probably going to Mexico as well.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran this grain extra from Prairie Central Coop's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop Sunday afternoon, October 4, 2026. UP 5731, UP 8785 and UP 5640 were on the point of 115 loads. Train is shown at Cruger, Washington, Ea...

I went looking for a loaded TP&W-UP grain extra coming out of Cruger this afternoon, but never found it, but I did notice the green signal indication at W. Farmington Road before 5:00pm. About 30 minutes or so later, this comes by...   (Loads tend to run via St. Louis.) CAPTION: Union Pacific train SPESJ (Special, Peoria IL to South Junction CO) rolls by W. Farmington Road after departing Crescent, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, October 3, 2026. UP 9799 and UP 6552 have 72 empty wind turbine flats. Empties came from Havana via the Illinois & Midland Railroad. - David P. Jordan

When I left work at 3:00pm Tuesday afternoon, I learned that Union Pacific's MPECL had left Adams Street Yard later than usual, and was reported at Harmon Highway (Rt. 116) on Peoria's southwest side about 30 minutes earlier. I debated whether to try and catch it. I had left my camera in the car just in case.   Given the time it would take to get to the Union Pacific's Peoria Sub due to traffic and construction, I told myself "no" and went home. Minutes later, I learned the train had paused at W. Farmington Road due to an issue with the twelfth car dropping its air and went for it... CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) is shown south and again north of Camp Grove, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, September 29, 2026. NS 7613, UP 5726 and UP 2742 have 88 cars. Slower-than-usual speed may be due to a rough-riding gondola in the block of 35 maintenance-of-way cars on the rear. - David P. Jordan

Cool temperatures, overcast, stay home after work weather...until I learned of an interesting Iowa Interstate movement.    I caught SIPE just south of Mossville, and shot video at San Koty then again as it entered the North Limit Yard. The train stopped briefly for the conductor to detrain. When I left it around 1830 hours, the train was preparing to shove into the North Limit Yard. When finished, both units would run engine lite through Peoria and across the river to fetch a LOADED grain train received Canadian National.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by San Koty, Illinois early evening Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Later, the train enters the North Limit Yard and Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property. IAIS 151 and IAIS 511 have 44 cars. I decided to go back into Peoria to see if I could capture IAIS units pull that loaded grain train from CN through one of the brightly-lit street crossings in downtown Peoria. B...

The first 60 cars (22 loaded Incobrasa, 38 plastic empties) were probably from the Illinois & Midland RR, and the two IMRR geeps were probably on the transfer run from Powerton! CAPTION: An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway M-Train, sometimes called M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL), rolls by W. Bittersweet Road in Farmdale, Illinois shortly after leaving the East Peoria Yard early-evening Friday, September 18, 2026. TPW 3481, IMRR 2108 and IMRR 2084 have 77 cars. - David P. Jordan