Peoria Station

My first Class I encounter in 2026!   I was entering Peoria on the Cedar Street Bridge and saw the headlight in the distance, and learned within seconds that it was the BNSF "local."    The five OZIX-marked (Ozinga) twin-bay covered hoppers on today's train were empty, and may be assigned to Illinois & Midland RR-served Harsco slag processing facilities at Powerton and Sicily. After all, I saw several loaded OZIX-marked cars departing East Peoria on Norfolk Southern's D49 last summer. But the new Ozinga Cement Co. barge-rail-truck? facility recently opened at the lower end of the old Peoria Barge Terminal property has been getting a lot of these cars, most of which have OZIX markings as well.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property enroute to East Peoria late afternoon Monday, January 12, 2026. BNSF 3910 and BNSF 6795 have 35 cars.   - David P. Jordan

A Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-700 at Peoria Int'l Airport just after sunrise on June 4, 2013 prepares for departure to Washington, D.C. for an Honor Flight.  Allegiant Air announced January 11 that it will acquire Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines. The deal has already been approved by both airlines' boards of directors and is subject to review by regulators. The airlines expect approval in the last half of 2026.  Sun Country Airlines flies to numerous destinations from Minneapolis/St. Paul, including points in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. It has a fleet of Boeing 737-800s.  How might this acquisition affect Peoria and Central Illinois? Allegiant Air's joint venture proposal with Mexico's Viva Aerobus is going nowhere for now, but the Las Vegas-based carrier must see potential to offer expanded service to many international leisure destinations. The Allegiant Air-Viva Aerobus joint venture proposal was first announced in late-2...

The five empty Incobrasa covered hoppers, six salt-laden boxcars and nine loaded nitrogen tank cars were on Wednesday's late-afternoon transfer from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad.   Kind of sad that these cars sat for nearly four days, but the Incobrasa cars were empties and Sweetener Supply Corp. at Wolcott, Indiana already had six arrive this week, and probably didn't have room yet. The nitrogen loads might not be "hot" either.  CAPTION: An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway "M-Train," sometimes called M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL) rolls by Cruger, Secor and El Paso midday Sunday, January 11, 2026. TPW 5008, IORY 3492 and RCPE 3481 have 40 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I had to work today so I could not catch today's DAVPE potash/manifest combo. Fortunately, I was able to get PESI through downtown Peoria with a short consist. The snow showers and street lamps at the Foot of Main Street in downtown Peoria added to the encounter.    The ADMX covered hopper on the head end was empty, then eight empty tank cars, eight covered hoppers (ADMX, some leasers) were loaded, and then there was another eight empty tank cars. I believe the tank cars, quite a few with CRGX (Cargill) reporting marks, indicate soybean oil traffic must be moving again.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls across Main Street in downtown Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, January 10, 2026. IAIS 503 and IAIS 516 had  two Norfolk Southern units - NS 5167 and NS 5336 - bound for Des Moines, Iowa and 25 cars (8 loads, 17 empties). - David P. Jordan

I went to East Peoria after work wondering if I could capture any train movements. Sure enough, I noticed the TP&W switch job in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's yard, and decided to wait. I'm glad I did.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train, probably EP-2 (East Peoria Switcher), rolls by P&PU Junction toward N. Main Street in East Peoria, Illinois after leaving the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's yard with a transfer for the home terminal less than two miles away. TPW 5010 and TPW 5015 have 23 cars (15 loads, 8 empties). Note six more boxcars of bagged salt for Sweetener Supply Corp. near Wolcott, Indiana (another six were already in transit on the TP&W when this video was taken).   - David P. Jordan

This train had a reported 142 cars before it set out 57 at Grainland Farmers's Cruger elevator. The three units and consist starting with the covered hopper just ahead of the second set of gondolas is what I tried to get departing TZPR's East Peoria Yard late-Sunday, but darkness fell and I had plans for the evening.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran an eastbound "M-Train" Monday afternoon, January 5, 2026. After setting out grain empties at Cruger, the now shorter train rolled through Eureka, Illinois. IORY 3472, RCPE 3481 and IORY 5007 have 85 cars.   - David P. Jordan