One Bridge, Six Railroads


Peoria area railroads once boasted six Illinois River Bridges between Chillicothe and Pekin. Now there are three. And Peoria itself is left with just one. 

The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's lift bridge hosts trains of six railroads: BNSF Railway, Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd., Keokuk Junction Railway, Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, Toledo Peoria & Western Railway and Union Pacific. 

I've compiled video showing one train of each railroad using the bridge, and included a ride across the bridge as well as steam action (!). 

- David P. Jordan

Comments

  1. ShawnSeptember 21, 2017 at 1:35 PM

    Hi David,
    I knew of only five bridges and had to use bridgehunter.com to find my missing sixth bridge. It was the P&PU Pekin bridge. But if interurban railroads are to be included, I was surprised the bridgehunter listed a seventh bridge. I'll let you find it.
    Regarding the bridge in your video, do recall approximately how long it was out of service while being converted from a bascule type to a lift bridge and any detour movements the railroads employed to cope with its closure?
    Thanks,
    Shawn

    ReplyDelete
  2. David P. JordanSeptember 28, 2017 at 4:31 PM

    I only know of six at one time, but eight total. P&PU only operated two bridges at one time (Pekin and Peoria), but actually had a total of three since beginning operations in 1881. The existing bridge at Peoria replaced the original Peoria & Springfield RR bridge which opened in 1872 and was retired in 1911.

    - Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe at Chillicothe (opened in 1931, replaced original 1887 bridge)

    - Toledo, Peoria & Western at Peoria

    - Illinois Terminal Railroad at Peoria

    - Peoria & Pekin Union at Peoria (replaced P&S 1872 bridge in 1911)

    - PP&J Bridge at Pekin (closed in 1882, reopened for a time but dismantled sometime in the 1890s).

    - Peoria Terminal Company at Pekin

    - Chicago & North Western southwest of Pekin

    The P&PU bridge was out of service from 0700 hours on Tuesday, October 16, 1984 until 1600 hours, Saturday, October 20. Trains which had to move detoured via the Illinois Central to South Pekin, the Chicago & North Western between South Pekin and Peoria (Santa Fe trains backed on the C&NW between South Pekin and Sommer).

    ReplyDelete

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