Ask Peoria Station 12-31-17

Been busy lately...Happy New Year. It is time for Q & A!

Feel free to post your questions in the comments section on any transportation topic. If I don't have an answer, I'll find one.

- David P. Jordan

Comments

  1. ShawnJanuary 2, 2018 at 5:31 AM

    Any plans to purchase Morning Sun's new Trackside Around Peoria book? Or is it all old news to you? Do you know the author?

    https://morningsunbooks.com/collections/all-hardcover/products/trackside-around-peoria-1963-1980-with-ed-johnson

    Shawn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David P. JordanJanuary 2, 2018 at 11:42 AM

      (1) I know the author.
      (2) I helped him with the book.
      (3) I got a free, signed copy out of it.

      Delete
    2. ShawnJanuary 2, 2018 at 12:39 PM

      Does it have a decent map with the junctions labeled? I was disappointed with the map in the TP&W in Color book. In it, the captions adequately described the location of the photos taken in Peoria proper, but I couldn't find them on the map.

      Shawn

      Delete
    3. David P. JordanJanuary 2, 2018 at 4:58 PM

      There's a decent schematic map in Ed Johnson's book with lines denoted with different colors.

      Delete
  2. BamBamFunkhouserJanuary 3, 2018 at 10:46 AM

    I just want to say thanks for all the work you do. I love the PIA service history you post and look forward to more entries

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David P. JordanJanuary 3, 2018 at 8:13 PM

      Thanks, BamBamFunkhouser, I hope to post the next PIA - A History series this weekend.

      Delete
  3. mikefiedler1@gmail.comJanuary 8, 2018 at 2:10 PM

    David, looks like United announced several new routes today. No PIA_> DIA. Interesting though that Appleton, WI did get it. And Madison got San Francisco.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David P. JordanJanuary 10, 2018 at 5:55 PM

      PIA officials have stated publicly that they're trying to get DEN back. I figure it is only a matter of time PIA gets it back, but it may be at the expense of one ORD roundtrip. I hope not...

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PIA - A History: Events of 1980

Image
To understand events of 1980, we must begin in late-1979. The completion of the Interstate 474 bypass (and Airport Road interchange) on December 20 that year expanded PIA's catchment area, but unfortunately failed to compensate for an increasingly difficult period in local aviation history.  The UAW Local 974 struck area Caterpillar Tractor Company plant on October 1, 1979, forcing a reduction in manufacturing and logistics operations. The walkout ended in mid-December but reduced corporate (and probably leisure) travel, impacting passenger traffic at the Greater Peoria Airport. On October 6, 1979 the Federal Reserve changed its monetary policy as a means to slay inflation, resulting in much higher interest rates. Already suffering from rising unemployment, the national economy plunged into recession from January to July 1980. From May 5 through June 1, Ozark Air Lines was shut down due to a mechanic's strike. As a consequence of each event noted above, PIA passenger...
Read more

PIA - A History: Big Hollow Airport

Image
In the previous installment, we covered Peoria’s first airmail flights and the fact that they were flown by the soon-to-be famous Charles A. Lindbergh. Now we shift to Peoria’s next airfield, Big Hollow Airport, which was located along then-Illinois Route 30 (north of US 150 and west of Rt. 91 today). There appears to be some disagreement over when this facility opened. Bill Adams wrote in his November 26, 1990 Yesterdays column that  Big Hollow opened in the late summer of 1926 and Kellar Field was closed.   Actually, that is when construction began, but it opened on December 20. Newspaper articles alternatively call it the "Municipal Airport," "Peoria Airport" or "Airport of Peoria." The map below appeared in the Peoria Evening Star on April 24, 1927. Shoppes at Grand Prairie occupies the present location.  AN AIR SHOW AND SCHEDULE AIRLINE SERVICE The Peoria Aero Club organized an air show here on June 10, 1928. It featured stu...
Read more

Viridis On Hold

Image
Viridis Chemical's ethyl acetate plant is viewed January 18, 2026 from the Cedar Street Bridge   Local media outlets aren't reporting this, but in December, Viridis Chemical Co. halted work on the nearly-finished Peoria ethyl acetate plant relocated from Columbus, Nebraska. The decision by investor EIV Capital was blamed on a deteriorating market for "biobased chemicals" and tariffs, which caused the project to go over budget.    The former seems to be the bigger problem as the distillation column subject to a 50 percent import tariff was purchased and installed. The suspension explains why a rail siding was not built, and construction activity was put on hold before Christmas.    This article does offer hope for the plant -    [market development lead Steve] Friedewald expects the facility will start up eventually, but it may be a couple of years before the Viridis team recruits new investors or secures funding to finish final build-out and com...
Read more