Gritty Industrial Railroading - Allied Iron & Steel Co. in Peoria, Illinois


Mid-afternoon Friday, January 5, 2018, I caught the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (TZPR) switching Allied Iron & Steel Co. in Peoria. 

Owned by A. Miller & Co., 1612 SW Adams Street, Allied Iron & Steel Co. purchases junked autos, scrap metal and tin. Its auto shredder produces steel scrap ready for processing at steel mills and foundries.

Allied Iron & Steel opened at the Foot of W. Clarke Street in 1965. Back then, it was served by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) with a spur off of its mainline (now BNSF's Peoria Subdivision, it is seen in the background). Also served by the CB&Q, A. Miller & Co. regularly shipped junk by rail from its uptown facility down to Allied for further processing. 

Successor Burlington Northern abolished its last Peoria-based switch engine in 1983 and handed over the Allied Iron & Steel business to the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway (P&PU), which built the spur track in place today.

P&PU successor Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switches Allied on a fairly regular basis. Most output seems to stay local as Keystone Steel & Wire Co. has a huge appetite for shredded scrap steel. 

- David P. Jordan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Black Band Distillery Expands to ex-Cat Tire!

Image
Black Band Distillery, presently operating at 1000 SW Adams Street, is planning to expand to the vacant property at 2400 SW Washington Street. That is according to WCBU News .  Although the article omits it, this property has a long history with the local distilling industry. National Cooperage & Woodenware Co. constructed a plant there in 1900, though a predecessor apparently had begun barrel making operations there c. 1885. This firm survived Prohibition (1920-1933) because the barrels could also be used for packing corn syrup, condensed milk, cider, vinegar, liquid chemicals, flavoring extracts, etc. Hiram Walker & Sons, which purchased one-third to one-half of its production, gained control of National Cooperage in 1946. A new four-story expansion began in the fall of 1964 only to be destroyed by a tornado on September 14, 1965. Operations resumed at the start of 1966 and the entire plant was replaced in 1967-1968.  Changing economics led to closure in 1972. Caterpillar Tra
Read more

TP&W-to-TZPR Transfer 10-14-23

Image
I happened upon this train pulled out of the TP&W's East Peoria Yard onto the Peoria Sub. I quickly concluded it was a switch crew making up a transfer to TZPR, and was rewarded for waiting around. Radio chatter indicated nine loads and 50 empties. The first three cars contained zinc oxide for Union Pacific (via Tazewell & Peoria RR, rather than via direct interchange). Embedded in the consist were six covered hoppers likely containing phosphate fertilizer for Mosaic Crop Nutrition in the Pekin Bottoms. This is the second time I've seen empty tank cars with Incobrasa Industries markings. Normally, I'd expect loads moving westbound. Everything else is empties for TZPR-served industries and interchange to BNSF.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western train, probably an EP-X (East Peoria Extra switcher), handles Tazewell & Peoria RR-bound traffic across E. Washington Street in East Peoria, Illinois midday Saturday, October 14, 2023. TPW 5010, TPW 2105 and HESR 34
Read more

Peoria Int'l Airport Awarded $500,000 In SCASD Program (UPDATED X2)

Image
Peoria Int'l Airport has been awarded $500,000 for assistance in regaining a link to a western connecting hub. The grant, announced Friday, is part of the Small Community Air Service Development program (SCASD). Funds are used to offset financial losses by the airline providing service. On many instances, funds aren't needed. The Airport Authority prefers Denver, Houston, Phoenix or Salt Lake City. Denver and Houston are hubs for United Airlines, Phoenix is a hub for American Airlines and Salt Lake City is a hub for Delta Airlines.  It is difficult to imagine that American Airlines would offer Peoria-Phoenix nonstops when passengers can make good connections through Dallas/Ft. Worth. Houston was already tried and didn't work out due to load factors. I don't see Delta Airlines being interested in Peoria-Salt Lake City nonstops.  Both American Airlines and United Airlines provided letters of support. So if Houston, Phoenix and Salt Lake City are out, then Denver is likel
Read more