Action on the Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision 3-16-18


Now this was cool!

Early Friday evening, I managed to capture a meet at Green River Siding on Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision.

After work, I followed a northbound freight - MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) - there knowing that a unit ethanol train (uncommon for this line) was waiting on the main track. As soon as MPECL was in the clear, the ethanol train, departed.

Green River Siding was cut in during the summer of 2013. It was built at a time when the Union Pacific had great plans for its Peoria Subdivision, including another connection with BNSF Railway's Chillicothe Subdivision near Edelstein. The existing connection, placed into service in the northwest quadrant in 2007, would be complimented with one in the northeast quadrant. 

Plans to run intermodal trains between the Joliet Intermodal Terminal (Global 4) and points such as Oakland, Portland and Seattle via BNSF's Chillicothe Sub between the connection to that line southwest of Joliet and Edelstein; between Edelstein and Nelson on the Peoria Subdivision, and on westward on Union Pacific's east-west mainlines fizzled for various reasons by 2015.

But the Peoria Subdivision now has a lot of unused capacity. Powerton traffic (usually one loaded and one empty coal train per day), twice weekly manifests (MPECL and MCLPE), grain extras, work trains and occasional detours provide as little as two trains a day and usually no more than five. As recently as Spring 2014, the Peoria Sub could boast some 10-12 train movements per day.

Friday's 39-car MPECL was led by UP 5363 (AC45CCTE) and UP 8924 (SD70AH). The 106-car ethanol train was led by UP 4079 (SD70M), KCSM 4733 (ES44AC), UP 6328 (AC44CW) and UP 8556 (SD70ACe). 

- David P. Jordan

Comments

  1. mikefiedler1@gmail.comMarch 18, 2018 at 7:10 PM

    David, where does the name Green River siding come from, any idea? I have never heard of the term around here. Also, where does it start and end?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David P. JordanMarch 18, 2018 at 9:05 PM

      Hi Mike,

      Green River Siding is named after the Green River, which runs from the Rock River near East Moline/Carbon Cliff eastward. Near New Bedford (west of Rt. 40) it turns north then east again at Deer Grove, passing under Rt. 40 and the Union Pacifc's Peoria Subdivision. It then runs in a northeasterly direction, ending near Rt. 251 south of Rochelle.

      Green River Siding begins a little more than a mile north of Normandy (on Rt. 92). It runs 12,000 feet. County Road 3000 N. crosses its southern end and Jersey Road is to the north of the north siding switch.

      Delete
  2. ShawnMarch 19, 2018 at 8:31 AM

    David,
    Isn't the existing connection in the northwest quadrant, thus allowing intermodal traffic from Globals 1,2,3 to head for Kansas City and points westward? Are you saying that since Global 4 has opened that this traffic has disappeared?
    Shawn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David P. JordanMarch 19, 2018 at 1:23 PM

      Thanks for catching that...the existing connection is in the northwest quadrant. Global 4 traffic would have added considerable traffic (on top of existing traffic through the NW quadrant connection) had the NE quadrant connection been built.

      Delete

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