BNSF-TP&W Coal Train Derailment



Sunday afternoon, a BNSF Railway coal train being handled by a Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew, derailed two locomotive and two coal loads south of Bartonville.

Ironically, Union Pacific's ex-Peoria Terminal Co. line (Iowa Jct. to Hollis) is temporarily out of service due to poor track conditions. So trains (presumably the Keokuk Junction Railway's Mapleton-East Peoria transfers and TP&W's Kolbe Local as well) have been using the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Kickapoo Main between Iowa Junction and the Union Pacific connection, approximately three miles of Union Pacific mainline through the Sommer connection onto the Keokuk Junction Railway line. 

The train had already entered the UP mainline when the derailment occurred. The rear locomotives derailed before it cleared the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Kickapoo Main, tying up both lines. 

- David P. Jordan

Comments

  1. Mr. TowerDecember 9, 2019 at 11:48 AM

    Interesting. I caught this whole thing after it happened. I guess I am quite confused. I was told by my boss to go look at it after I got done with my regular job about midnight last night. It appears it was an empty as I couldn’t see the springs compressed on any of the cars, or any coal showing at the top of them. It appears to me that the lead unit picked the X-Over Switch point and with the wheels still rolling on the engines, it pushed the rails on the TZPR track, bunching them up into a sun kink looking curve, just beyond the X-Over. The knuckle on the South End of the second car behind the engines busted out and that’s why they were left with the engines. That is all I know for now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David P. JordanDecember 9, 2019 at 10:02 PM

      Train was loaded. Otherwise, a single unit would be on that end.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bartlett Grain Co. LP to Build Elevator on UP Peoria Sub!

Image
Bartlett Grain Co. LP's Bureau County facility will be similar to its Canadian Pacific Kansas City-served South Jacksonville, Illinois facility, shown May 2, 2020.  Bartlett Grain Co. LP is planning to build a $50 million grain loading facility in Bureau County, Illinois. Media reports here and here  tells us Bartlett Grain will build on 155 acres east of Rt. 40 and north of Interstate 80 between County Roads 1700 and 1745 East. The complex, complete with a rail loop capable of loading up to 120 cars, will employ 25 to 30.  Rail service will be provided by the Union Pacific on its Peoria Subdivision, which runs from Nelson south to Barr. Grain will be shipped to Mexico.  - David P. Jordan
Read more

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

PIA - A History: Chicago & Southern Airlines Crash Oct. 21, 1971

Image
The only fatal Peoria-area plane crash involving a scheduled air carrier occurred October 21, 1971 when Chicago & Southern Airlines Flight #804 went down while attempting to land in poor weather conditions. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident report can be viewed here , but I'll summarize the crash, what led up to it and the aftermath.  ILL-FATED FLIGHT #804 Chicago & Southern Airlines began flying between Peoria and Chicago's Meigs Field on July 7, 1969. Beech 18S and DHC-6 "Twin Otter" aircraft were used for its flights, the former type at Peoria. In 1970, C&S introduced an aircraft known as the ATECO Westwind II. It was a Beech 18S with heavy modifications including a seven-foot fuselage extension, two turboprop engines and a tri-cycle landing gear. An ATECO Westwind II operated ill-fated C&S Flight #804. It departed Meigs Field at 11:20 a. m. October 21, 1971 for Peoria and Springfield with 14 passengers. Airline pres
Read more