Canadian National L556 ("Peoria Local")



I caught Canadian National local L556 (Decatur IL to E. Peoria IL) rolling by Wesley Road in Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track Pekin mainline early Thursday afternoon. IC 1007 and CN 8895 have seven cars.

It was good to see IC 1007, still in Illinois Central RR black. That carrier was acquired by Canadian National Railway in 1999 and absorbed through merger in 2000. Although the IC still exists as a legal entity, its parent has supplanted its own branding in the last two decades. 

Memorial Day changed the locals' routine this week. Normally, L556 runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday and L557 runs Tuesday and Thursday. Friday's L556 makes a roundtrip from Decatur to East Peoria and return. While L556 ran Monday, counterpart L557 did not operate until Wednesday. That moved L556's next run to today. Train apparently returned south engine lite. Call times can vary. 

Today's train was short. Five empty industrial alcohol (UN 1170) tank cars were bracketed by two loaded ADM covered hoppers. The latter were loaded with grain products from Decatur, probably corn screenings for Peoria, though one might have been a load of soybean flour for Bushnell (via KJRY). 

- David P. Jordan

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