Sunday Around Peoria, Illinois

I happened to catch three local train movements, Sunday May 31, 2020.

Late Sunday morning, I found BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria, IL) just finishing up setting out nine twin-bay covered hoppers on the New Long. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long before hit entered the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad for the trip across the river to East Peoria.  BNSF 538 and BNSF 553 have 37 cars.

It seems every M-GALPEI has nitrogen loads from Iowa Fertilizer's Wever, Iowa plant while counterpart M-PEIGAL has empties returning there. This traffic is seasonal, so trains will be getting shorter by summer. The Andersons' Walton and Logansport, Indiana facilities on TP&W-operated Winamac Southern Railway are the primary destinations for this traffic. 


Sunday afternoon, I caught this TP&W train hauling empty flat cars used for hauling wind turbine towers moving onto the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track at Wesley, Illinois. TPW 3440 and TPW 5010 were on the point. Train ended up at the Illinois & Midland Railroad's Powerton Yard, probably for temporary storage. Tower trains have been coming to TP&W from Canadian National at Gilman but empties have been reported to have been delivered to BNSF at Peoria. 


Late this afternoon, I caught Iowa Interstate train SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) departing Chillicothe, Illinois after setting out sand empties for Galena Road Gravel Co. I included footage of the power as it crosses Moffitt Street and then the whole train at Rome, Illinois. IAIS 506 has 49 cars. Traffic appears to be the usual grain mash and alcohol empties, with some corn screenings, and perhaps some misc. grain/grain products. 


- David P. Jordan

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