Peoria Station

The Keokuk Junction Railway local ran eastbound Tuesday, and probably made an East Peoria run Wednesday, so I figured it would go west Thursday morning. I nearly missed my chance.  When I arrived Kolbe after 0930, the train was missing, but there were cars parked nearby. So I went to Glasford. As I approached the crossing, the flashers activated and the train rolled in front of me. I turned around and set up just off Devil's Washboard Road. Video also shows it creeping through Canton. No work at Hitchcock on this day. PREX 2032-2040-2018 have 36 cars. When I arrived back in Peoria, I saw BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI sitting at S. Darst Street, so I pulled off and parked on Krause Ave. Moments later, the train entered Tazewell & Peoria Railroad territory. BNSF 5660-8752 have 29 cars. Lack of nitrogen tank cars from Wever, Iowa makes for a short train.  - David P. Jordan

  I caught Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 in both directions today. Consists have been shorter than usual as of late. The weather has been a factor, and the winter season may be as well. So it was refreshing to see 46 cars behind NS 6343 and NS 7014! I shot the train near W. Washington Street.  Train D49 dropped the inbound on A-38 and coupled to the outbound on A-27. It was in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard barely 90 minutes. Of particular interest are the four Caterpillar tractor loads on the head end. Right behind those was GRLX 7712, a tank car loaded with liquid sodium gluconate. The TZPR delivered this car to PMP Fermentation Products last Thursday.  I shot video at N. Main Street (near Morton) and again at Crandall, which was only possible because of a red signal indication at the TP&W crossing. NS 7014 and NS 6343 had 19 cars.  - David P. Jordan

Central Illinois residents will be getting better access to this year's Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.  The rally, to be held August 4-14, is the reason Allegiant Air is offering nonstops between Peoria and Rapid City, South Dakota on four dates (Aug 4, 7, 11, 14). Flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Although the season will be brief, Rapid City flights will be the tenth destination offered by Allegiant.  WMBD Radio 1470 is reporting the news this morning .  - David P. Jordan

Groundhog Day seems to be one day I've randomly captured Norfolk Southern freights arriving or departing East Peoria, Illinois. For Groundhog Day 2021, it was intentional.  Late Tuesday morning, I waited only a short while for the weekday local, D49, to show. NS 3303, an ex-Southern Railway SD40-2, and NS 3479, a former Burlington Northern SD40-2, have 19 cars, all of which were empties. The first four cars are corn syrup tank cars for the the Keokuk Junction Railway, which will haul them to Roquette America's wet corn mill in Keokuk, Iowa. The next thirteen are gondolas returning to Liberty Steel & Wire Co's Bartonville steel works for wire rod loading. The last two cars are twin-bay covered hoppers returning to the Illinois & Midland Railroad, which will haul them to Harsco's Powerton granulated slag facility.  Train D49 left East Peoria for Good Yard in Normal in early afternoon. NS 3479 and NS 3303 had 21 cars. A Komatsu truck chassis load, ten Liberty Steel