Peoria Railscene on Groundhog Day!

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 & Wire rod loads, seven alcohol loads (one from ADM, the others possibly from Pacific Ethanol), one empty tank car (last contained unknown) and two corn syrup loads from the Keokuk Junction Railway. 


Between D49's arrival and departure, I caught the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Industry 1 Job enroute from East Peoria to Kickapoo Yard. TZPR 1352 had 17 cars of either scrap metal loads and empty gondolas assigned to Liberty Steel & Wire rod service.

- David P. Jordan

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