No April Fools! TZPR, UP and IAIS Action

The sun was shining and it was a little warmer, so I decided to check out the local railscene after work Friday afternoon. I wasn't disappointed.

Union Pacific's MPECL is generally predictable. I parked near Adams Street Yard a little before 4:00, and waited but a few minutes before the crew toned up the dispatcher and asked for instructions.

As MPECL began to move, a short Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job coming out of Kickapoo Yard rolled by. I shot video of it S. Darst Street. TPW 1538 had seven cars (one potash empty, three coiled wire rod loads and three asphalt empties).



I knew I needed to get to W. Farmington Road quickly for Union Pacific train MPECL, which I beat by just a few minutes. Video shows it rolling across W. Farmington Road. UP 7677 has 33 cars, including two flats loaded with Caterpillar D10T track-type tractors.



I knew Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) had been called this morning, but assumed it had already reached East Peoria. The longer days gave me hope to see counterpart PESI. But then I realized SIPE hadn't yet arrived. Naturally, I drove up Rt. 29 to my favorite spot near Quality Metal Products, a few miles north of Peoria. As soon as I parked and lowered my window, I heard a distant locomotive horn! 

Video shows SIPE several times between San Koty and the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River lift bridge. IAIS 515, IAIS 707 and IAIS 710 have 101 cars (98 loads, three empties). See captions in video for location details.


- David P. Jordan

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