BNSF Railway Peoria-bound Manifest 6-18-22

I had been wondering how BNSF manifests M-GALPEI and M-PEIGAL were affected by TZPR's bridge outage. While I don't have a full understanding of how operations have been modified, the picture is clearer now. 

Basically, the bridge outage has forced BNSF to fill sidings with manifest traffic, and even shorten empty feed train (X-SMRPEI) because it won't fit on the New Long in Peoria. Whether the carrier attempts to maintain two cycles per week is unclear, though I don't they do. 

Anyway, I received word this morning that a BNSF crew had pulled a manifest from Gilson. I drove out to Kramm Road, a few miles west of Edwards, and waited. Shortly, BNSF 7774 & BNSF 987 came by with 41 cars. 

This train may be M-GALGAL peddling M-GALPEI traffic two days' late. Crew worked from Gilson to Pottstown where the train was tied up on the main until another crew could relieve them. More cars were added at Edwards Siding.

Radio chatter indicated a "Seven O'Clock GALGAL" would relieve them, which will likely mean movement from Pottstown to Darst Street after dark. The train may now have close to 100 cars, so a TZPR crew will have to shove it out of the New Long and onto the TZPR main, pull south through Bartonville and onto the Union Pacific Peoria Sub to reach Powerton. Then, they will runaround the train and pull it through Pekin and the on the double track to East Peoria. 

- David P. Jordan