Peoria Station

I just missed IAIS 718 arriving the North Limit Yard this afternoon, but caught its return trip north.  I have to wonder what happened to the ADM grain mash business? There should be another 40-60 empties on this train. Did Union Pacific snatch it from the Iowa Interstate? For many years, the C&NW and successor Union Pacific handled feed pellets from ADM's Cedar Rapids plant to the Clinton Municipal Dock-ADM except in winter, when the Upper Mississippi River closed to commercial navigation (lock repairs, ice) and this traffic, from both Cedar Rapids and Clinton, went to the Illinois River at Peoria. Eventually, the Iowa Interstate was able to grab some of this business (CP, IMRL, ICE, DME handling the Clinton pellets to Davenport). From winter 2006-2007, the IAIS had all of it. Starting around 2010, when ADM "Dry Grind" opened at Cedar Rapids, a large volume of distillers dried grain (DDG, or "mash") began moving to the docks on Wesley Road year round.  Iron...

I saw the crew classifying Friday's M-EFEP late this morning, but missed the TZPR transfer sometime in early afternoon while at the downtown library. I did, however, see them leave with 34 cars for Kolbe (Mapleton). Most are phosphate loads off CSX in Indiana, but the scrap metal-laden CSX gondola on the head end is likely for KJRY, consigned to Hitchcock Scrap Yard's Canton transload.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway extra makes a run from East Peoria to Kolbe (Mapleton), Illinois mid-afternoon Saturday, October 29, 2022. TPW 3046, HESR 2107 and TPW 3441 have 34 cars. Scenes are at N. Main Street in East Peoria and crossing the river into Peoria, both of which are on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (TZPR) territory.  - David P. Jordan

  When you can catch a TP&W manifest...do it! I learned late this morning this train was making its westbound run, and debated taking off work two hours early to intercept. Instead I waited it out, hoping for local switching and a delay crossing the Union Pacific at Chenoa, enabling me to catch the train east of Eureka after work. Turns out, M-EFEP switched Forrest Elvator & Supply and likely had to wait at least a short time to cross the UP at Chenoa. It was not reported at El Paso until well after 3:00.  CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown approaching Eureka, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, October 28, 2022. TPW 3046, HESR 2107 and  TPW 3441 have 119 cars. - David P. Jordan

I went straight to W. Farmington Road this afternoon without checking Adams Street Yard. I'm glad I did because as I turned left from the Airport Road-Harmon Highway connection onto Kickapoo Creek Road, I saw MPECL's approach. I didn't have to wait long at my favorite spot.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road mid-afternoon Friday, October 21, 2022. UP 6365 has 48 cars, including a Caterpillar tractor load (7th car) and ten boxcars (including a bright yellow UP repaint). Train reportedly stalled about four miles north of here (and may still be there as I post this at 1641). A single unit with many loads will do that... - David P. Jordan  

Canadian National Railway local L557 (E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) is shown at several locations between East Peoria, Pekin and South Pekin, Illinois late Thursday afternoon and into the evening. GTW 5852 has 19 cars, including a Caterpillar D11 track-type tractor load, which is exceedingly rare for this train! I can't recall the last time I saw one of these on a southbound CN local here! One possible destination is Atlantic Tractor & Equipment Co. Ltd. in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The whole train is shown at Hilliards on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track, at Pekin after entering home rails and at Fifth Street near South Pekin. In between the last two, L557 delivered one lumber load and four coil steel loads to Amerhart and Hanna Steel, respectively. I should also note that the tank car on the rear, UTLX 671547, was the herbicide empty pulled from Morton by a TP&W crew last Friday.  - David P. Jordan

Patriot Rail's acquisition of Pioneer Lines is already producing fruit! In a letter dated May 17, 2022, M. S. Carver Lumber president Joseph Fontana wrote the Surface Transportation Board requesting a legal change to Pioneer Industrial Railway's lease with the City of Peoria of 3.74 miles between a connection with Union Pacific and Pioneer Industrial Park. There seems to have been a delay in action by Pioneer Industrial Railway but both a 56-page Notice of Exemption and an eight-page Motion for Protective Order were filed with the STB on October 3. The Board granted PIRY's request today. You can read the filings here . Today's decision can be read here . I suspect rising diesel fuel prices may have been a factor in Carver's desire to rail service restored to its Pioneer Park facility. Lack of competitive access notwithstanding, direct rail delivery is cheaper than truck, even if a short distance from a wholesaler or transload site. UPDATE: On page 47 of the main Oc...

I drove by Adams Street Yard this afternoon, finding it empty, so I went to W. Farmington Road where the northbound approach signal displayed green. I didn't have to wait but a few minutes before MPECL showed up.  UP 6679 has 31 cars. The first ten cars are plastic loads, which is unusual, but may have come out of storage on the Keokuk Junction Railway. The next five - all marked RISX - are probably zinc oxide loads from Waelz Sustainable Products' Clymers, Indiana plant, a new industry served by the Toldo, Peoria & Western Railway. There are two likely distillers' grain loads after that. Three corn syrup empties from PMP Fermentation Products and four alcohol loads follow. The next tank car (no haz-mat placard) might be a steepwater load. Five more alcohol loads and a chemical empty bring us to the end.    - David P. Jordan

Usually, BNSF runs this on Monday. Given the train's length, they probably wanted to get it out of the Galesburg Yard.  The crew tied up on the mainline at Darst Street. An eastbound coal train got around it using the New Long Main, tied up at Powerton and reportedly will return via crew van and deliver M-GALPEI to TZPR's East Peoria Yard.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls across Kramm Road near Edwards and again at Pottstown, Illinois early afternoon Sunday, October 16, 2022. BNSF 2304, BNSF 1407 and BNSF 3162 have 94 cars. The hits keep coming... I already knew the BNSF "local" was to tie up in Peoria, but later learned that a coal train crew was to run down to Powerton, drive via crew van to the "local" and deliver to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad. So I returned to Peoria in mid-afternoon. Immediately, I came a cross this Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, probably a Lead Job. Video shows it rolling ...

I  noticed a TP&W crew classifying an inbound m-train (MEFEP) this morning. I determined that they were making up a transfer to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, and it would be a couple hours before they were ready, so I went on the downtown library.  My determination was correct.  IMRR 2108 and TPW 5015 dragged 47 cars to TZPR around 1400 hours. All appear empty but the TP&W cyclindrical covered hopper mid-tran (where the train stopped briefly). This was probably an organic grain shipment from Forrest.  - David P. Jordan

Leaving work Friday afternoon, I heard a horn, a rare sound in Morton these days.  I couldn't confirm whether the train was arriving or leaving town. I quickly confirmed that it was arriving. But it wasn't really a train. A TP&W crew ran engine lite with IMRR 2108 to fetch an empty tank car from Fort Transfer Company.  The locomotive stopped short of N. Main Street, giving me a chance to cross. I waited for some time at the Jefferson Street crossing before IMRR 2108 passed. It took but a few minutes, however, for it to head back out with the tank car.  Sadly, train movements at Morton are rare the past few years. The tank car pulled Friday afternoon was delivered by the last train to visit, on March 14, 2022. That's right, exactly seven months ago! Usually, a loaded railcar is delivered to a customer, and it is unloaded in 1-2 days then pulled away. Not so with TP&W and Morton.  Unfortunately, the sole remnant of Santa Fe's Pekin District may have seen its la...

Union Pacific train CNAIM (Coal, N. Antelope Mine WY to Metropolis IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Monday, October 10, 2022. UP 5807 and UP 8200 were on the point. UP 6844 is DPU. This train does not normally move via the Peoria Subdivision. Normally, they're routed via Kansas City. Coal is transferred to barges at American Electric Power's Cook Coal Terminal for movement along the Ohio River to subsidary Indiana Michigan Power's Rockport, Indiana generating station.  Less than five minutes later, BNSF Railway train E-PEBBTM (Empties, Peoria/Bartonville IL to Black Thunder Mine WY) raced by W. Farmington Road.  Earlier, I had noticed that a TP&W crew pulled this train across the TZPR bridge until the rear units cleared the BNSF connection at Darst Street. A BNSF crew boarded and received permission to head west. The whole train is shown near Oak Hill and again at Yates City. BNSF 6371 and BNSF 8822 were on the point; BNSF 6225 is DPU...

Today was a good one - mild weather and crisp, blue skies.  Before the main course (Iowa Interstate), a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, probably a Yard/Lead Job, rolled across the river in early afternoon. TZPR 1521 has just four wire rod loads from Liberty Steel & Wire Co. Iowa Interstate train PEDAV (Peoria IL to Davenport IA) was waiting for the TZPR local to clear. Once it did, PEDAV left Wesley, crossed the river and headed north, I shot video a numerous locations between East Peoria and Henry, Illinois. IAIS 152 has 104 potash empties for Canadian Pacific at Davenport.  Locations are shown on the video. Last scene shows the whole train. Later, I was able to catch Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) at both Rome and Mossville, Illinois in late afternoon. IAIS 712 has NS 5249 (high hood, unit served with Des Moines-based switch rew) and twelve cars. - David P. Jordan

Iowa Interstate SD38-2 No. 152, one of four such units on that carrier's roster, was used by a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew late-morning and early afternoon Saturday, October 8, 2022 to fetch an empty potash train from Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC's facility south of Bartonville.  I only caught it because the train had to stop at Wesley due to an issue with a switch. Lighting wasn't great and the location isn't my favorite but I shot video of this relatively rare use by TZPR of Iowa Interstate power.  - David P. Jordan

This afternoon, I bypassed Adams Street Yard in hopes of catching Union Pacific train MPECL at W. Farmington Road without having to rush and become frustrated with slow drivers ahead of me. Wouldn't you know, the train didn't leave Adams Street Yard until around 4:00pm. I know because I backtracked there and waited for it, finally clearing W. Farmington Road at 4:24pm.  Since August 25, UP has assigned two units, probably due to higher traffic levels. Today's train was a bit of an exception. UP 8828 and NS 4322 had only 29 cars. At least there were nine boxcars, all wheel loads from Keokuk, Iowa via the KJRY connection at Collier Yard in Bartonville.  - David P. Jordan

  A few thoughts... (1) I did catch Iowa Interstate's SIPE early this evening, but didn't make it to the last crossing (Leland Street) in time. I made a snap decision to shoot the train at the TZPR bridge going away.  (2) The IAIS implemented a scheduled for SIPE and PESI a month ago, but lately, consists have been anemic. Normally, these trains should have 100+ cars. I assume low water levels on the Mississippi River has prompted ADM and other processors to hold grain mash/DDGS rail-to-barge shipments for the time being.  (3)  There were NINE coil steel empties behind IAIS 152 for Norfolk Southern.  After waiting for the Iowa Interstate train to clear, the Keokuk Junction Railway's Mapleton-E. Peoria Turn starts its return leg with CEFX 2022 and CEFX 2014, and 21 cars. Scenes are at the TZPR bridge and at Darst Street in Peoria. All but the gondola were empty. (The gondola is consigned to Hitchcock Scrap Yard at Canton.) - David P. Jordan 

I just happened upon this as I was driving across the Cedar Street Bridge. Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by South Street on the Tazewell & Peoria RR in Peoria, Illinois shortly before crossing the river in East Peoria late-afternoon Sunday, October 2, 2022. IAIS 153 has 20 cars. Only two appear loaded.  - David P. Jordan

Today, I had my first encounter with BNSF's M-PEIGAL since mid-July!  Saturday's weather was great, but I almost didn't see this train. A false alarm nearly "derailed" this afternoon's adventure, but my determination (or Irish stubborness) helped me achieve what I wanted.  I usually leave home for the downtown library late Saturday morning. Instead of I-74, I decided to take US 150 into East Peoria, enabling a quick glance at TP&W's yard. There were no locomotives visible, offering the possibility that a local was working somewhere nearby or across the river. So I decided to check TZPR's yard. I quickly found BNSF's M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) strung out from the yard onto the East Lead. No power was on the Creve Coeur Team Track, so either an M-GALPEI had yet to arrive, or power had to be on the point of M-PEIGAL. I went to Bridge Junction in Peoria to confirm the latter was true. But my mind works funny at times. An empty w...