Iowa Interstate BUSW 10-30-22

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. 

Ironically, the IAIS began operating its SIPE and PESI trains between Silvis and Peoria on a regular schedule starting September 6, but the ADM business dried up after about a week! The scheduled trains were abolished after about a month.

Despite the loss of the largest source of carload business, which is hopefully temporary, the railroad has reportedly increased the Bureau Switcher from weekday to daily operation to help with TZPR interchange. 

My final though is this: Perhaps Union Pacific's implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) has in fact reducing costs and enables the carrier to lower prices and still make a profit on certain traffic? If UP has in fact grabbed this business from IAIS, that might explain why.

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate local BUSW (Bureau Junction IL to Peoria IL), now seven-days-a-week heads north out of Peoria mid-afternoon Sunday, October 30, 2022. IAIS 718 has 22 cars.

- David P. Jordan