BNSF M-GALPEI and Iowa Interstate PESI 11-3-22

Receiving a text around 4:00 this afternoon that BNSF's M-GALPEI had just passed Elmwood, I decided that microfilm can wait another day. I'm glad I went to W. Farmington Road and waited. I hadn't shot this vantage point (the old Gateway Milling Co. raildock area) since October 1, 2012!

Torrential rains flooded this area in April 2013 and equipment and supplies (including large stones) needed to restore the BNSF mainline tore up the ground, thus keeping anyone from driving back there. But in May 2022, a contractor used the area to store equipment and supplies to renew the railroad crossing, making it driving again. 

I like it...no shadows, even on a late-afternoon November day! 

CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road late afternoon Thursday, November 3, 2022. BNSF 5766 and BNSF 6845 have 83 cars.

I knew that an Iowa Interstate train was simultaneously crossing the river. When the BNSF train cleared, I headed downtown, and exited I-74 to find it crawling through downtown.

Use of the "PESI" symbol for today's train is a bit speculative, as the 8:00am BUSW crew brought a train into town earlier today. But a new crew and instructions (per radio chatter) to set out the second GP38-2 (707) at Bureau Junction, pretty well confirms it is going all the way to Silvis. 

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad train manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) is shown shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois late afternoon November 3, 2022. Three scenes between "The Narrows" and Mossville are included. IAIS 711 and IAIS 707 have 31 cars.

All 31 cars appeared to be loaded. The first ten covered hoppers were probably loaded with distillers dried grain ("grain mash"). Two have ADMX markings, so all may have been loaded at the BioUrja distillery. Three tank cars were placarded for "beverage alcohol" (UN 3065).

Two more ADMX covered hoppers probably contained distillers dried grain. Next, an eleven-car block of grain alcohol tank cars. All but the last two were placarded for "denatured alcohol" (UN 1987). The last two had UN 1170 placards, denoting "ethyl alcohol," also known as industrial alcohol.

Next were three gondolas with coil steel from Norfolk Southern.

Another ethyl alcohol (UN 1170) tank car and a covered hopper, probably laden with distillers dried grain or another grain product (gluten meal, gluten feed pellets, etc.) brought up the rear. 

- David P. Jordan