Tazewell & Peoria RR Industry 3 & Iowa Interstate SIPE/PESI 11-13-22

This afternoon, I caught the Iowa Interstate arriving and departing. In between, I caught a TZPR job delivering Caterpillar tractor loads to Keen Logistics. 

Regarding the TZPR job, this isn't a rare movement by any means, but it is rare to be in the right place to watch it happen. 

A portion of the Caterpillar tractor loads pulled from Building SS are spotted at the Creve Coeur Freight House for Keen Logistics, which unloads them, prepares them for dealers and trucks them out. I assume that some of these may actually be re-loaded on flat cars for rail shipment. 

This practice probably dates back to the late 1980s when TZPR predecessor Peoria & Pekin Union Railway formed "Peoria Midwest Transportation Service" (PMTS) to facilitate transloading and storage services for area industries. Keen Logistics took over these duties sometime after the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad began leasing P&PU on November 1, 2004. The enclosure on the south end of the freight house was built in 2006. 

CAPTION: Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job 3 spots Caterpillar tractor loads at the Creve Ceour freight house platform for Keen Logistics, mid-afternoon Sunday, November 11, 2022. TZPR 1351 has two cars.


The Iowa Interstate's Peoria Subdivision operations aren't very predictable so when I know a train is heading this way, I usually go after it. I'm glad for today's opportunity as both trains, though short, had a decent variety of traffic.

Today's SIPE had alcohol empties, soybean oil loads, a couple of potash loads (one an ex-TP&W car!), coil steel empties, some grain product (mash, gluten meal, corn screenings, etc.) and even one ADM corn syrup tank car. 

Train PESI had grain products (probably gluten feed pellets, grain mash, etc.), alcohol loads and a coil steel load. Crew said 14 loads, and 25 empties. 

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by San Koty (Peoria Heights), Illinois early afternoon Sunday, November 13, 2022. IAIS 707 and IAIS 708 have 23 cars. By late-afternoon, PESI is shown on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge and rolling by the "old" (1900) Rock Island depot in downtown Peoria. IAIS 708 and IAIS 707 have 39 cars.


- David P. Jordan


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