Peoria Station

When I saw Union Pacific's MPECL was gone from its usual spot adjacent Adams Street Yard in Peoria this afternoon, I figured it had already departed. Rather, I quickly learned that the short train was sitting further up the Low Line in a convenient spot for the crew to board.  But a Texas-bound BNSF corn shuttle loaded at Grainland Co-Operative's Cruger elevator just west of Eureka was making its way west out of town, so I waited for it at West Farmington Road. It sure is good to see so many Cascade Green cars! CAPTION:  A BNSF grain shuttle rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, January 31, 2023. BNSF 9127 has 112 corn loads from TP&W-served Grainland Co-op at Cruger. BNSF 6947 and GECX 4782 bring up the rear. Twenty minutes later, the Union Pacific train showed up. Disappointingly short, but why miss it when you're already on location? Of course, it almost looked like Norfolk Southern local D49 wanted to explore the west... CAPTION: ...

I  didn't have to wait long for MPECL's departure this afternoon. When I swung by Adams Street Yard, I could tell the crew was already aboard and the EOT already flashing.  Today's train had a block of ten boxcars near the head end, and two more near the rear. All twelve are likely loaded with locomotive wheels from Amsted Industries' Griffin Wheel Div. at Keokuk, Iowa. A couple of TILX-marked covered hoppers were unusual.  CAPTION: Union Pacific MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls under Rt. 116/Harmon Highway shortly after departing Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, January 27, 2023. UP 7828 has 41 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I've now captured movements of all nine active common carriers in the area.  Canadian National Railway's L556 local apparently hog-lawed well before reaching Pekin last night. IC 1000 and FXE 4042 were on the point of a loaded feed train for BNSF, however, and power tied up on the Creve Coeur Team Track. So late this morning, CN's L557 crew went on duty to finish up L556's work, grab the feed train power and take the outbound train south.  The southbound train had typical traffic, though two loaded tank cars lacking haz-mat placards have me scratching my head. Both marked MTFX (Midwest Railcar), they have white ends. Three BIMX hoppers on the rear were scrap metal empties from Liberty Steel & Wire.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway local L557 (E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin mainline late afternoon Tuesday, January 24, 2023. GTW 5937, CN 5622, FXE 4042 and IC 1000 have 36 cars. Locations are at Hilliards (Cre...

While waiting for the Union Pacific's MPECL to depart, I caught the Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria Turn rolling by. it was my first encounter for the year. The gondola was loaded, and could be for the Iowa Interstate.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's Kolbe-East Peoria Turn is shown running on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Southern Division at Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, January 20, 2023. CEFX 2014 and CEFX 2022 have twelve cars for TZPR's East Peoria Yard. I was abe to capture the Union Pacific train a short time later. The train had alcohol loads, carbon dioxide refrigerated liquid, wire rod, wheels and a few other commodities. A train of mostly empties should not have had the problem climbing Pioneer Hill. Strangely, a lot of empties were placed on the head end, with some of the heaviest loads near the rear.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL rolls by Milepost 80 minutes after leaving Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, Janua...

I tried a slightly different location for the first scene. I think it works best without overcast, but is definitely an afternoon shot.  Today's train had nothing out of the unusual, and was disappointingly short, but did have some variety. Placarded tank cars were two industrial alcohols (UN 1170), three beverage alcohols (UN 3065) and one industrial alcohol bringing (UN 1170) up the rear. CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) is shown rolling under Harmon Highway (Rt. 116) shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Minutes later, it entered the double track at Pottstown. UP 8324 and UP 6271 have 27 cars.   - David P. Jordan

Better late than never... Sunday afternoon, I sat by BNSF's Chillicothe Sub and short video of eight of the ten trains I saw in a two-hour period.  Although this line doesn't serve the Peoria-Pekin Industrial District, it does pass through the metro area, and has been the region's busiest line for well over a century. So it is definitely included in local rail operations and history.  CAPTION: Eight trains in two hours at Princeville, Illinois on BNSF Railway's Chillicothe Subdivision, early afternoon Sunday, January 15, 2023. Highlights include a westbound vehicle train, Union Pacific's Z-G4CI and a westbound BNSF baretable train. - David P. Jordan

I missed SIPE this morning, but was already downtown when I received a heads up that PESI had left East Peoria.  It was good to finally see the IAIS running some big trains to or from Peoria. Two alcohol loads on the rear; except for maybe one covered hopper, all others were empty - ADM mash, Cargill soybean oil, potash cars, etc.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad through downtown Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Saturday, January 14, 2023. IAIS 715 and IAIS 702 lead 111 cars. - David P. Jordan

I assume this train is for Prairie Central Co-op's Greenfield rail loop just west of Chenoa. Train apparently ran behind an X-SMRPEI (Grain Empties, Summerfield TX to Peoria IL) because it had to have been left at Darst Street for a TP&W crew, which has become the usual point of interchange as of late.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew dragged an empty BNSF grain shuttle from Darst Street at Peoria across the river and on east mid-afternoon Sunday, January 8, 2023. BNSF 8130 is on the point of the 116-car train with BNSF 4649-6823-4326 bringing up the rear. Note mixture of BNSF and Ferromex cars. Brief power runbys are at East Peoria on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and the whole train is shown at Ernest Street in Washington, Illinois.   - David P. Jordan

I captured BNSF Railway's Peoria-bound freight Saturday afternoon.  I assume this would have been Thursday's train, but it apparently didn't run that day. Cars were added at Gilson Siding, but I arrived after the crew finished putting the train together.  There is good variety of traffic on this one - a block of ten nitrogen fertilizer solution tank cars on the head end (another probable seven-car block near the end), four salt boxcars, New Mexico potash, a Methyl Chloride tank car, a likely zinc ingot load for Liberty Steel & Wire, two RBOX hi-cubes with unknown content, plastic, scrap metal, sodium bicarbonate and maybe some animal fat.  CAPTION:  BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls across Knox Road 1400 E near Maquon, Illinois after adding cars from the siding at Gilson late Saturday afternoon, January 7, 2023. BNSF 1706-3194-2568 have 76 cars. - David P. Jordan  

A United Express flight returned to Peoria International Airport after a smoke alarm activated. WEEK-TV reports that the alarm was faulty and that there was no smoke.  The CRJ200, scheduled to depart at 6:42 Friday morning for Chicago-O'Hare, returned to the passenger terminal where passengers waited until it was determined a sensor in the alarm was faulty.  Passengers re-boarded the plane and resumed their trip an estimated one or two hours late.  - David P. Jordan

Twenty-six dry sorbent empties from the Illinois & Midland RR help make today's MPECL a decent-sized train. No boxcars from KJRY, Caterpillar tractors, wire rod or anything like that, but trains of this size are always nice to encounter.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by Milepost 80 shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, January 6, 2023. UP 7102 and NS 3630 have 76 cars.  - David P. Jordan

I got the Norfolk Southern local for the first time in nine months! Then I calculated that a direct trip to W. Farmington Road through the city would allow me to catch Union Pacific's MPECL. I was correct! CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local, D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn), departs East Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, January 3, 2023. NS 6975 has 17 cars. Note the four Caterpillar D11 tractor loads on the head end.   CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, January 3, 2023. UP 6371 and UP 2746 have 33 cars.  David P. Jordan

I didn't have to work today so I looked for local rail action that I'd normally miss. I wasn't disappointed.  After two days of limited operations (at best), the floodgates opened Monday morning. The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard quickly got plugged with constant train movements, arrivals and/or departures.  Although I missed a few movements, I managed to capture a first (for me), as well as some normal operations.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway switch crew, possibly EP1, delivers Indiana crushed limestone to The Rogers Group/East Peoria Materials pit late-morning Monday, January 2, 2023. MQT 3407 has 15 cars. (My first video of TP&W switching this place since it opened in January 2004!) CAPTION: Union Pacific LPD01, the Adams Street Yard-based "Peoria Wayfreight," is shown working on an overcast but mild Monday, January 2, 2023. First scene shows the crew shoving nine cars of KJRY and TP&W interchange across Wes...