Keokuk Junction Rwy. Local, Union Pacific MPECL 1-20-23

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, January 20, 2023. UP 5100 has 56 cars. The train stalled five miles away on the double track and had to cut the train, haul it up Pioneer Hill in two sections and put it back together before resuming its journey.
 
- David P. Jordan

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