Peoria Station

A empty BNSF coal train with a Norfolk Southern Distributed Power Unit bringing up the rear (I didn't see the head end) was crawling across W. Farmington Road as Union Pacific's MPECL entered the mainline on the parallel Peoria Sub. I was concerned it would be block my view from the west side. Thankfully, the BNSF train cleared a few minutes before MPECL showed up.  CAPTION: Union Pacific MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, February 28, 2023. UP 3909 has 28 cars. - David P. Jordan

A friend on social media provided a heads up that Union Pacific's Z-G4CI (Priority Intermodal, Global 4 to City of Industry CA) was just east of Toluca. I calculated that I could make it from church in northwest Peoria, and did. Before I left, I captured both a westbound and an eastbound BNSF intermodal train. CAPTION: Action on BNSF Railway's Chillicothe Subdivision early afternoon Sunday, February 26, 2023 includes Union Pacific's Z-G4CI and both westbound and eastbound BNSF intermodal trains. I was at the Peoria Public Library's North Branch parking lot when I heard a distant locomotive horn, which could only have been on the Union Pacific. I thought it sounded like a southbound crossing Alta Road, but after a quick dash down Rt. 6, it turned out to be a northbound blowing through N. Brauer/W. Ridgeview Road (top of Pioneer Hill). I exited onto US 150, headed up Rt. 91 and managed to get to W. Lake Shore Drive in time for video.  CAPTION: An empty Union Pacific tra

CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by MP 80 shortly after departing Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, February 24, 2023. NS 9938 has 48 cars. Looks like Norfolk Southern power has found a home cycling on Union Pacific MCLPE and MPECL between Clinton, Iowa and Peoria.  Today's train had six boxcars on the head end and two on the rear - all likely locomotive wheel loads from Keokuk, Iowa (via the Keokuk Junction Railway), as well as more zinc oxide loads from Clymers, Indiana (via  the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway).  - Davif P. Jordan

I had my second encounter this year with Norfolk Southern's D49 local. Both encounters were completely unexpected. On Tuesdays, I normally take I-474 so I can check on Union Pacific's MPECL. Instead, I took I-74 into East Peoria and filled my tank at the Sunoco station on E. Camp Street because it was 22 cents cheaper than in Morton or Peoria. No sooner did I leave the gas station, I heard a horn... CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 rolls along the TP&W's Peoria Sub in East Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Shown on their return trip to Good Yard in Normal, NS 3410 and NS 7014 have 23 cars. I had hoped to see the Iowa Interstate haul those four ex-Amtrak (nee Santa Fe) hi-level cars out of town. I was aware that an IAIS crew delivered a potash train to TZPR early this afternoon, so I hoped for a departure well after 3:00. Turns out, PESI departure before 3:00, but a social media post alerted me to its location, and I calculated that I

Looking north from NE Adams and Cornhill streets in Peoria, Illinois, Sunday, February 12, 2023 Here's some notes and thoughts on "AB-1056 (SUB-NO. 1X) PIONEER INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY CO. LLC - Discontinuance of Trackage Rights Exemption - In Peoria County, Ill.," a filing to the Surface Transportation Board last week and entered into the public record Wednesday, February 15, 2023.  (1) The carrier asks the STB to authorize PIRY to "terminate its trackage rights over approximately 1.07 miles of line (a portion of the Kellar Branch) located between milepost 1.71 and 2.78 (the 'Line') in the City of Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois." (2) As of January 1, 2023, the carrier is legally known as "Pioneer Industrial Railway Co. LLC." (3) PIRY's filing is part of the City's railroad service plan, discontinuing long out of service trackage rights over the south end of the old Kellar Branch.  (4) Board approval will free up the City of Peoria to 550 fe

Four ex-Santa Fe hi-levels enroute from Madison to Silvis, Illinois are being routed UP-Peoria-IAIS. They arrived on MCLPE this morning and Union Pacific's LPD01 job reportedly delivered to them TZPR late this morning. I tried to find these cars this afternoon after work, but saw nothing of them. Perhaps TZPR has hidden them somewhere?  Anyway, I did come across the old "Kickapoo Job," short but sweet.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad "Industry Job" rolls by Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, February 20, 2023. Enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, TZPR 1352 has seven cars. - David P. Jordan 

Sunday afternoon I checked TP&W's East Peoria Yard where I found a crew working the west end with MQT 3407 and TPW 1538. I deducted that they were building a train for Collier Yard, but thought I had time to go home. I returned less than an hour later to find the train gone. I found it on the Nickel Plate, waiting for a TZPR train to enter the East Peoria Yard from the Pekin mainline. The bridge was up, so I parked off the Foot of Sanger Street and waited.  I decided to mix it up a bit and include video of a barge tow passing beneath the bridge. Excited geese are seen between the beginning and the end. I also included the bridge being lowered for the TP&W train.  CAPTION: A barge tow floats by, exciting the geese before the Tazewell & Peoria RR Illinois River Bridge comes down for the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's EP-3 Job. Shown at Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Sunday, February 19, 2023, MQT 3407 and TPW 1538 have 13 cars - five for Mapleton industries a

The next Iowa Interstate PEDAV, probably sometime on Sunday... I saw these units running engine lite down the Kickapoo Main at Bartonville a little after 1310 hours. I went back about two hours later to find them dragging an empty potash train from Mosaic toward Wesley, across the river.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew dragged an empty potash train from Mosaic Crop Nutrition (south of Bartonville) to Main 2 on the Pekin double track mid-afternoon Saturday, February 18, 2023. Seen rolling by Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois, TZPR 1352 and IMRR 43 were on the point. - David P. Jordan 

Sunny but cold weather offered an incentive to capture Union Pacific's MPECL train Friday afternoon.  When I drove by Adams Street Yard, I could see it strung out along the Low Line, the rear end still by the yard. I had to wait longer than I wanted, but it did finally leave after 4:30.  A twelve-car block of zinc oxide loads, empty tallow tank cars and assorted chemical traffic reveals interchange from TP&W this week. KJRY interchange wasn't as impressive as on other days, and there was but a single boxcar loaded with Amsted Rail/Griffin Wheel Div. traffic out of Keokuk, Iowa.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois late afternoon Friday, February 17, 2023. NS 9680 has 66 cars. (Shortly before MPECL rolled by, a BNSF grain shuttle from TP&W pulled up and stopped to pick up the conductor.) I also noticed the BNSF grain shuttle holding the main track short of Darst Stree

It looks like SIRX (Southern Illinois Railcar) covered hoppers may be replacing ADM rolling stock for DDGS loading at BioUrja Renewables LLC's Peoria distillery. I haven't figured out why the tank cars on parked here, but some were left at the South Yard or along the plant area recently.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switch job shoved two empty SIRX covered hoppers into a cut of 14 or 15 empty alcohol tank cars already parked on BioUrja Renewables LLC's Riverside Track early afternoon Saturday, February 11, 2023. TZPR 1352 left engine lite when finished. When crews work here they say they're "switching the post office," which is a block south. - David P. Jordan  

An American Eagle Embraer 175LR on final to Chicago-O'Hare June 29, 2019. Envoy Airlines dba American Eagle has been operating these between Peoria and Dallas/Ft. Worth for about a month.  American Eagle has changed equipment on two of its three Peoria routes.  Since at least late-summer 2022, PSA Airlines dba American Eagle has been using 76-seat CRJ900s on its twice-daily Peoria-Charlotte nonstops. This is an upgrade from the 65/67-seat CRJ700s which have been normally used on this route since February 2019. It appears that the smaller equipment returns on March 26.  Since at least January 10, Envoy Airlines dba American Eagle has been operating a 76-seat Embraer 175 on the Peoria to Dallas/Fort Worth route's evening arrival/morning departure. On occasion, the slightly smaller Embraer 170 has been substituted. Mesa Airlines continues to operate the 76-seat CRJ900 on the afternoon turnaround.  Unlike the Charlotte flights, use by Envoy Airlines of its 175s will likely be long-

Mild weather and trains! On January 2, a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switcher was working in the background as I shot an IMRR local run by Hilliards. So today's encounter is actually the first time I specifically shot video of a TZPR train this year! CAPTION: The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin, Illinois-bound local is shown at Wesley (Creve Coeur) and Pekin early afternoon Sunday, February 5, 2023. TZPR 1351 has 20 DDGS, Gluten Feed and alcohol empties for any of three Alto Ingredients facilities. I should also note that IMRR 43 was switching ADM's Wesley Road barge loadout, pulling all but one grain mash empty. Eight loaded tank cars (most or all displaying Cargill markings) were left on Main 2, blocking access to the elevator crossing. I left to shoot the Pekin local in its namesake and when I got back IMRR 43 and those ADM and Cargill cars were gone. I later realized that the TZPR crew had already pulled these cars from Cargill Oil Storage c/o Gavilon nearby

I haven't posted one of these in awhile, so here it is. Ask a question on transportation and industry. As always, if I don't know the answer, I'll find one. I've learned that American Eagle has made equipment changes on PIA-CLT and PIA-DFW routes, so a dedicated post will be coming up soon.  - David P. Jordan

While waiting for Union Pacific train MPECL to depart, I caught a TP&W local, probably EP1, on its return leg to East Peoria from Collier Yard. Tallow and zinc oxide empties stand out to identify the train's earlier activities.    CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, returning to East Peoria after making a Collier Turn, rolls across the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge mid-afternoon Friday, February 3, 2023. TPW 5009 and MQT 3407 have 17 cars of Mapleton and UP interchange traffic. The Union Pacific train finally left, and I shot video in rapidly fading light at W. Farmington Road.    CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road late afternoon Friday, February 3, 2023. UP 7828 has 48 cars. Note eleven boxcars containing Amsted Rail/Griffin Wheel Div. (Keokuk, Iowa) traffic and 13 covered hoppers on the rear (save for the last car) from zinc oxide producer Waelz Sustainable Produc

Peoria International Airport passenger traffic continued a nice recovery in 2022.  The Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria released its statistics close to the usual time this year, so we learn that in 2022 the local airfield handled 573,911 passengers. That number is well short of 2019's record 689,416 but far better than the 326,861 handled in 2020 and 480,006 in 2021. Now that almost all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, rising traffic should continue in 2023 if fuel price shock doesn't crash demand like it threatened to do for much of last year.  But the airline industry continues to suffer from pilot shortages, a trend that has been especially hard on small communities like Peoria. Last year's passenger numbers reflect a vibrant leisure travel market thanks to Allegiant Air.  Besides the pilot shortage, retirement of the older 50-seat regional jets and avoidance of unnecessary  business travel will continue to limit offerings by American Eagle and United Ex