Union Pacific MPECL and MBNAS 3-21-23

Despite the soggy and overcast weather this afternoon, I decided to check on Union Pacific's MPECL as I usually do every Tuesday (I'm usually out that day so why not?). A cut of cars was left behind, likely due to weight-per-axle issues due to having only one locomotive. 


CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls across W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, March 21, 2023. UP 7662 has 48 cars.

I decided to capture another of Union Pacific's Central Illinois region manifests - MBNAS. Tuesday is the only day of the week that both MPECL and MBNAS operate. The recent time change enabled me to see the latter, which typically departs south out of Bloomington around 6:00pm after northbound Amtrak No. 318 clears. So I decided to give it a shot. Due to the rainy weather and lack of good places to shoot video in Bloomington, I opted for a crossing near Shirley, several miles southwest of town off Interstate 55. 



CAPTION: Union Pacific train MBNAS (Manifest, Bloomington IL to Alton & Southern) rolls near Shirley, Illinois shortly after leaving Bloomington on a soggy, overcast early evening Tuesday, March 21, 2023. UP 4656 has 49 cars.

- David P. Jordan

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