Union Pacific MPECL, KJRY EP Turn, TP&W Collier Turn 4-21-23

Although I'd first check on Union Pacific train MPECL as usual on Friday, I headed into Peoria this afternoon knowing the Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria turn had left Kolbe.

I was able to capture MPECL under than Harman Highway overpass a short time later. 

I expected the twelve zinc oxide loads (see Note 1) on the head end of Tuesday's TP&W road train to be on Friday's MPECL. Although it had seven zinc oxide loads (see Note 2), none matched those on the TP&W train. You would think sufficient time had passed for TP&W to deliver to Union Pacific. I did notice two cars (not together) were left at Adams Street Yard, I don't think any were among the twelve arriving from East Peoria Tuesday evening. 

NOTE 1 - SRIX 57102, SRIX 525002, RISX 1037, RISX 3073, RISX 3046, SRIX 525062, SRIX 57259, RISX 3059, RISX 3077, RISX 3037, RISX 3071, RISX 3070

NOTE 2 - RISX 1036, RISX 1031, RISX 3044, SRIX 525111, RISX 3035, RISX 3074, RISX 1035

CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls under Harman Highway/Rt. 116 at Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, April 21, 2023. UP 5682 and NS 8063 have 32 cars. 

I returned to Peoria's south side to find KJRY hadn't yet departed Collier Yard. Then I bungled a chance to capture TZPR 1521 on the Industry 1 Job coming back from the North Limit Yard with 19 cars. I wasn't happy as I missed a variety of loads and empties from PMP Fermentation Products (a sodium hydroxide solution empty, maybe an outbound load) and BioUrja Renewables (grain mash, alcohol). Shortly, the KJRY train entered TZPR at Iowa Junction and crossed the river. I captured it twice. In between, though, TPW 2056, working an extra TZPR job, crossed the river engine lite and headed uptown. 

The KJRY train had gondolas pulled from Hitchcock Scrap Yard's Canton facility. TFOX 101938 was a high-sided gondola loaded with unprocessed junk. The other, CIGX 800882, appeared empty, and was probably returning to Norfolk Southern. The former car's contents require further processing before being sent to a steel mill or foundry, but might be for Norfolk Southern as well. 

CAPTION: After setting out TP&W and Union Pacific interchange at Collier Yard in Bartonville, Illinois, Keokuk Junction Railway's Mapleton to East Peoria Turn is shown at two Peoria locations (S. Darst Street and the Illinois River Bridge) on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad late-afternoon Friday, April 21, 2023. LTEX 6437, LTEX 3848 and CEFX 2014 have 13 cars for connections. 

Closely following the KJRY local was a TP&W Collier Turn (EP2?) enroute back to East Peoria. It paused short of Sanger Street due to a switch problem on the bridge. It took an hour to resolve the issue and I missed by second TZPR move of the day when TPW 2056 pulled 23 loads (possibly ADM mash loads left at the North Limit Yard) across the river ahead of the TP&W local! 

Interestingly, the first four of nine loaded covered hoppers behind TPW 2105 wore IAIS markings! These (and the other five) were likely loaded with phosphate at Growmark's Mapleton Terminal. 

CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Collier Turn is shown enroute back to East Peoria, Illinois early evening Friday, April 21, 2023. TPW 2105 has 24 cars from Mapleton industries. 

Shortly after the TP&W train cleared, the KJRY local departed East Peoria for Iowa Junction. The second car, a gondola (OMNX 1293), contains scrap metal for Hitchcock at Canton. The two covered hoppers on the rear contain soybean flour shipped from Decatur (CN-Peoria-KJRY) for the ADM plant at Bushnell. 

CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's Mapleton to East Peoria Turn is shown on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge early-evening Friday, April 21, 2023. CEFX 2014, LTEX 3848 and LTEX 6437 have 17 cars.

- David P. Jordan