Canadian National L557, BNSF M-GALPEI 5-18-23

List,

Late this afternoon, I learned that a CN crew had arrived TZPR and moved the local power off the Creve Coeur Team Track. So I waited at Hilliards for it to appear, which it did about 1755 hours. The train was untypically short, however, with just three tank cars. 

SHPX 210891 was loaded, but displayed no haz-mat placards. I'm unsure if this car contains soybean oil, shipped from "Cargill Oil Storage" c/o Gavilon Inc's Creve Coeur fertilizer mixing plant, animal fat shipped from the Darling Ingredients transload at Illinois & Midland Railroad's Quiver Yard in Havana, or something else. (BioUrja Renewables LLC has had non-placarded tank cars on its Riverside Track almost since purchasing the distillery from ADM on November 1, 2021. BioUrja was said to be planning to manufacture biodiesel here, which could be loaded into tank cars. Whether they're actually making biodiesel here is unclear.)

TCBX 177143 is a sodium hydroxide solution car (UN 1824), emptied at PMP Fermentation Products in Peoria. 

TCBX 306134 is a beverage alcohol load (UN 3065), shipped from BioUrja in Peoria, or Alto Pekin LLC or Alto ICP in Pekin. 

CAPTION: Canadian National train L557 (E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls by Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad double track Pekin mainline late-afternoon Thursday, May 18, 2023. CN 2264 and GTW 5937 had just three cars. 

Shortly, I learned that BNSF Railway's M-GALPEI was enroute to Peoria, so I decided to wait at W. Farmington Road for good lighting. It showed a short time later. A good variety in its consist. 

CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois early evening Thursday, May 18, 2023. BNSF 5689 and BNSF 4414 have 69 cars. 

I intended to catch the BNSF train enter the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Darst Street, but learned that the eastbound Keokuk Junction Railway local had just passed Canton. I originally intended to wait for it at Reed City Road, and wish that I had. Instead, I went to Glasford and waited. Turns out, the train had just passed before I arrived.

Returning home, I found it parked by the Kolbe depot with LTEX 3848, PREX 2003 and CEFX 2014 on the point. If the crew makes an East Peoria turn Friday, it won't be in time to make the connection to Union Pacific's MPECL. So traffic (including boxcars) will move on Tuesday's MPECL. 

David P. Jordan

Morton, Illinois