Norfolk Southern D36 5-25-23

Today's Norfolk Southern local D36 out of Bloomington/Normal had mostly D49 traffic.

Seven soybean meal empties on the head end will be set out for DuPont at Gibson City. The CRDX car was an organic corn load pulled from The Andersons facility at Mansfield.

Notable traffic from Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard includes corn syrup. gluten meal and scrap metal from the Keokuk Junction Railway, plastic pellets and granulated slag from the Illinois & Midland Railroad, a Komatsu truck chassis, alcohol from BioUrja and/or Alto Pekin LLC or Alto ICP, and carbon dioxide refrigerated liquid from Messer's Pekin facility.

Nine loaded autoracks on the rear contained Rivian vehicles assembled at the Normal plant. Such shipments appear to be frequent these days, thanks to significantly higher production levels this year.

Present volume isn't what Mitsubishi generated but Rivian expects expects to build 50,000 vehicles in 2023 (double 2022 levels). In 2024 it intends to build 85,000 R1 vehicles alone and achieve profitability. 

If these goals materialize, NS will be required to add a second regular shift Good Yard-based switcher, probably D47. Such a move could bump D49 to an afternoon call time. 

CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local D36 (Normal IL to Decatur IL) rolls across Market Street on Bloomington's west side early evening Thursday, May 25, 2023. Later, the whole train is shown at Lafayette and Easy streets before leaving town. NS 3299, NS 7014 and NS 6975 have 52 cars. The first eight cars were "turned" at Good Yard an the last nine are autoracks containing Rivian vehicles. The 35 in between came into Good Yard on D49 from Peoria-Pekin area industries and connections (IMRR, KJRY).

- David P. Jordan