Norfolk Southern Locals D49 & D36, Union Pacific MPECL 6-23-23

I took today off, and contemplated how to spend it. As events unfolded Thursday, I decided to stay in the area...well almost.

First, I checked Good Yard in Normal for any sign of Norfolk Southern local D49. Lately, it seems this train is spending more days of the week pulling loads and spotting empties at Rivian Automotive Inc's adjacent ramp. This means that the East Peoria run is put off until later.

But not today.

When I arrived, I found D36 made up and parked on the Rivian ramp "balloon" track. No power was in sight. Then, my scanner picked up radio chatter. Moments later, I saw inbound train D32 stopped across College Avenue with NS 3228 and NS 3410 and about 15 cars. I quckly assumed that D49's crew had to pull it in, as D32 usually arrives well before sunrise. Activity died off as soon as the train pulled into and stopped in the yard, so I headed back to Peoria. 

As I exited I-74 onto East Washington Street, I caught the tail end of a train which looked suspiciously like D49. Turns out, it was in fact D49. I caught it several places as I followed it back to Normal (what else should I do on a day off?)

CAPTION: Norfolk Southern local D49 (Good Yard/E. Peoria IL Local) is shown rolling out of East Peoria and then at Goodfield, Carlock and Yuton as it makes its return trip back to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois late-morning Friday, June 23, 2023. NS 7014 and NS 3299 have ten cars. 

When I bounced from my car on the Rivian Motorway overpass at Yuton to get video of D49, I noticed D36 as gone from the Rivian balloon track. So after filming D49 entering the yard, I turned around and headed down the road to find D36 stopped just after College Avenue, My scanner suddenly picked up communication with the Union Pacific dispatcher, which gave permission to cross his railroad at B-N Target.

I decided to shoot video at Oakland Avenue, where I arrived with barely sufficient time to set up on the east side of the crossing. The high sun favored this angle, and I'm glad I did it. Train was short, but it had a good variety of rolling stock. 

CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D36 rolls across Oakland Avenue in downtown Bloomington, Illinois as it heads east toward Gibson City and ultimately, Decatur, midday Friday, June 23, 2023. NS 3410 and NS 3228 have 20 cars. Highlights include a Komatsu chassis load, scrap metal from the Keokuk Junction Railway, two steel coil empties from the Iowa Interstate and six autoracks loaded with Rivian EVs.

Today's Union Pacific train, MPECL, not surprisingly, included many of the cars among the 83 TZPR 1521 dragged Main No. 2 at Wesley into the East Peoria Yard last night.

I haven't yet figured out why TP&W interchanged some zinc oxide and some Mapleton chemical plant traffic with Union Pacific via TZPR when it could have been done directly.

I'll check Collier Yard to see if track work is limiting interchange capacity there. At least that seems like a logical explanation unless and until I find out for sure. 

At least one tank car was left behind at Adams Street Yard. The train's three motors were sufficient for a bigger train, so Weight-Per-Axle limits wouldn't be in play. Car might have been bad-ordered, or it didn't have proper billing, etc. 

CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls across W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, June 23, 2023. UP 9077, NS 9777 and UP 4965 have 70 cars. 

David P. Jordan