BNSF M-GALPEI 7-6-23

I saw M-PEIGAL's consist sitting on TZPR's West Lead this afternoon, so I knew M-GALPEI would be coming this evening.

Sure enough, it was, but I learned of it when I was in Shirley, Illinois shooting video of a Union Pacifics MBNAS (Manifest, Bloomington IL to Alton & Southern), which appropriately was led by Alton & Southern RR SD60 2204! So I hightailed it up I-55 and then west on I-74 to I-474 turning right on onto W. Farmington Road in time to see M-GALPEI roll by in the distance!

I shot the train just south of Harman Highway and again (after a lengthy delay) at S. Darst Street while entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad for the final leg into East Peoria.  

Today's train had blocks of six and twelve scrap metal loads. The latter included nine cars of mixed NOKL, TZPR and COER marks, indicating a possible backhaul movement on cars assigned to wire rod service out of Liberty Steel & Wire Co's Bartonville steelworks. The other three in this block displayed Indiana Harbor Belt markings, indicating a Chicago-area origin. I've noticed that BNSF has been delivering a lot of scrap metal loads to TZPR in recent weeks. 

The autorack near the rear could be a home shop car bound for an NS-served repair facility (though there is no green decal showing), or it could be an empty returning to Rivian Automotive at Normal, interchanged to NS at Peoria rather that moving empty reverse route. 


CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) approaches yard limits near the end of the Peoria Subdivision early evening Thursday, July 6, 2023. BNSF 4717 and BNSF 6652 have 69 cars (26 loads/43 empties). Five salt boxcars, 18 scrap metal loads and an empty autorack highlight this consist.


- David P. Jordan 

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