Peoria Station

The area's tall trees along the railroad rights-of-way block good lighting in most areas by evening now, so I had to be picky on my video location along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track. Worley Lake seemed the best, especially since L557 was running Main 2 instead of the usual Main 1.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track mainline into Pekin, Illinois early-evening Thursday, August 31, 2023. UP 2660, probably borrowed off a coal train unloading at Decatur, has 16 cars.   David P. Jordan

I had scheduled an appointment for my car at the dealership this morning, so when I learned this train was heading through downtown Peoria around the time I left, I knew what my plans were for the next hour or so... CAPTION: Iowa Interstate train PEDAV (Peoria IL to Davenport IA) rolls through Rome, Illinois shortly after noon Wednesday, August 30, 2023. IAIS 708, IAIS 701 and IAIS 707 have 105 potash empties for CPKC at Davenport, Iowa.   David P. Jordan

Norfolk Southern finally delivered the first of two F-7As to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad late this morning! I took Thursday off from work just to catch D49 do this, but the crew spent its day switching Rivian, classifying D32 and building D36. On Friday, NS 7014 and BUGX 402 were involved in a minor derailment at Good Yard. Finally, they made the run on Monday. An added present was NS 5194, a high-hood GP38-2, bound for Des Moines, was hauled to TZPR with the F-7A! Today's TZPR delivery had typical traffic: steel coil loads for the Iowa Interstate but mostly empties for Liberty Steel & Wire, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Alto, BioUrja, Linde or Messer, and the KJRY.  The appearance of Incobrasa Industries covered hoppers is this month. It seems the time I saw one on D49 (August 7), it was empty. But they're empty coming into East Peoria as well. Apparently, my glance at the pressed truck coil springs on the August 7 train was insufficient to confirm it as a load, but that is...

The TP&W must have brought in an M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) last night or this morning. I believe I heard the crew to the dispatcher (or yard controller) that they had 14 loads. I can identify an Incobrasa covered hopper, ten TP&W covered hoppers and one tank car as loads. Two other tank cars must have been loads.   CAPTION: A TP&W local, possibly an EP-X (East Peoria Extra Switcher), rounds the curve moments before crossing W. Washington Street and entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late-morning Sunday, August 27, 2023. TPW 2070 and TPW 3440 have 71 cars. Later, power returns to the TP&W yard engine lite.   David P. Jordan

MPECL stalled on the double track shortly before noon today. I waited, left for awhile and then returned. I only had to wait a short time before seeing UP 2670 approach N. Brauer Road and then stop, and shove back south to clear the crossing. Shortly, the train departed.  I didn't see how the crew managed to get the train up the hill, but the dispatcher gave them a work between covering MP 71.3 and 71.9. The north end of the double track is at 71.6. I assume they broke the train and re-assembled it near the top of the hill.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA), running a day late, makes a partial runby atop Pioneer Hill on Peoria, Illinois' northwest side early afternoon Saturday, August 26, 2023. The train shoved back across N. Brauer/W. Ridgeview Road before heading north again. I shot the whole train here from my car due to rainshowers but caught up to it again at Oertly Road near Edelstein a short time later. UP 2670 has 49 cars. David P...

Union Pacific's MPECL did not run Friday afternoon. Word is its sole locomotive was "borrowed" for use by this Sterling grain train. Whether MPECL runs Saturday or Sunday is unclear. CAPTION: A southbound loaded Union Pacific grain extra rolls by W. Farmington Road early evening Friday, August 25, 2023. UP 7718 and UP 6593 were on the point of 109 cars. UP 6162 was DPU. Train was loaded at Rock River Lumber & Grain Co's Sterling, Illinois facility.   David P. Jordan

I took a floating holiday Thursday in hopes of chasing Norfolk Southern local D49 to East Peoria with one of the BUGX F-7As. Alas, time spent switching Rivian Automotive, classifying inbound local D32 and building outbound D36 took all the crew's time. But I did capture, for the first time, switching operations at Rivian! I shot eight scenes, but only included four to avoid duplication. In the final scene, D49 has pulled 15 cars, all loaded except the first (at least that is how it appeared). These were shoved into a cut of 15 loads pulled earlier.  Rivian Automotive Inc.'s production has surged this year. The large number of autoracks at Good Yard and at the adjacent ramp today shows preference for rail transportation to more distant points, primarily western states. The company produced 10,020 vehicles in 4th Quarter 2022, 9,395 in 1st Quarter 2023 and 13,992 in the 2nd Quarter. Since the company fabricates much of its own components onsite, it may be logical to hope that som...

Well...I caught another TP&W train running through from Kolbe (Mapleton) to East Peoria.  The three units apparently brought a cut of phosphate loads (in CSX covered hoppers) to Growmark early Sunday evening, so it makes sense that they'd take some cars back with them to the home terminal.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, enroute from the Kolbe Industrial Spur near Mapleton to East Peoria, rolls by W. Washington Street shortly before the end of its run late-afternoon Monday, August 21, 2023. TPW 5015, HESR 3485 and TPW 5009 - all running long-hood forward - have 20 cars. David P. Jordan

Decatur-bound coal trains routed UP-Peoria-CN have been more frequent lately. Just last Saturday, there were two loaded trains parked on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track, one at Grove and one at Pekin. ADM's co-generation facility is their destination.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train CNADE (Coal Loads, N. Antelope Mine WY to CN/Decatur IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road around midday Sunday, August 20, 2023. UP 2660 and UP 8933 have 153 cars for interchange to Canadian National on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track. UP 6834 is DPU. - David P. Jordan

CAPTION: The Commemorative Air Force put on a great show at the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport Sunday morning, August 20, 2023. Aircraft shown included the a B-29 Superfortress, P-51 Mustang, T-6 Texan and RC-45J Expediter. A Boeing Stearman was flying as well, but I didn't get any video. The RC-45J's arrival is followed by a SkyWest Airlines dba United Express CRJ200 from Chicago-O'Hare.

After about a month or so, E-Jets have returned to Peoria-Dallas/Ft. Worth nonstops! Around August 15, Envoy Airlines replaced PSA Airlines as American Eagle carrier on this route with both daily roundtrips using the 76-seat Embraer 175. For some reason, this afternoon's turnaround was operated by the slightly smaller (72-seat) Embraer 170.  A Commemorative Air Force RC-45J is shown taxiing to Runway 13 prior to the airliner's arrival. Shortly, it makes its takeoff roll.  CAPTION: A Commemorative Air Force RC-45J taxies to Runway 13 and then takes off. In between, we get the arrival of an Envoy Airlines dba American Eagle Embraer 170 from Dallas/Ft. Worth. - David P. Jordan

Since MCLPE arrived so late on Thursday, I was almost sure MPE CL would be late leaving on Friday. Turns out, it departed around the usual time (about 4:00pm).  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon, August 18, 2023. UP 6939 and UP 6641 have 71 cars. David P. Jordan

I barely got there in time... I checked the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard this afternoon. As I drove by the diesel shop on Wesley Road I saw a train departing through the East Lead. So I headed back across the river, and into the usual congestions at the intersection of MacArthur Highway and SW Washington Street.  To make a long story short, I pulled into Chicago Street just in time to snatch this brief video. CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, probably "Industry 4," rolls by the Foot of Chicago Street in Peoria, Illinois, late-afternoon Thursday, August 17, 2023. TZPR 1351 has ten alcohol empties for BioUrja Renewables LLC, seen in the background. So my encounter with the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local heading to BioUrja's alcohol loadout wasn't the only one for today. While at the downtown library, I received word that a very-late Union Pacific MCLPE was running by Dunlap (probably the talking detector at MP 67, near Ceda...

Quite a few grain loads, probably soybeans, have been coming off the Iowa Interstate since at least Monday last week. Today's Norfolk Southern local returned to Good Yard with 48 of them and nothing else. CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway Train D49 pulls up to Crandall Junction near Morton, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, August 16, 2023. The conductor had to go to the signal cabinet and reset the red signal to green and wait before proceeding. NS 6074 and NS 7014 left Wesley earlier with 48 grain loads from the Iowa Interstate. Whole train sequence starts at 2:31.   David P. Jordan

I was waiting off Krause Ave. on Peoria's south side for Union Pacific's MPECL to radio the dispatcher for instructions when I heard a distant horn. I went trackside to check and saw IMRR 43 approaching with what turned out to be 28 cars for Kickapoo Yard. CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switch job rolls by Krause Ave. in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, August 15, 2023. IMRR 43 has 28 cars for Kickapoo Yard. Save for the asphalt load on the rear, all are either scrap metal loads and wire rod empties are for Liberty Steel & Wire Co.   Not long afterward, MPECL radio'ed the dispatcher and got permission to head north from Peoria Junction. I shot the train off W. Farmington Road, but decided to get it again, so I got ahead of it and parked at a stub road just south of Speer.  CAPTION: Union Pacific MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Later,...

I learned around 1:30 this afternoon  that Norfolk Southern local D49 had been reported westbound at Goodfield. This is quite late for the train to make its East Peoria turn. So after work, I headed to East Peoria only to find what appeared to be an inbound train already in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's yard. Shortly, I found NS 3360 and NS 3228 parked on the Creve Coeur Team Track. I believe the crew decided to tie up there until tomorrow. For those willing to wake up that early, you might see an early D49 departure from East Peoria back to Good Yard. Crew is on duty at 6:00am but will have to drive up here, get on the units and couple to the outbound train. I woudn't expect them to leave before 8:00am at the earliest. There are no guarantees, of course, but this scenario seems likely. I doubt they'll have time to come back tomorrow for a regular trip, but you never know. Train D32 may arrive Good Yard from Decatur tonight with a bunch of cars for TZPR. D49's cr...

I tried my new camera on the Union Pacific train. Unfortunately, its video function is inadequate for capturing fast-moving objects, as you can see from the brief blur each time I retract the zoom lens. The video isn't bad, but the brief lack of focus as the train approaches is annoying and unacceptable. Although my current camera, a Canon SX410 IS PowerShot, has an annoying machine sound, I'm better off using it for the time being.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road late-afternoon Friday, August 11, 2023. UP 7255 and UP 5477 have 59 cars. David P. Jordan

After work, I went to East Peoria in hopes of capturing some more action with new camera, and to play with the settings. Brief blur still occurs when I retract the zoom. This must be a Kodak thing because my Canons rarely or never did that except in low-light conditions.  Anyway, I played with my new camera's settings as I watched a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew using IMRR 43 to classify interchange cars from the Illinois & Midland. There were probably some DDGS ("mash") empties on this cut as well.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad yard job using IMRR 43, an IMRR 43, switches inbound interchange from the Illinois & Midland Railroad across W. Washington Street in East Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, August 10, 2023. Traffic includes granulated slag from Powerton, an animal fat tank car from Havana, plastic loads and plastic empties from IMRR storage sidings and yards, as well as sodium bicarbonate empties from the Kincaid Power Plant.   W...

Despite the rain, went into Peoria after work today hoping to test my newly-purchased Kodak PixPro AZ405 on an Iowa Interstate SIPE that left Silvis late this morning. I probably missed it by a mile, but my attention quickly shifted across the river in East Peoria when Norfolk Southern Train D49 received permissiion from the St. Albans dispatcher to depart the yard to P&PU Junction and Farmdale.  Steady rain showers prompted me to set up off Dolans Lane (TP&W yard entrance) and shoot from my car. I used my phone for this one as the lens is sufficiently small to avoid getting pelted with raindrops. The NS 5233, a high hood GP38-2, had a problem with a cabinet door while assigned to switching duties in Des Moines, Iowa. So it was sent back east for maintenance.  Some Iowa Interstate-served grain elevator must have a big order for soybeans to go east, probably ADM at Decatur. Monday's 13 carloads and today's 28 now number 41.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train...

No sooner did a get home from work that I checked railfan social media and learned that not only was Norfolk Souther local D49 still at East Peoria, but that a geometry train had turned around at East Peoria and was heading east (timetable south). I didn't know where it was when I left, so I headed to Goodfield and waited.  I didn't wait long.  CAPTION: A Norfolk Southern Geometry Train is shown late-afternoon Monday, August 7, 2023 after turning at East Peoria. NS 9755 has NS 99 ("Belford," a former DL&W car) and NS 34. The train was re-crewed at Good Yard in Normal and ran to Bement. I figured I'd have time to backtrack west for D49, so I set up at N. Main Street just outside Morton and waited, and waited and waited. As distant, faint horn blasts were heard, and eventually growling from a quartet of EMD standard cabs as it struggled to pull its 94-car train up hill, I realized the 55 grain empties brought into town for loading at ADM's Hilliards elevato...

I just missed seeing BNSF's M-GALPEI late this afternoon, crossing the river just as it was entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. NS 9838 and BNSF 6165 had a decent-sized train though it all fit on one of the Long Tracks (A-34, I think).  Normally, these trains run on Mondays and Thursdays. If the inbound crew can't make the roundtrip within their hours of service, they either tie up power on the TZPR's Creve Coeur Team Track, or they take the train west as far as possible, the New Long, Gilson, etc. Monday's crew made a roundtrip, but Thursday's apparently took the train west but could not complete the cycle. Another crew did that Friday morning.  The train appeared to be made up mostly of nitrogen fertilizer solution tank cars for the TP&W. Perhaps that is why BNSF ran a third M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL cycle this week? This traffic originates at Iowa Fertilizer Co's Wever, Iowa plant and is consigned to multiple destinations on TP...

Something about cloud banks or overcast and Iowa Interstate trains! At least it wasn't raining... Big train today, and likely the first in three days. I saw a Tazewell & Peoria RR crew switching those six steel coil loads Monday afternoon and wondered if they were going to shove them into the rear of the waiting PESI! They had just come in on Norfolk Southern local D49. The four incobrasa cars must have been bad-ordered on TZPR, repaired and are now moving to destination for loading. Grain alcohol shipments seemed to have increased in recent months. CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and across Persimmon Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, August 3, 2023. IAIS 501 has NS 5823 and 124 cars. Most cars are distillers' grain ("mash") empties, as usual, but steel coil and alcohol loads, Incobrasa covered hoppers and a high-sided gondola offer some variety.   Rather tha...

The train had already left Adams Street Yard when I drove by, but radio chatter minutes earlier confirmed the train was just getting its track warrants to go north. I turned off Airport Road and onto Kickapoo Creek Road just in time to see the approaching headlights... The dozen boxcars on the head end are quite an eclectic mix! CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, August 1, 2023. UP 7948 and UP 5679 have 39 cars.   - David P. Jordan