BNSF M-GALPEI (3rd Cycle This Week!) 8-5-23

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&W, or shortline connections via TP&W. So far, I've confirmed -

Crescent City, IL (TPW, United Prairie)
Sheldon, IL (TPW, Nutrien)
Fowler, IN (KBSR, Helena Chemical)
Otterbein, IN (KBSR, Helena Chemical)
Kentland, IN (TPW, MacroSource LLC)
Wolcott, IN (TPW, CFS)
Burnettsville, IN (TPW, CFS)
Flora, IN (TPW, Helena Chemical)
Bringhurst, IN (TPW, Co-Alliance)
Walton, IN (TPW, The Andersons)
Herbst, IN (CERA, Co-Alliance)

NOTES: A Co-Alliance facility at Goodland, Indiana might be getting these cars as well, but I haven't seen them there yet. CERA = Central Railroad of Indianapolis, KBSR = Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern Railroad, TPW = Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. 

The Andersons' facility near Walton, Indiana (actually closer to Lincoln), is getting most of these cars, probably several hundred per year. 


CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge early-evening Saturday, August 5, 2023. BNSF 6165 and NS 9838 have 14 cars (13 loads, 1 empty). Shortly, the train is shown at S. Darst Street just before entering home rails. Earlier, M-GALPEI made a rare Saturday appearance, which means the train has made three cycles this week. 

David P. Jordan

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