TP&W Transfer, BNSF M-GALPEI, TP&W Local 8-14-23

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 crew could even use that train's power to peddle these cars to East Peoria first then double up for the outbound with those two SD40s sitting on the team track. 

I was a little disappointed that I missed the late NS train (and that it didn't depart back to Good Yard), but my spirits were soon lifted when a TP&W local delivered 36 cars to TZPR. I'm assuming this was EP-X (or EPX1) because that was the symbol used by a similar movement at a similar time of day last Thursday. 

Though not a long train, this one had a good variety of business. Looks like zinc oxide from Waelz Sustainable Products' Clymers, Indiana plant is now regularly interchanged to Union Pacific via TZPR now instead of direct at Collier Yard in Bartonville. The empty phosphoric acid tank cars (2nd thru 4th) are likely for UP as well. So perhaps GWI has determined that TP&W East End traffic interchanged with UP now goes via TZPR while Mapleton business is still interchanged directly. This, of course, gives TZPR more intermediate business, a la Peoria Gateway. 

CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, probably EP-X (East Peoria Switcher-Extra) delivers a transfer to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late-afternoon Monday, August 14, 2023. TPW 5010, TPW 3046 and HESR 3485 have 36 cars. 

Shortly after the TP&W cleared, I heard some chatter regarding Darst Street and the East Lead, which this time of the day could only have been BNSF's M-GALPEI! Sure enough, I made it across the river and to Sanger Street in plenty of time to capture it at Sanger Street just before crossing the river. 

CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) crosses Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois while running the final leg of its journey to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late-afternoon Monday, August 14, 2023. BNSF 7554 and BNSF 5414 have 61 cars. 

The BNSF crew dropped its train and then coupled onto the outbound (M-PEIGAL), so I hoped to capture that as well. But the sun was setting, and I was afraid I wouldn't repeat one of those rare days when I've seen both trains! Anyway, I found solace with the approach of an unexpected TP&W local, which had come out of Mapleton, running through to East Peoria! 

Normally this job works between Kolbe/Mapleton and Collier Yard, but radio chatter indicated they were going to change out locomotives. Nothing unusual except maybe the empty IAIS covered hopper. The Iowa Interstate Railroad has in the past provided covered hoppers for dry bulk fertilizer loading, probably to the Growmark distribution warehouse at Stuart, Iowa. Not sure why an empty would be on here, unless it was used as a buffer for a time, and now it is returning home. 

CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, likely EP1 based on radio chatter, rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at two locations - S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois and W. Washington Street across the river in East Peoria - early evening Monday, August 14, 2023. TPW 2105 handled 29 cars from the Industries on the Kolbe Industrial Spur at Mapleton. 

David P. Jordan