Peoria Station

Union Pacific's MPECL left Adams Street Yard before 4:00pm this afternoon, so I didn't waste time waiting for it like on some days. I mixed up locations a little and shot scenes at the old Molitor Junction area (MP 80) and Pottstown, barely making it in time.    CAPTION:   Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls along the Peoria Subdivision shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, September 22, 2023. Later, it enters the double track at Pottstown. UP 8084 has 41 cars.   While a friend and his two sons who were also waiting at Pottstown, we initially thought they heard the horn blast at W. Farmington Road of an empty coal train expected out of Crescent (MP 89.2). The faint noise repeated several times in a short span, which meant it couldn't be on the Union Pacific. They suggested it could be Iowa Interstate's PESI train, since SIPE came in several hours earlier. I decided to investigate. Sure enough...

Still experimenting with settings. Given the overcast and low light conditions, I think I did pretty well. The second time it passed me, I noted that the three cartbon dioxide refrigerated liquid tank cars' truck coil springs appeared open, i. e., they were empty. Normally, these cars are loaded in this direction.  CAPTION: A short Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local is shown on its run from Pekin back to the East Peoria Yard, early-evening Thursday, September 21, 2023. TZPR 1351 has four cars.   David P. Jordan

I didn't go after Union Pacific's MPECL today as I had scheduled an oil change just after work. I think the train left too early anyway. Fortunately, Norfolk Southern local D49 was making its East Peoria turn later than usual, and did not depart TZPR until well after 3:00pm! I caught it rolling by the TP&W diamond at Crandall around 4:15pm.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 (Normal IL to East Peoria IL turn) is shown on its eastbound leg at Crandall Junction, just outside of Morton, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, September 19, 2023. NS 6975 and NS 7014 have 35 cars, including a Caterpillar D10T tractor load.     David P. Jordan

A Breeze Airways turnaround from Richmond, VA is shown at the Cincinnati/N. Kentucky Int'l Airport on Monday, June 26, 2023. N116BZ, an Embraer 190, can seat 108 passengers.   Breeze Airways is adding Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in early December with twice-weekly nonstops to both Orlando and Tampa.  WAND-TV reports that the airline will be starting Orlando flights December 1 and Tampa on December 4. Airbus A220-300 twinjets will be used on both routes. - David P. Jordan

I went into Peoria after workthis afternoon intending to spend some at the downtown library... ...until I heard an Iowa Interstate crew talking told his dispatcher they needed to do an air test before departing the West Lead. Change of plans! Before I could confirm PESI's actual location, I noticed that BNSF's M-GALPEI was sitting on the main short of S. Darst Street waiting for instructions. Turns out, it was actually waiting on a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job coming out of Kickapoo Yard. Enroute to East Peoria, it ducked onto BioUrja Renewables LLC's Riverside Track to switch one of the two asphalt terminals at the other end of the South Yard.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad territory at S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois for the last leg of its journey to East Peoria late-afternoon Monday, September 18, 2023. BNSF 1436 and BNSF 3013 have 44 cars.   After M-GALPEI got clear, the TZ...

I felt like Wile E. Coyote with the storm following me and the train... When I arrived South Pekin, the train was sitting on the main track waiting for the crew to arrive. So I went to the local Casey's, used the facilities and bought a snack. Shortly after returning trackside, the crew arrived and it started to rain. I had to shoot from my car at Townline Road.  I thought I had a chance of getting it again at Allen Station, so I waited out a heavier downpour before the train's arrival. It was still raining when it rolled by, so again I shot from my car. The first scene was done with my phone, the second with my new camera. Overcast and inclement weather aren't the best conditions for getting used to a camera.  CAPTION: A southbound Union Pacific train of ballast empties (mostly) departs South Pekin, Illinois mid-afternoon Sunday, September 17, 2023. Later, the train rolls by Encompass Grain & Rail's Allen Station grain elevator. UP 8976 has 61 cars, a few of which...

My old Canon SX410 IS is getting long in the tooth. Among its issues, - autofocus machine noises and the battery sometimes quits unexpectedly (and doesn't last as longer as it used to). I've had it since June 2016 so after seven years, it was time for a replacement. After viewing several Youtube videos showing zoom tests on various cameras, I settled on the Canon SX740 HS. Although slight blurring is noticeable when I'm retracting the zoom, it is tolerable. I set it for 4k but will probably do 1080p from now on.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road mid-afternoon Friday, September 15, 2023. UP 6024 has 50 cars.   David P. Jordan

As has become a common occurance as of late, when I check Adams Street Yard for MPECL, I see a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad "Industry Job" enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, rolls by S. Darst and Krause streets in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, September 12, 2023. TZPR 1352 has 14 cars. A southbound grain extra had to get clear of Peoria Junction before MPECL could go north. Given MPECL's departure about two hours later than usual, I would think it could have made it to Edelstein to wait. The signal indication at W. Farmington Road did not display green, however, until shortly before the grain train's arrival. So when it left Nelson, it must have had track warrants all to South Pekin.  CAPTION: Union Pacific's MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road early evening Tuesday, September 12, 2023. UP 7290 has 77 cars.   David P....

For the second Sunday in a row, BNSF ran an M-GALPEI. Of course it normally runs on Monday.  Today's train had the usual traffic - nitrogen fertilizer solution, granulated urea, plastic pellets, asphalt and scrap metal. The two boxcars probably contain zinc ingots consigned to Liberty Steel & Wire Co.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road late-afternoon Sunday, September 10, 2023. BNSF 4294 and BNSF 4284 have 56 cars (30 loads/26 empties). Later, M-GALPEI enters Tazewell & Peoria RR trackage at S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois in early-evening.    David P. Jordan

I had my scanner set to the Union Pacific Peoria Sub road channel as I drove I-474. This was fortunate, as I heard static but no dialogue. Nevertheless, I now knew it best to skip Adams Street Yard and go directly to W. Farmington Road.  Shortly, I heard MPECL get track warrants from Peoria Junction to Pioneer and Pioneer to MP 3, or Nelson yard limits. After that, it didn't take long for the train to appear.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls across W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, September 8, 2023. UP 7322 and UP 7735 have 59 cars. David P. Jordan 

I left home late this afternoon when I received a heads up that Canadian National's L557 local was on duty. When I drove by Wesley, CN 8888 was coupling to a UP unit and also CN 8908 on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Creve Coeur Team Track. Shortly, they ran down Main 1 and then reversed to enter the yard on Wesley 11. About that time, I received a heads up that BNSF's M-GALPEI had just passed Elmwood, so I headed over to W. Farmington Road. I waited maybe ten minutes before it showed up. CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road a few miles before entering Peoria, Illinois yard limits early-evening Thursday, September 7, 2023. BNSF 7743 and BNSF 5019 have 73 cars.   After seeing M-GALPEI, I went back to Wesley but couldn't confirm whether L557 had departed. I went to Pekin and found a loaded centerbeam flat for Amerhart and several coil steel loads for Hanna Steel on the Pekin siding, so I realized L55...

I checked Adams Street Yard this afternoon after work as usual. Fortunately, Union Pacific's MPECL hadn't departed yet. Shortly after I parked off S. Darst Street to wait, The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's old "Kickapoo Job" (now called Industry 2 or Industry 3, IIRC) received the St. Albans Dispatcher's permission to run from Iowa Junction to East Peoria. But first, the crew was going to stop and deliver a loaded asphalt tank car to Interstate Asphalt Corp via BioUrja's South Yard (unsurprisingly, the crew still calls it "ADM South Yard"). Train length reflects the recent increase in inbound scrap metal, especially on BNSF. This train has the empties.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, rolls by S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, September 5, 2023. TZPR 1521 had 27 cars. The train stopped short of Sanger Street to uncouple the asphalt tank car on the head end, u...

Labor Day 2022 was a little overcast and rainy, so I didn't go up to Princeville to see BNSF switch Seneca Foods Corp's cannery. My previous encounter with this action had been on Labor Day 2017. I knew there was a chance to see it again on this holiday, but figured it would be raining. I don't know how many raindrops fell, but BNSF did switch Seneca Foods that day. I didn't see it, but learned about it later.  Fast forward to Labor Day 2023. Although BNSF switched Seneca Foods early evening Friday (I was close at Edelstein, but found out too late, the third time this year on a Friday such as happened), I wondered if there would be a repeat on Monday. Initially, I planned to stay home. But in late-afternoon, I just decided to chance it. I'm glad I did because I arrived the crossing just east of the cannery and started shooting stills of the boxcars at the plant... ...and then the eastbound local pulled up. I believe many (if not all) of these pumpkin loads are going...

I had to stay at work longer than expected, so I didn't leave until 4:30. I thought I missed Union Pacific's MPECL. After I got home, I received word that the crew told the dispatcher that they were going to pull three coal loads left on Edelstein Siding. These were left from the minor derailment involving a coal train at the Rt. 40 crossing south of Buda on August 5.  Unfortunately, I saw the message nearly an hour after it was posted. But I took a chance and headed up to Edelstein. As I approached on Oertly Road, I saw two Union Pacific motors connected to those coal loads. So I made it in time.  I didn't have to wait long. The UP crew pulled the loads along the siding and then shoved them into MPECL, waiting on the main track. Shortly, the train departed.  Something a little different that the usual fare.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) picks up three coal loads from Edelstein Siding late-afternoon Friday, September 1, 2023...