BNSF M-GALPEI, TZPR Local, Iowa Interstate PESI 9-18-23

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 TZPR job back out of the South Yard, returning to TZPR rails. Judging by the lone tank car spotted and the five empties it pulled, I'd say it switched Seneca Petroleum Co's terminal. The TZPR job had to wait awhile for the BNSF train to clear the East Lead. Meanwhile, it blocked Sanger Street. The Bridge Controller joked that it was "blocking my relief." 


CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, crosses the Illinois River late-afternoon Monday, September 18, 2023. TPW 2056 has 16 cars. Earlier, it dropped a loaded asphalt tank car at, probably at Seneca Petroleum's terminal, on BioUrja Renewables LLC's Riverside Track, grabbing five empties before shoving back to home rails.

A track man was working on the derail near the West End switch, delaying PESI's departure for some time. When it finally departed, I shot the power crawling along the bridge. I decided to capture the entire train uptown. The two coil steel loads came off Norfolk Southern. Behind these, the lone empty Incobrasa covered hopper and several scrap metal gons (one load) helped to break the monotany of grain mash empties. The six alcohol loads were one industrial-grade (1170), two beverage alcohol (3065), two denatured alcohol (1987) and one more beverage alcohol (3065). 


CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) departs the West Lead and crosses the Illinois River on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad trackage early evening Monday, September 18, 2023. Later, the whole train is shown moving through the West Yard at Persimmon Street. IAIS 506 and IAIS 718 have 122 cars.

David P. Jordan

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