Keokuk Junction Railway WB Local, BNSF M-PEIGAL 10-19-23

With a chance that a pair of F-7As could move west on the Keokuk Junction Railway Thursday, I left work at 9:00 and headed for Mapleton. Before I arrived, I already had a pretty good idea that the F-units pulled from East Peoria wouldn't be moving any further than the old Carter Lumber spur at Mapleton. Both units were left there last night, possibly for long-term storage.

Speculation is that BNSF doesn't want to handle BUGX 401 and BUGX 402 to their intended destination, the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad in Kansas, and that the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, on whose Creve Coeur Team Track for nearly two months, wanted them gone. Storing them on the Keokuk Junction Railway must been determined to be the only solution until another scenario for transportation can be agreed upon. 

Although the local didn't take the F-units west, I'm glad I did the chase on Thursday. 


CAPTION: Chasing the Keokuk Junction Railway's weekly local from Mapleton, Illinois to a point just west of Bushnell on Thursday, October 19, 2023. LTEX 6437, PREX 2018 and LTEX 3848 began its day with 23 cars. Four cars (one load, three empties) were set out for Hitchcock Scrap Yard at Canton and nine cars were left at UE Siding just east of Cuba. At Bushnell, the crew splits its power to set out a loaded covered hopper consigned to Archer Daniels Midland Co's Bushnell plant (the plant will be switched by the eastbound local). Departing Bushnell, the train had just nine cars. ***See video for location captions***. 

After chasing the westbound KJRY local from Mapleton to Bushnell, I decided to return home via Galesburg for a chance to catch BNSF's M-GALPEI. When I drove the 4th Street Bridge, I concluded that it had already departed so I followed the Peoria Sub east. When I arrived the Peoria's south edge, M-PEIGAL had just crossed the river...


CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) uses the through truss bridge spanning Kickapoo Creek shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois early-evening Thursday, October 19, 2023. BNSF 7622 and BNSF 6744 have 24 cars. 

David P. Jordan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bartlett Grain Co. LP to Build Elevator on UP Peoria Sub!

Image
Bartlett Grain Co. LP's Bureau County facility will be similar to its Canadian Pacific Kansas City-served South Jacksonville, Illinois facility, shown May 2, 2020.  Bartlett Grain Co. LP is planning to build a $50 million grain loading facility in Bureau County, Illinois. Media reports here and here  tells us Bartlett Grain will build on 155 acres east of Rt. 40 and north of Interstate 80 between County Roads 1700 and 1745 East. The complex, complete with a rail loop capable of loading up to 120 cars, will employ 25 to 30.  Rail service will be provided by the Union Pacific on its Peoria Subdivision, which runs from Nelson south to Barr. Grain will be shipped to Mexico.  - David P. Jordan
Read more

Black Band Distillery Expands to ex-Cat Tire!

Image
Black Band Distillery, presently operating at 1000 SW Adams Street, is planning to expand to the vacant property at 2400 SW Washington Street. That is according to WCBU News .  Although the article omits it, this property has a long history with the local distilling industry. National Cooperage & Woodenware Co. constructed a plant there in 1900, though a predecessor apparently had begun barrel making operations there c. 1885. This firm survived Prohibition (1920-1933) because the barrels could also be used for packing corn syrup, condensed milk, cider, vinegar, liquid chemicals, flavoring extracts, etc. Hiram Walker & Sons, which purchased one-third to one-half of its production, gained control of National Cooperage in 1946. A new four-story expansion began in the fall of 1964 only to be destroyed by a tornado on September 14, 1965. Operations resumed at the start of 1966 and the entire plant was replaced in 1967-1968.  Changing economics led to closure in 1972. Caterp...
Read more

Union Pacific's LPD01 Derails Due to Vandals 11-18-24!

Image
Union Pacific's LPD01 job leaves and departs Adams Street Yard in Peoria on July 1, 2024.   I hope the judge makes an example of these two clowns!   Union Pacific's LPD01 job was either going to or returning from Collier Yard to work the Keokuk Junction Railway and Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway interchanges. Damage to the locomotive explains why Adams Street Yard and the adjacent Low Line are still full of cars.    Peoria County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page:    Train Derailment Arrests Peoria County Incident #24-7190   (Peoria County, IL) - On Monday, November 18th, 2024, at approximately 3:00 pm, Peoria County Sheriff's Deputies were notified by the Bartonville Police Department of an incident where BPD officers had two males detained for derailing a train near the train crossing on Sanitation Rd (100 block) just outside of Bartonville. The Union Pacific Locomotive Engineer saw the males near the derailing device and called Bartonvil...
Read more