Iowa Interstate SIPE and PESI, Union Pacific Coal MTs In Between 2-3-24

Iowa Interstate has been running more trains lately, mostly due to the winter shift of grain and grain products traffic to Peoria-Pekin industrial district barge loadouts, but some trains are based on more mixed carload than grain or mash traffic. Saturday's SIPE was short, but heavy with gondolas and tank cars.


CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by three locations near or in Peoria, Illinois late-morning Saturday, February 3, 2024. IAIS 716 and IAIS 718 have 39 cars. Locations are E. Linnett Street/Rt. 29, E. Lorentz Ave./Rt. 29 (North Limit Yard) and Irving Street (PMP Fermentation Products). 

SIPE held at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's West Yard (by BioUrja Renewables LLC under the Cedar Street Bridge) for an empty Union Pacific coal train which came off of Canadian National Friday evening. With the bridge raised for barge traffic afterward, I bid adieu to SIPE and caught the UP coal empties at W. Farmington Road. 


CAPTION: A Union Pacific train of coal empties from Decatur, Illinois (via CN) rolls by W. Farmington Road early afternoon Saturday, February 3, 2024. UP 5392 and UP 9049 have 152 empties. 

Later in the afternoon, I caught Iowa Interstate's PESI departing with an unusually heavy compliment of alcohol loads near the rear. A couple of coil steel loads from Norfolk Southern and at least one scrap metal load offered a break from the usual string of mash empties. 


CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) has just crossed the Illinois River after departing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late-afternoon Saturday, February 3, 2024. Later, it crosses Grant Street off NE Adams Street. IAIS 718 and IAIS 716 have 80 cars (28 loads, 52 empties). 

- David P. Jordan

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