Peoria Station

When I first drove by the crew was just boarding Union Pacific's MPECL, so I knew I wouldn't have to wait long. Typical traffic and short, but lighting was good Friday afternoon. Train was by W. Farmington Road at 4:19pm.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, May 31, 2024. UP 8950 and UP 6308 have 29 cars.   David P. Jordan

When I drove by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late this afternoon, I noticed a yard job assembling what looked like BNSF Railway's M-PEIGAL onto the East Lead. So I figured M-GALPEI was due soon.  I spent a little time at the downtown library, but decided to leave early and check on M-GALPEI. It crossed W. Farmington Road at 1753, but I arrived too late to shoot video there. With long afternoon shadows, I had to wait for the train to enter the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street for decent lighting (and even then, it was slightly backlit).  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois for the final leg of its journey to East Peoria early evening Thursday, May 30, 2024. BNSF 3268 and BNSF 5147 have 55 cars.  David P. Jordan

Peoria International Airport continues to grow! Thanks to an anonymous commenter, I've learned that American Eagle is adding a third daily roundtrip between Peoria and Charlotte, North Carolina on November 5. The new roundtrip will be in late-morning and will use 76-seat Canadair CRJ900 twinjets.  The expanded schedule will look like the following: Arrivals 10:17am 3:41pm 9:20pm Departures 7:20am 10:57pm 4:40pm I checked schedules into July and it appears the third daily roundtrip between Peoria and Chicago-O'Hare is continuing for the time being.  Perhaps Delta Airlines will take notice, realize the Peoria market is ripe for competition and have Delta Connection resume Peoria-Atlanta nonstops?  UPDATE: Effective September 5, Envoy Airlines dba American Eagle is replacing one 50-seat Air Wisconsin CRJ200 early evening turnaround with an Embraer 170. The upgrade adds two-class service and about 15 seats.  - David P. Jordan

I didn't have to wait but a few minutes for Union Pacific's MPECL this afternoon. Short train, but a decent variety in its consist.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, May 28, 2024. UP 8950 and UP 8308 have 25 cars.   David P. Jordan

I hadn't planned on going anywhere today, but received a heads up that Union Pacific was running an empty ballast train southbound on the Peoria Sub. While I intended to shoot it at W. Farmington Road, the train was making time faster than I expected. No sooner did I pulled onto Kickapoo Creek Road and ducked under the UP High Line in Bartonville, it glanced through the trees to see familiar ballast hoppers. I quickly turned around and just beat it to Cilco Lane. CAPTION: A southbound Union Pacific train of ballast empties rolls by Cilco Lane at Sommer, Illinois late-afternoon Monday, May 27, 2024. UP 8631, UP 7030, UP 8635 and UP 8930 have 41 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I assume they're running a day early due to the holiday. Which means it might turn back as M-PEIGAL tonight, and run as far west as possible.  The NS leader was interesting, but I suppose it was a unit on hand at the Galesburg terminal.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly before arriving Peoria, Illinois early evening Sunday, May 26, 2024. NS 4321 and BNSF 7306 have 64 cars for delivery to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at East Peoria.   - David P. Jordan

While coming home after bagging three NS manifests and a westbound Roadrailer east of Decatur, I was able to chase Canadian National's L556 local to Mount Pulaski. I figure this train will tie up there tonight and through Memorial Day.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L556 (Local, Decatur IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown at Decatur, Bearsdale, Warrensburg, Latham and near Mount Pulaski on the Peoria Subdivision late-afternoon and early-evening Saturday, May 25, 2024. CN 8963 and CN 8862 have 24 cars. The first eight are for Gilman Sub customers, and will be set out at Mount Pulaski. The other 16 are for the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad. But CN doesn't interchange with that carrier Friday through the weekend, so the rest of the train may also tie up there until after the holiday.   - David P. Jordan 

I checked Union Pacific's Adams Street Yard this afternoon but train appeared to have left already. So I headed to Kickapoo Creek Road to find maintenance of way vehicles on the mainline at Milepost 80. I backtracked and found a short MPECL at the east end of the yard.  My attention shifted to a TP&W local running from Collier Yard to East Peoria.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, probably a Collier Turn, is shown running the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Southern Division late-afternoon Tuesday at Peoria, Illinois on its return trip to East Peoria. TZPR 2133 has 46 cars (three loads, 43 empties).   After the TP&W train cleared my position at Krause Avenue, I headed down SW Adams Street to find the Union Pacific freight had already left! I didn't go after it as I wanted to see a Canadian National local which I knew had already departed East Peoria.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway local L557 (E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls alo...

I left for the downtown library a little later than usual this afternoon, which was fortunate because I otherwise wouldn't have seen a TP&W East Peoria Switcher pull through East Peoria with corn loads for BioUrja in Peoria.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local has just entered Tazewell & Peoria Railroad territory at N. Main Street in East Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Monday, May 20, 2024. IORY 5007 has 22 corn loads for BioUrja Renewables LLC's South Yard in Peoria.   David P. Jordan

I learned that Union Pacific brought an empty grain train up to South Pekin last night. Another crew delivered it to the Illinois & Midland Railroad's Powerton Yard this morning, after pulling it across the Illinois River Bridge and backing through the Crescent Connection. Destination: Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa) rail loop on the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway.  Later in the afternoon, I learned that a TP&W crew had already brought the train through East Peoria via the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track and was already by Washington. So I left the downtown library, made a brief stop home and headed east. I found the UP-TP&W grain train crossing N. Main Street in Eureka about 1700 hours.  Lighting was poor, but I made the best of it.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew forwards east a train of grain empties received from Union Pacific at Powerton, Illinois Saturday afternoon, May 18, 2024. Scenes a...

When I learned that Iowa Interstate train PESI received permission to run on the Peoria Subdivision from Peoria to Bureau Junction at 1030, nearly 25 minutes had passed. I packed up and drove north, encountering the train leaving Chillicothe. I set up at the crossing by the Marshall Wildlife Viewing Area and waited. Sure enough, the short train showed up in time. I picked this spot due to mid-day, lighting from a high sun, and think it worked pretty well.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls by the Marshall Wildlife Viewing Area near Sparland, Illinois late-morning Saturday, May 18, 2024. IAIS 511 and IAIS 502 have 27 cars.   David P. Jordan

Union Pacific's MPECL crew was already aboard when I drove by Adams Street Yard this afternoon. So I didn't have to wait but ten minutes or so before departure.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by Milepost 80 shortly after departing Adams Street Yard mid-afternoon Friday, May 17, 2024. UP 7099 and UP 8950 have 50 cars. David P. Jordan

Despite the rain, I decided to try and catch Union Pacific's MPECL. When I drove by Adams Street Yard a little after 3:30pm, the crew toned up the dispatcher.  It was by W. Farmington Road within 30 minutes.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, May 14, 2024. UP 7099 and UP 8950 have 31 cars.   David P. Jordan

Tuesday's Union Pacific MPECL was short, but I expected such as KJRY interchange moved on Friday's train.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls across W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, May 7, 2024. UP 7099 and UP 8950 have 29 cars.   - David P. Jordan

On my way home early this afternoon, I caught a southbound loaded Union Pacific coal train at Pottstown. Train diverged onto the Low Line at Peoria Junction so it is Decatur-bound.  CAPTION: A southbound loaded Union Pacific coal train rolls along the south end of the double track at Pottstown, Illinois midday Sunday, May 5, 2024. UP 7886 and UP 5964 have 152 loads for ADM's Decatur, Illinois co-generation facility via Canadian National interchange on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track. UP 5943 is DPU. Train symbol is probably C-BTDE (Coal Loads, Black Thunder Mine WY to Decatur IL).   David P. Jordan

Fortunately, Union Pacific's MPECL was waiting near Peoria Junction Friday afternoon for passage of a three-unit set moving engine lite southbound. Otherwise, it might have left before I swung by Adams Street Yard.  I'm glad I caught it. I don't think I've seen 25 boxcars on MPECL before! The block of likely company material on the head end was interesting too. At first, I thought it was scrap metal loads but then got a better look at Pottstown.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by MP 80 shortly after departing Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, May 3, 2024. UP 7099 and UP 8950 have 71 cars. Note nine gondolas on the head end appear to be loaded with scrapped company material. There were also 20- and 5-car blocks of boxcars on this train.   - David P. Jordan

While at the downtown library this afternoon, I learned that both Iowa Interstate's SIPE and Union Pacific's MCLPE were enroute to Peoria. As the closest, I went after SIPE first, encountering it in Chillicothe. I shot video at Rome and then headed north to intercept the Union Pacific train.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Rome, Illinois on the Peoria Subdivision early-evening Wednesday, May 1, 2024. IAIS 513, the Rock Island Heritage Unit, has 32 cars.   The sun had already set when I saw MCLPE's approaching headlight just south of Manlius. I managed to get a second video at the Rt. 40 crossing south of Buda. Low lighting means reporting marks and numbers are mostly unreadable, but the usual traffic makes most cars easy to identify in regards to load or empty status, commodities or commodities last handled.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MCLPE (Manifest, Clinton IA to Peoria IL) rolls south of Manlius, Illinois at 1925 N. Avenue...