Union Pacific MPECL, BNSF M-PEIGAL 6-18-24

Last week was a dud for catching Union Pacific's MPECL trains. Both days, it ran late and I wasn't going to wait around not knowing if and when a crew was called. Despite MCLPE's late arrival on Monday, MPECL departed Peoria around the usual time (4:00pm). 

Tuesday's train had a typical consist, including those wheel shipments in boxcars from the KJRY. It is always good to see boxcars on any merchandise train, especially blocked right behind the locomotives!


CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road late afternoon Tuesday, June 18, 2024. UP 5767 and UP 7113 have 47 cars. 

As I waited just off Krause Avenue on Peoria's south side for Union Pacific's MPECL to receive dispatcher's instructions, a pair of BNSF units rolled by me engine lite, heading west toward homes rails at S. Darst Street. I assumed the crew had just dropped off an empty feed pellet train (X-SMRPEI) for Canadian National on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track, and were heading home. 

Turns out, M-GALPEI ran a day late and the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad had already moved M-PEIGAL to the New Long Monday night. Apaprently, a crew wasn't available Monday and TZPR was running out of room in its East Peoria Yard. So I waited around and by 5:30ish, M-GALPEI's crew coupled onto M-PEIGAL and headed west. 

Notables include six (in groups of four and two COER-marked gondolas) loads of steel billets from Liberty Steel & Wire Co., and a new KJRY-marked covered hopper, second from last car. 


CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Later, the train is shown from the new (2023) Route 8 overpass at Edwards and at Kramm Road, where the conductor must protect the crossing due to the downed crossbuck. BNSF 7458 and BNSF 8449 have 45 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. Caterpillar Tra
Read more

PIA - A History: Chicago & Southern Airlines Crash Oct. 21, 1971

Image
The only fatal Peoria-area plane crash involving a scheduled air carrier occurred October 21, 1971 when Chicago & Southern Airlines Flight #804 went down while attempting to land in poor weather conditions. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident report can be viewed here , but I'll summarize the crash, what led up to it and the aftermath.  ILL-FATED FLIGHT #804 Chicago & Southern Airlines began flying between Peoria and Chicago's Meigs Field on July 7, 1969. Beech 18S and DHC-6 "Twin Otter" aircraft were used for its flights, the former type at Peoria. In 1970, C&S introduced an aircraft known as the ATECO Westwind II. It was a Beech 18S with heavy modifications including a seven-foot fuselage extension, two turboprop engines and a tri-cycle landing gear. An ATECO Westwind II operated ill-fated C&S Flight #804. It departed Meigs Field at 11:20 a. m. October 21, 1971 for Peoria and Springfield with 14 passengers. Airline pres
Read more