Peoria Station

I awoke earlier than usual this morning, and was glad that I did.   I thought I heard a faint horn sound to the northeast, which made me think a Morton-bound TP&W local was in the Crandall Junction area. So I left my house and headed in that direction. When I crossed Harding Road, I saw the train in the distance, shoving my way!   (Usually, I hear the train at Jefferson Street when it is leaving town.)   As usual, the crew delivered another liquid herbicide load to Fort Transfer Company. Today's encounter was routine until the TP&W power departed engine lite. Crossing Jefferson Street, a driver in a Toyota pickup ignore the flashers and passed right in front of TPW 3440, with a mere split second to spare!  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western East Peoria Extra switch crew shoves along the Morton Industrial Spur Sunday morning, September 29, 2024. Note at 4:05 as the power crosses Jefferson Street, a Toyota clears with but a split second to spare! TPW 3440 and TZP

I went to Bloomington this afternoon to catch the A&S twins (2205 and 2204) on Union Pacific's MBNAS. It took the crew awhile to build its rather lengthy (81 cars) train. As soon as it cleared B-N Target, the signal indication changed to green for Norfolk Southern Train D36. I hsd not bothered to capture any video or stills of MBNAS prior to D36's passage, so I drove down I-55 to Atlanta. The train raced by me just minutes later.    Train make up included three [probably loaded] potash covered hoppers and three empty denatured alcohol tank cars for the Bloomer Line at Gibson City, ten autoracks loaded with Rivian vehicles, 27 cars from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (eleven corn germ/grain product, nine corn syrup/sorbitol and one scrap metal load) and ten empty gondolas moving to/from storage.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Train D36 (Local, Normal IL to Decatur IL) crosses W. Washington Street in Bloomington, Illinois' west side early evening Thursday, September

Before heading to the downtown library, I intended to intercept an eastbound BNSF coal train. A friend called me around 1100 to tell me it was just leaving Galesburg, so I calculated it might appear in the area by 1300.  On my way up there, I caught a Union Pacific coal train just south of Farmington Road, turned around and waited at Cilco Lane south of Bartonville once I confirmed it to be a Powerton train (a Decatur-bound coal train would enter the Low Line at Peoria Junction). Although skies remained blue to the north and east, a cloud bank blocked the sun before just prior to the train's arrival.  CAPTION: A Powerton-bound Union Pacific coal train rolls by Cilco Lane at Sommer, Illinois midday Saturday, September 21, 2024. UP 5523 and UP 5562 have 135 loads. UP 6572 is DPU. After the Union Pacific coal train had passed, I headed toward Peoria and then west on Route 8. I encountered the BNSF train at Edwards a little after 1230, earlier than expected. I'm assuming the cro

I drove by Adams Street Yard around 3:30 this afternoon to find Union Pacific train MPECL sitting in the yard. I had already heard some radio chatter (static, nothing audible) set to the UP channel, so I knew the crew was communicating.  Turns out, they were having trouble logging in to the PTC system, getting times out on several tries. Finally, they got it. The train finally departed and rolls by W. Farmington Road just before 5:00pm.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road late-afternoon Friday, September 20, 2024 shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois. UP 2681 has 21 cars. - David P. Jordan

This afternoon's encounter was quick, which I like.   I drove by Adams Street Yard at 3:30pm and noticed it was empty. But I had been hearing chatter on the Union Pacific Peoria Sub channel for a few minutes already, and suspected MPECL was at Peoria Junction waiting for dispatcher's instructions. Sure enough, the green signal indication at W. Farmington Road confirmed my suspicion, so I waited. Minutes later, the gates and flashers activated and MPECL rolled by my position.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls aby W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, September 17, 2024. UP 2681 has 39 cars. - David P. Jordan

Sunday's PESI met SIPE at Bureau Junction in the evening. SIPE had 153 and 715, and NS 3022 from Des Moines enroute back to NS for its 92-day inspection. So we had a second PESI in as many days on Monday.    CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) is shown at several locations along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Monday, September 16, 2024. The whole train is shown at San Koty on home rails. IAIS 153 and IAIS 715 have 62 cars.   - David P. Jordan

This morning, I learned that Iowa Interstate's PESI was in town with IAIS 507. So I checked it out and saw the train string out on East Peoria Yard track A-41 and out onto the West Lead. But 507 was not yet on the point (it was on the Creve Coeur Team Track).   After church, I headed toward Rt. 29 and drove south toward Peoria in case the Iowa Interstate's PESI train. I did not yet see it, but when I arrived the Bridge Junction area, a TP&W local crossed the river on its way to Collier Yard (or Mapleton). All cars appeared to be for Mapleton industries.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, probably an EPX, crosses the Illinois River into Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Sunday, September 15, 2014. Shortly, it rolls by S. Darst Street. The train stopped short of the BNSF switch so the conductor could line it for continued movement along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Kickapoo Main. TZPR 2133 has 15 cars.   In mid-afternoon, I returned to East Pe

Although it is Friday the 13th, seeing Union Pacific's MPECL makes it a good day.    CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road late-afternoon Friday, September 13, 2024. UP 2681 has 31 cars.   - David P. Jordan

A Canadian Pacific unit led Union Pacific's MPECL out of town this afternoon. The short train was otherwise unremarkable.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by Milepost 80 shortly after departing Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Later, it enters the double track at Pottstown. CP 8006 has 24 cars. David P. Jordan

Peoria County is part of the Peoria metro area so I've always included BNSF's Chillicothe Sub in area operations. Today was a good day.  CAPTION: Nine trains on BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision at N. Rice Road, Princeville and Chillicothe, include Union Pacific's Z-G4CI and BNSF trains with Canadian Pacific, Norfolk Southern and Ferromex units.   David P. Jordan

After work, I checked Adams Street Yard for Union Pacific's MPECL. It was there, but it did not appear that the crew was aboard. I did notice a BNSF grain train holding short of Darst Street. Lights were on, and radio chatter indicated that TP&W's EP-X (East Peoria Extra Switcher) crew was aboard and ready to cross the river and head east.  CAPTION: A TP&W EP-X (East Peoria Extra) crew runs a BNSF grain train onto the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad for the trip cross the river and on east to Prairie Central Co-Op's Chenoa for loading. CP 9776, BNSF 5545 and BNSF 4315 have 115 cars. BNSF 7756 is DPU.   As soon as the grain train cleared my position, MPECL's crew was receiving successive track warrants from Peoria Junction to Pottstown, Pottstown to Pioneer and Pioneer to Milepost 3 at Nelson.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, Se

I left work two hours early for an appointment, but had over an hour to kill, so with the knowledge that Norfolk Southern's D49 local was already on the east end of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard around noon, I decided to check it out.    I arrived East Peoria on Interstate 74, got off on East Washington Street and made a left onto East Camp. But as I approached the North Main Street crossing, preparing to turn left, there it was.   The Norfolk Southern local was rolling through the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Farm Creek through truss/plate girder bridge, and I had to wait what seemed like an hour (actually five minutes) to make my turn. I decided it best to backtrack on the Interstate and wait for D49 at North Main Street near Morton.    My decision was a good one, as I could hear D49 attacking the hill minutes after my arrival. After it had passed, I decided to try again, managing to capture another runby at Dee-Mack Road, just west of De

List, Reportedly the first SIPE as part of a new alternate-day schedule with PESI.  Recall that they tried this two years ago, but quickly returned to as-needed extras when ADM mash traffic temporarily collapsed for an undisclosed reason.  Let us hope this scenario is not repeated.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls through Peoria Heights, Illinois toward The Narrows and the North Limit Yard enroute to East Peoria late-afternoon Tuesday, September 3, 2024. IAIS 502 and IAIS 712 have NS 5229 and 69 cars.   - David P. Jordan