Peoria Station

Looks like TP&W runs its westbound "M-Train" from between Gilman and LaHogue on Wednesdays and Sundays for now.    I'm glad I went after it tonight. I had heard that Ruff Brothers Grain Co., which acquired the old McKey & Roegge (JBS United) elevators on the west side of Gridley in 2011, was rehabilitating an elevator track, and figured that they had purchased the old Myer Crop Center, which apparently hasn't shipped by rail since being purchased by Brandt Consolidated in 2009. I noticed seven covered hoppers spotted there for loading (eight more were at the west side elevators).  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway westbound "M-Train," sometimes called "M-EFEP" (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL), rolls by Prairie Central Coop's Greenfield rail loop just west of Chenoa, Illinois early evening Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Later, power is shown at Meadows and again at Gridley with 20 cars behind them preparing to switch R...

Friday afternoon after work, I crossed the river on I-474 and then headed toward the downtown library. I picked up barely discernible radio chatter from the TZPR St. Albans dispatcher that prompted investigation. East Peoria traffic nearly prevented me from seeing the rear of Norfolk Southern train D49 shortly after clearing the TP&W Peoria Sub at Farmdale.   And East Peoria traffic kept from from getting ahead of it.   So I backtracked to Morton and got on I-74. I caught a glance of D49 at Crandall, but my decision to get ahead of it at Goodfield was the correct one. I actually shot this video about half way between Deer Creek and Goodfield.    The second time I've seen D49 this week, I was hoping wire rod shipments from Liberty Steel & Wire would resume, but apparently, at least on Norfolk Southern (if at all). The first three covered hoppers may have contained organic grain. That a CUBX pressure-aid covered hopper and corn syrup tank car followed, ma...

The Peoria Int'l Airport handled 71,988 passengers in March 2025. That's 5 percent higher than the previous record - 68,447 in July 2019. WMBD TV-31 posted a story earlier this afternoon . Unlike most airports in downstate Illinois, Peoria airport officials provide passenger traffic data to the media. Usually, this is limited to records, but sometimes they report figures regardless. United Express' new service to Denver, which began March 30, is getting great loads, according to Gene Olson, Director of Airports. So I predict April will see excellent passenger figures whether a record or not. The article says passenger traffic has exceeded pre-COVID numbers since June 2024. Monthly records were broken in August, September, November and December. In January, another record was set, and February figures were short 500 of the record due to weather-related flight cancellations (perhaps Leap Year's extra day in 2024 was also a factor?). - David P. Jordan

Seven plastic loads and six likely granulated slag loads were from the Illinois & Midland RR. I was hoping to see wire rod loads from Liberty Steel & Wire Co, but there were none. CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Local, Normal IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown at N. Main Street in East Peoria, Illinois on its return leg back to Good Yard in Normal late-afternoon Wednesday, April 23, 2025. NS 6963 and NS 7035 have 21 cars (19 loads/2 empties).   - David P. Jordan 

This was probably the neatest BNSF manifest out of Peoria in awhile. Notable items in the consist include:   - Four flatcar loads of Caterpillar equipment (two D10s, with undercarriage components on separate cars) bound for Caterpillar Japan Ltd. via the ports of Tacoma, Washington and Yokohama, Japan.    - Five boxcars returning empty from Sweetener Supply Corp in Wolcott, Indiana. The first one, HKRX 6807, was on TP&W's westbound road freight to East Peoria on Wednesday (April 16). Four more - CIBX 101096, ITFX 150290, ITFX 150293 and ITFX 150345 - were the TP&W's westbound on Sunday (April 13). All are assigned to bagged salt service, probably out of Compass Minerals' Lyons, Kansas "mechanical evaporation" facility on the Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (KO).    - Also on Sunday's westbound was BNSF 646171, a steel hopper laden with iron oxide shipped from Waelz Sustainable Products' Clymers, Indiana plant.    - Right behind the BNSF...

On a whim, I went north on Rt. 29 this evening after receiving heads up that SIPE was at Tiskilwa, and somehow missed it (probably at Henry), nearly hit a deer and finally turned back at Bureau Junction.   After dark, while going through Mossville, I caught up with it.   Not sure if this was worth it. I guess if I see the trio of EMDs on PESI on Friday it might be. There was nothing unusual behind the power except for the two twin-bay covered hoppers up front.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by the old (1900) Rock Island depot in downtown Peoria, Illinois Thursday evening, April 1, 2025. IAIS 711, IAIS 153 and IAIS 151 have 64 cars.   - David P. Jordan

While at work, I learned that a TP&W westbound was on the move, so I hoped to see it after work. I was able to capture it at Cruger and at Ernest Street just southwest of Washington. Unlike recent encounters, today's was a long train.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway westbound road freight, sometimes called "M-EFEP" (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL), rolls by the first Union Pacific-bound grain train to be loaded at Grainland Co-Op's Cruger, Illinois elevator late-afternoon Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Later, the train is seen at Ernest Street just southwest of Washington. IORY 5013, HESR 2107 and RCPE 3481 have 95 cars (the first seven were pulled from Piper City).   I was hoping to capture Iowa Interstate's next PESI. As I hoped, the two iron oxide loads that were on Sunday's TP&W westbound into East Peoria were on it. Look for the 71st and 72nd cars in the video.   A dozen scrap metal loads on the rear are also notable.   ...

No sooner did I arrive East Peoria this afternoon did I hear the Iowa Interstate PESI crew asked for permission from the West Lead (East Peoria) to the North Limit Yard. Train was an unusually short six cars.   But it had a gem: two gondolas on the head end were loaded with the grayish granular stuff known as iron oxide. They were on a "Luthy Turn" from Logansport, Indiana last Wednesday.   Those gondolas are loaded at Waelz Sustainable Products (WSP) at Clymers, Indiana. New business! And since I can't think of a customer on the IAIS that would use iron oxide (except perhaps Gerdau AmeriSteel at Wilton), I suspect these cars will be going to CPKC at Davenport.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI is shown running along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at several locations in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, April 14, 2025. IAIS 707 and IAIS 153 have six cars (four loads, two empties), including two iron oxide loads (new business!) from the TP&W. ...

I caught another TP&W westbound freight on Sunday!   Athough short, the train had an ecclectic mix of power and rolling stock...and probably new business. The two GBRX gondolas on the head end were laden with the same gray, granular commodity as the BNSF steel hopper mid-train. I can only deduct that these were from the Waelz Sustainable Products plant in Clymers, Indiana.   Since 2022, zinc oxide has been moving from WSP in RISX covered hoppers to Union Pacific at Peoria (via TZPR for awhile now). Iron oxide, another by-product of recycling EAF bag dust from steel mills, has some uses as pigments for paints, coatings and inks, as well as in iron and steel production. It can also be used by the concrete industry.    Note also that there were four RISX covered hoppers on today's train. While most of these zinc oxide loads go to UP, some of have been recently seen as routed TPW-TZPR-IMRR-Springfield-CPKC.    The DOWX tank car, containing a non-haz...

I nearly missed the first one.   I got word that an Eastern Airlines LLC 777-200 had arrived Peoria on a military charter from El Paso, Texas. Flightaware.com provided the departure time to Victorville, California so I waited at the airport for departure. Afterward, I headed for downtown Peoria, but somehow missed it going by me (a geep and an RDC can hide, but I assumed I'd hear horn action). So I turned back and found out the train had already passed through downtown. I barely made it in time to Bridge Junction to capture the first scene.  CAPTION: An Iowa Interstate geometry train, consisting of IAIS 707 and CN 1501, a converted Rail Diesel Car (RDC), is shown late-afternoon Saturday April 12, 2025 on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crossing the Illinois River and then shoving into the Creve Coeur Team Track.   I normally don't wait for a train at night, but Iowa Interstate is an exception. Downtown street lamps are bright, which enables me to get decent video...

Peoria International Airport can not only handle the world's biggest planes, but has handled them. All of them. But they are not regular visitors. If fact, their local appearance is rare.  United States Air Force Boeing E-4A "Nightwing," a military version of the 747, serves as an airborn command post, and are based at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska. These big jets first visited Peoria for practice flying ("touch-n-goes") in 1980, on January 15 when it blew out some of the runway landing lights, and again on August 12. I saw them in September 1989 and November 1990. I've heard reports that they've visited Peoria at least several times since.  The first appearance by a United States Air Force C-5A Galaxy probably occured in 1983. It happened twice. The first on April 8 to reportedly ship military hardware to Thailand. On October 9, one of the big jets loaded personnel and equipment from the 182nd ANG unit for exercises at Eglin Air Force Base ...

When I drove by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard, I caught a glimpse of BNSF's M-GALPEI (a day late), but figured it would turn back west later as M-PEIGAL. Then I heard the TZPR dispatcher give the Keokuk Junction Railway local permission to depart for Iowa Junction. I caught it crossing the river and again at S. Darst Street. Later, I got it south of Bartonville, after catching the UP grain extra.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria turn is shown on its return leg west mid- to late-afternoon Friday, April 11, 2025. LTEX 3010, PREX 2003 and LTEX 3836 have 25 cars. The crew skipped the usual stop at Collier Yard in Bartonville to pull TP&W and/or Union Pacific interchange. While waiting for the KJRY local to depart, radio chatter indicated action on Union Pacific's Peoria Sub. I drove south on US 24 and noticed a southbound grain train on the High Line. A long stop light nearly prevented me from getting to Cilco Lane in time to ...

I checked the Creve Coeur Team Track this afternoon after work and noticed IAIS 150 and IAIS 153 sitting with no sign of a crew. So I spent some time at the downtown library, intending to return and check for activity. When I left the library at the usual time, I heard the TZPR St. Albans Dispatcher give IAIS 150 permission from the West Lead at East Peoria to the North Limit Yard.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) is shown several times as rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois early-evening Thursday, April 10, 2025. IAIS 150 and IAIS 153 have 81 cars. Locations are the Illinois River Bridge, Chicago Street, Rock Island's old (1900) and new (1967) depots and the whole train at Fairholm Avenue.   - David P. Jordan

I knew it was coming, so after work I drove I-74, exited to NE Adams Street/Rt. 29 and encounted DAVPE in The Narrows. I'd have to settle for 10mph speeds through Peoria, so I set up at the Fairholm Avenue crossing, the same area as yesterday's PESI.    I expect the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad will deliver this train to Mosaic Crop Nutrition sometime on Thursday.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. train DAVPE (Davenport IA to Peoria IL) rolls across Fairholm Ave. in Peoria, Illinois shortly after entering Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property. IAIS 151 and IAIS 502 have 104 potash loads.  - David P. Jordan

When I passed by the East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon, I heard radio chatter indicating a crew was aboard IAIS 509 and would shortly go into the yard and couple to PESI. So I left the downtown library early to check. Sure enough, I had crossed the river and realized the train was snaking its way through downtown.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) crosses Fairholm Ave. on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, April 8, 2025. IAIS 509 had 43 cars (15 loads/28 empties).   - David P. Jordan

On my way to the Davenport Train Show Saturday morning, I noticed the rear of an empty coal train approaching Knoxville on BNSF's Peoria Subdivision. I was able to set up at County Highway 10 crossing in time for video. Train came from the Kincaid Power Station on the Illinois & Midland Railroad. A BNSF crew took over at Crescent/Powerton Yard. CAPTION: An empty BNSF coal train rolls across County Highway 10 at Knoxville, Illinois late-morning Saturday, April 5, 2025. Shown nearing the end the train's run on the Peoria Subdivision, BNSF 6018 and BNSF 9080 are on the point. BNSF 8560 is DPU.   My return home via a different route and knowledge that Iowa Interstate train PESI had passed Mossville at 1805 hours led to an encounter at Putnam. The empty "Crandic" boxcar was apparently bad ordered by BNSF at Galesburg and routed to the IAIS at Peoria (via TZPR). Boxcars are rare on the IAIS Peoria Sub.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peori...

Heading to the downtown library, I made a side trip to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard and found the Canadian National local, L557, departing for Decatur.    Out of curiosity, I re-watched (and re-counted) Tuesday's Iowa Interstate SIPE, suspecting that IAIS and CN have been exchanging heavy ADM traffic (or at least ADM empties). Below is a list of SIPE-01's train. An asterisk (*) denotes cars which ran through on today's CN local. L = Loads, E = Empties.    1 L SOXX 638299 *2 L MWCX 420341 *3 L ITFX 650139 *4 L ADMX 63144 *5 L ADMX 635570 *6 L ITFX 650060 *7 L ADMX 636011 *8 L ADMX 190032 *9 L ADMX 63638 *10 L ADMX 64207 ---------------------- 11 E UTLX 208928 12 E TCBX 306193 13 E ADMX 54013 14 L ADMX 63027 15 L TILX 649750 ------------------ *16 E ITFX 650153 *17 E TILX 649807 *18 E TILX 636789 *19 E ADMX 64011 *20 E ADMX 636206 *21 E CITX 701596 *22 E ADMX 64368 *23 E ADMX 636032 *24 L ADMX 63614 *25 L ADMX 63994 *26 E SOXX 638305 -----...

The local rail scene was busy in Tuesday afternoon.  Apparently, CN runs an extra symbol, L500, in the Chicago region. Regular train L557 as already reported through Delavan a few hours ahead of the monster freight I saw this afternoon. The train was heavy with ADM/leaser covered hoppers, both loads and empties. I can only guess that there is a significant volume of traffic exchanged between Iowa Interstate and Canadian National via the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, and/or rail-to-barge movements.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L500 (Chicago Region Extra, as needed) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, April 1, 2025. The train stopped here so a BNSF crew could couple two units to the head end of gluten feed pellet train G-PEISMR. Next scene shows L500 moving again. After switching mains at Grove, the whole train is shown entering Pekin. CN 3122 and CN 2226 have 79 cars. I cut back the first sce...