IMRR Transfer, BNSF M-PEIGAL 5-17-25

On my way to the downtown library early this afternoon I checked out the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria and noticed an Illinois & Midland RR transfer that had just arrived. I stuck around for signs that it would return south shortly, and it did. 

CAPTION: An Illinois & Midland Railroad Powerton Roadswitcher is shown on its return trip from sister Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard early afternoon Saturday, May 17, 2025. Locations are Wesley, Hilliards and Pekin, Illinois. A fourth scene shows a runby of the train's power at Distillery Road in Pekin. IORY 5014 and IMRR 2108 have 43 cars.

 

I missed BNSF's M-GALPEI Friday afternoon, and assumed that when the crew parked their power on the Creve Coeur Team Track, a relief crew might take it M-PEIGAL west later in the evening. Turns out, M-PEIGAL ran Saurday afternoon. I was at the downtown library when it departed, but since I knew it could not be too far west, searched for and encountered it going under Rt. 8 at Oak Hill! 

 

Besides the Caterpillar and Komatsu loads, I should note the twelve-axle depressed center flat car. The one I saw on M-GALPEI May 2 had eight axles, so today's empty is from another movement. 

CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL is shown Saturday afternoon, May 17, 2025. First, we see the crew on BNSF 5713 and BNSF 6664 after grabbing two ex-BNSF units - NS 3926 and NS 3960 - from the Creve Coeur Team Track. They are moving from Wesley into the yard. Later, the train is shown at Elmwood, Maquon and Galesburg. BNSF 5713 and BNSF 6664 have NS 3926, NS 3960 and 83 cars, including three Caterpillar tractor loads, four Komatsu truck chassis loads, and an empty, twelve-axle, heavy-duty depressed-center flat car mid-train.

 

- David P. Jordan