Peoria Station

I exited I-74 in East Peoria, jogged E. Washington and then left onto E. Camp Street and heard a faint locomotive horn to the west. Approaching N. Main Street, I noticed an orange geep with a string of tank cars negotiating the Tazewell & Peoria Railroads Farm Creek bridge. I took a u-turn and set up off E. Washington Street for video.    Althought TZPR 2133 belongs to sister Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, this was clearly a TP&W train. Corn syrup and sorbitol tank cars belonging Ingredion's Crystal Car Line (CCLX) and leasing firms, two methyl chloride empties, an unidentified chemical empty (UN 3082), tallow empties, and 22 phosphate empties returning to CSX in Indiana were all from Mapleton industries. I'm unsure if this was a Collier Turn returning home or a through run by the old Kolbe Local.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local rolls along home rail in East Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Wednesday, October 22, 2025. TZPR 2133 has 37 ca...

I was heading into Peoria on the Cedar Street Bridge, looked toward the southwest and noticed the tail end of a train having just crossed the river. I caught it eventually and determined that it was probably a TP&W train, so I headed for Sanitation Road in Bartonville and waited.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, probably EP2, negotiates the through truss bridge spanning Kickapoo Creek in Bartonville, Illinois shortly after entering the Union Pacific-owned ex-Peoria Terminal Co. line mid-afternoon Tuesday, October 21, 2025. TPW 2056 has six cars, likely all phosphate loads consigned to Growmark at Mapleton.   - David P. Jordan

When driving southbound on Rt. 6 around noon today, I turned on my scanner and happened to hear the Iowa Interstate dispatcher giving the railgrinder a track warrant from Yard Limits Peoria to Bureau Junction. Naturally, I turned around and headed for the IAIS.  CAPTION: An Iowa Interstate crew runs a Loram Railgrinder northbound on the Peoria Subdivision early-afternoon Sunday, October 19, 2025. Equipment is reportedly heading to Silvis, Illinois for storage. Locations at San Koty, Mossville (twice), Rome and Chillicothe. - David P. Jordan

CAPTION: Burlington Northern's westbound local, 13814, is shown shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois on Wednesday morning,  October 18, 1995. Three unidentified geeps have 78 cars. Burlington Northern and Norfolk Southern shifted most carload interchange from Chicago to Peoria that month, swelling consists on existing trains. After creating a slideshow/narration video of Burlington Northern local 13814 from October 18, 1995, I got to thinking...what if I could catch a BNSF train in the same spot moving in the same direction on the 30th anniversary? I would have preferred M-PEIGAL (a possible scenario given some recent Saturday runs), but had to settle for an empty Kincaid coal train to recreate my encounter with 13814 exactly 30 years ago today!  CAPTION: BNSF Railway ran this train of coal empties out of Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, October 18, 2025. The train, originating at the Kincaid Generating Station near Pawnee, Illinois on the Illinois & Midland RR...

I left work this afternoon knowing an Iowa Interstate was leaving town, so I decided to give chase, finally catching up to it at Sparland. I'm glad I did as I was able to document the contents of the six gondolas bringing up the rear.    I shot overhead video from the wood road bridge at Putnam. The gondolas contain iron oxide shipped from Waelz Sustainable Products' Clymers, Indiana facility. I can't think of a destination for this product on the Iowa Interstate so they are likely going to CPKC at Davenport. Thus, IAIS is acting as a bridge line between the TP&W and CPKC! CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls between Sparland and Henry late-afternoon Friday, October 17, 2025. Later, it is shown from the wooden road bridge at Putnam. Power runbys at Rt. 26 and entering the mainline at Bureau Junction minutes later conclude the chase. IAIS 151 has 77 cars. - David P. Jordan

It seems that the Kolbe Local (EP1) ran through to East Peoria this afternoon. Can't confirm 100%. Normally, it makes a Collier turn and swaps traffic with EP2. Earlier, I noticed three tank cars on the south end of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard, at the Creve Coeur end, actually.    That this local left 17 cars from Mapleton industries at the TZPR yard instead of taking them first to the TP&W yard demonstrates efficient operation when two shortlines are under common control.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, probably EP1 out of Kolbe (Mapleton), Illinois, bangs the BioUrja Renewables LLC Riverside Track in Peoria, moments before entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge late-afternoon Thursday, October 16, 2025. TPW 2056 has 19 cars. After setting out 17 at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, and grabbing three more, the five-car train rolls by N. Main Street in East Peoria. - David P. Jor...

The downtown library was closed for an employee meeting but I decided to check on Norfolk Southern's D49 train. I had no heads up, but sure enough, I got off I-74 onto E. Washington Street and then left on Camp Street. As I approached the N. Main Street intersection, D49 rounded through the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Farm Creek bridge. I made a right, backtracked on I-74 to E. Washington Street and took a back to the Farmdale Trestle and waited.   I had plenty of time.    I found out why. The two locomotives had a healthy 65 cars behind them. The first 15 are from the KJRY - corn syrup/sorbitol and probably organic grain in the CGRX-marked covered hoppers. Maybe six of seven ADMX/leased covered hoppers were loaded. Two NS covered hoppers were empty. The ROLX and ADYX tank cars likely contain steepwater. The next 17 cars were empty NS-marked gondolas, which I've seen pulled by the Tazewell & Peoria RR from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, but not that many at on...

I was at the downtown library when I learned of this train's southbound movement. I decided to head to Mendenhall Road south of Bartonville. Sure enough, the train was already approaching when I arrived. It must have been just seconds behind me when I passed under the mainline at Bartonville.  CAPTION: A southbound Union Pacific grain extra, probably from Sterling, rolls by Mendenhall Road near Sommer (Bartonville), Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, October 11, 2025. UP 7410 and UP 6860 were on the point of the 115-car train. UP 6804 was DPU. - David P. Jordan

I took a half-day off work and decided to check on Union Pacific's MPECL. It left Adams Street Yard around 1230. Due early poor afternoon lightning at the old Molitor Junction (MP 80) and W. Farmington Road, I opted for video at Pottstown.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) has entered the double track as it rolls by Pottstown, Illinois early afternoon Friday, October 10, 2025. UP 5875 and UP 7225 have 25 cars.   Volume might be up with the fall harvest, but it has been years since I've seen any carrier deliver this many carloads of corn to the present BioUrja Renewables LLC/former ADM distillery in Peoria.   When rail-to-barge grain export operations commenced in 1981, the Chicago & North Western and Toledo, Peoria & Western were granted access to ADM's Riverside Track (ex-Rock Island Belt Line) via Iowa Junction. Both carriers seemed to deliver loads, pull empties or both on most days.   TP&W grain volume de...

Thanks to social media, I was able to intercept Canadian National's L557 local this afternoon.    Before I left work, I knew the crew had run their locomotives into the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. If I wanted to see it, I needed to get to Pekin fast. So I took Rt. 98 out of Morton, then cut through Groveland to Sheridan Road, took a left onto Veterans Road and made my way through Pekin's south side to find L557 just entering home rails at IC Junction. I simply turned left onto Washington Street, rolled down my window and started shooting.    It appears that when the 45-car train left East Peoria this afternoon, only the two loaded alcohol tank cars were from local industry; the other 43 cars were ADM traffic - probably from the Iowa Interstate - including five loaded corn syrup tank cars! CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) is shown at Washington Street in Pekin, Illinois mid-afternoon Thursd...

Rivian Automotive Inc's Normal assembly plant had been shutdown the past three weeks for retooling, prior to production of the R2, which is intended to start in the first half of 2026.   Although Rivian should have an inventory of vehicles on hand to continue shipments, it appears Norfolk Southern's D49 job was only doing limited work there (if any) during this period, and making the East Peoria trip earlier than usual.   That shutdown is likely complete effective today, thus I decided to check to see if D49 was in town. Sure enough, it was, and the crew was only backing its power into its outbound at 1535 hours.    Today's outbound D49 had the usual traffic -   2 steepwater loads 11 ADM grain product loads from IAIS 2 scrap metal empties 1 grain product (DDGS, gluten meal or feed) 3 CO2 refrigerated liquid loads (UN 2187) 3 steepwater loads 1 industrial alcohol load (UN 1170) 1 grain product load (DDGS, gluten meal or Feed) 2 Gluten meal loads ...

Before I left home this morning for the downtown library, I learned that an Iowa Interstate manifest was making its way from Bureau Junction to Peoria. The train had apparently been planned for Thursday evening, and again on Friday evening, but finally made it Saturday morning. That delay enabled a daylight chase of not only SIPE but also counterpart PESI. Other than five empty tank cars, a CIGX gondola is the only notable other than loaded and empty covered hoppers. That gondola is empty likely last contained iron oxide, and is returning to Waelz Sustainable Products at Clymers, Indiana on the TP&W.    CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Peoria Subdivision late morning Saturday, October 4, 2025. Scenes of the whole train at three locations - San Koty on IAIS's Peoria Sub, entering the North Limit Yard on the Tazewell & Peoria RR and in downtown Peoria. IAIS 513 and IAIS 703 had NS 7111 and 93 cars. After the Iowa Inter...

When I crossed the river on I-74 this afternoon, I glanced north (as I usually do) to find a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switcher working at PMP Fermentation Products. So I turned right onto NE Adams and made my way to the RiverPlex parking lot.  The crew was just finishing up their work, having just shoved corn syrup loads (and maybe a sodium hydroxide solution tank car) into PMP's spur. After coupling six corn syrup empties to three other cars (a tank car, probably used as a buffer and two Komatsu chassis loads), they left for the West Yard, dropped the train and then ran engine lite across the river. TZPR 1351 paused at Bridge Junction for maintenance-of-way to clear.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job leaves PMP Fermentation Products for the West Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, October 3, 2025. TZPR 1351 dropped its nine cars at the West Yard and crossed the river engine lite. After TZPR 1351 cleared, ADMX 932 dragged 15 TP&...

I learned only later this afternoon that the NS grain train TP&W delivered to Greenfield on Thursday evening was loaded and heading west. I waited until it was closer, and first encountered it just east of Washington. I assume TP&W left it on the Nickel Plate for a Norfolk Southern crew, which I would have expect to show up quickly if they weren't already there.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway pulled the loaded Norfolk Southern grain train westbound from Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop Thursday afternoon, October 2, 2025. Scenes include a power runby at Washington (newly-painted bridge over Peoria Street), the entire train at Ernest Street, and another power runby at N. Main Street in East Peoria. NS 4870, NS 1154 and NS 9871 have 85 cars. - David P. Jordan

When I exited I-74 in East Peoria mid-afternoon, I was already hearing radio chatter on the Norfolk Southern frequency. I wasn't sure if D49 had just departed and was moving on home rails or...   Turns out, Norfolk Southern had brought three motors and 85 grain empties to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's *Nickel Plate Subdivision for interchange to the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. The TP&W crew boarded, turned the power, ran through the East Peoria Yard and coupled to the other end. Minutes later, with dispatcher's permission, the train left for Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa) rail loop.  * Probably still legally owned by Norfolk Southern but controlled by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad.     I believe this is the first time since early-June 2018 that TP&W has interchanged a grain train with Norfolk Southern at East Peoria. I did not see that last one, but caught one both ways on August 26-27, 2017.  CAPTION: A To...