BNSF M-PEIGAL, Union Pacific MPECL 11-7-25

I took a half-day off work, and decided to check on Union Pacific's Tuesday/Friday MPECL, which has been called as early as 1100 hours lately. Sure enough, when I drove by Adams Street Yard around 1130, the crew was already on board. Minutes later, they called the dispatcher for instructions to go north. 

 

As soon as I noticed MPECL moving, I headed toward Kickapoo Creek Road. The midday November sunlight is actually pretty terrible on north-south oriented rail lines, but Pottstown offers decent lighting due to the curve just south of the crossing. 

 

But then I caught up to BNSF's M-PEIGAL, which was gained speed too quickly to beat to Pottstown, so I opted for Edwards. I only had a minute to spare on that one. Interestingly, 14 of 19 cars on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Industry Job returning to East Peoria from Kickapoo Yard were on this train, including those six covered hoppers. 

CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls through Edwards, Illinois midday Friday, November 7, 2025. BNSF 6523 and BNSF 5709 have 61 cars.

 

I knew I could only catch the Union Pacific train north of town, so I headed up Kickapoo-Edwards Road to Interstate 74, then Route 6, US 150 and Rt. 91 to Akron, where I had but a minute or two to spare. The five empty corn syrup tank cars (one with ADMX markings) blocked behind the alcohol tank cars is unusual. Five phosphoric acid tank cars were empties from the TP&W, probably unloaded at Wilson Industrial Sales in Goodland, Indiana. 

 

Akron Services appears to be building a new ammonia and dry bulk fertilizer storage facility across Elevator Road from existing grain and fertilizer faciities. I don't know if rail access will be available to the new facilities. I last saw ammonia tank cars being switched by UP on November 21, 2023. 

CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by Akron Services Inc's Akron, Illinois elevator early afternoon Friday, November 7, 2025. UP 5863 and UP 6714 have 36 cars.

- David P. Jordan