Peoria Station

I happened across this one in East Peoria while heading back home. When I saw the headlight some distance out of the TP&W yard onto the Peoria Sub, I exited I-74 onto E. Washington Street and checked the dwarf signal at W. Washington Street. Sure enough, it was yellow so I waited.  When I left, the train was stopped on the Nickel Plate, presumably waiting for the bridge to come down. Street lamps are excellent at this spot!   This evening's run had 25 Incobrasa and 15 TP&W cars. The former were probably loaded at Inco Grain Ltd. in Goodland, Indiana. I can only guess the latter's origin but I believe Wheatfield Grain at Crescent City and Ludlow Cooperative Grain Elevator at La Hogue can load 15 cars at a time. The Ruff Brothers elevators at Gridley probably can do so combined.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway East Peoria Switcher rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at West Washington Street in East Peoria, Illinois early evening Sat...

Peoria International Airport handled 741,724 passengers through November of this year, breaking the 2019 all-time record of 689,416 with one month still to go.   An article posted online today by WEEK TV-25 notes that PIA has broken passenger records for 14 of the last 16 months.  This post will be expanded and updated later this evening.  UPDATE In November 2025, PIA handled 62,474 passengers, which was the 14th record for the past 16 months. December's tally need only be 58,276 to reach the 800,000 mark for the first time. So this year, not only did it break 700,000 for the first time, there is the possibilty that it will also break 800,000!  If it does not reach 800,000 for the full year, it will be very close, and this means that passenger traffic will be up some 14 percent over 2024.  Passenger traffic will continue to grow in 2026, but not at the pace seen in 2025. Why? Because PIA's 2025 gains aren't likely to be matched in 2025. United Express increased...

I keep hoping to catch the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's old Kickapoo Job (Industry 2?) when it handles twin-bay covered hoppers assigned to Ozinga Cement Co. service. Although it appears slag or flyash is the product handled at the new Peoria facility, I have not confirmed whether this is inbound or outbound. Facilities for both appeared to have been installed. Seeing these cars on this train would help confirm.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job rolls across BioUrja Renewables LLC's Riverside Track moments before crossing the Illinois River enroute from Kickapoo Yard in Peoria, Illinois to East Peoria mid-afternoon Wednesday, December 17, 2025. HESR 2107 has three cars.   - David P. Jordan

I had hopes that pe updates on social media this afternoon, Union Pacific's MPECL would depart later than usual, and that I'd be able to see it after work.   Turns out, it still left too early.   I wanted to check the signal at W. Farmington Road, but as I approved from the west, the gates lowered and flashers activated. Then I saw the Canadian National colors and the Komatsu truck chassis loads and immediately knew that BNSF's M-PEIGAL was approaching. Train is a day late, unless something has changed.  It is always a treat to see Komatsu and/or Caterpillar loads on any train leaving the city.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls through Edwards, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Train is a day late unless changes have been made to this train's schedule. CN 2891 and CN 2523 have 15 cars. - David P. Jordan

After work, I decided to check East Peoria for any activity, i. e. Norfolk Southern train D49. No sign of Thoroughbreds, but I did see this TP&W transfer ready to pull out of the TZPR at W. Washington Street.    I left my camera on "auto" mode so video setting defaults to 1080p vs. 4k, so details are not as good, especially in late-afternoon sun. I believe the 12 TP&W covered hoppers on the head end were empty, and probably pulled from BioUrja Renewables LLC's South Yard (which crews and dispatchers still call "ADM South Yard") across the river.   The rest of the train include five tank cars, four with grain alcohol placards and loaded. A boxcar loaded with bagged salt, eight nitrogen tank cars and a methyl chloride tank car represent receipt from BNSF.   The CAIX covered hopper was empty. Next were five empty RISX covered hoppers, likely from CPKC-IMRR, last containing zinc oxide. The CKIX covered hopper was also empty. It is possible that all se...

I took a floating holiday today in hopes of chasing the Keokuk Junction Railway local west from Mapleton. I learned that the eatbound local ran on Thursday, so I assumed that an East Peoria turn would run on Friday. I never did find it, though I went as far as Cuba. Incidentally, two vehicles were at the Kolbe office. I did notice a hi-rail truck on the main near the Hollis Pass west switch. Perhaps Friday's East Peoria turn ran as far west as possible and the crew just left it somewhere west of Cuba? There is evidence of considerable crosstie replacement, as well as ballast and surfacing east of Canton. Perhaps track speeds have been raised on some sections? the stretch between Canton and Cuba, however, is still 10mph territory.    The day wasn't a dud. I returned to Peoria in time to capture a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job crossing the river enroute to the North Limit Yard. Per radio chatter, the crew was going to switch BioUrja's alcohol tracks first. La...

I caught this at Ernest Street, just southwest of Washington, with sufficient lighting. Then I shot the power crossing the recently-painted bridge over Peoria Road in Washington.    Consist was mostly typical: 15 TP&W grain empties, 20 Incobrasa grain empties, five empty covered hoppers (one AEX-marked car suggests these are DDGS empties heading for The Andersons in Clymers, Indiana), two ethyl alcohol (UN 1170) and one beverage alcohol (UN 3065) loads, two boxcars containing bagged salt and 11 more empty covered hoppers (possibly DDGS empties for The Andersons as well).  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran this eastbound Manifest train, sometimes called "M-EPEF," or Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL), late-afternoon Saturday, December 6, 2025. The entire train is shown at Ernest Street, just southwest of Washington, Illinois, and later, a brief runby in town. IORY 3472 and HESR 2107 have 56 cars.   - David P. Jordan

The train was reported by Elmwood at 1340 hours, but a maintenance foreman apparently held up the train's movement on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property. CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) has just entered the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, December 5, 2025. Train is heading for the river and East Peoria to interchange with TZPR and flip back as M-PEIGAL. BNSF 4253 and BNSF 9174 have 28 cars. - David. P. Jordan

I just missed BNSF's M-GALPEI arriving this afternoon, but captured a rare movement, C-RTRPEI. I went into Peoria after work to see that one anyway.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train C-RTRPEI (Coal, Rush Tower MO to Peoria IL) nears Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Train originated at the Rush Island Power Station south of St. Louis, Missouri where stockpiled coal from the now shuttered plant has been purchased by Archer Daniels Midland Co. for use at its Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Decatur, Illinois co-generation facilities. This train will be forwarded to Decatur by Canadian National. UP 8172, BNSF 3982 and CSXT 840 have 125 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I had to go further than I wanted on account of this afternoon's snow showers. My favorite spots at N. Main Street (outside Morton) and Crandall probably weren't clear of snow, so I opted for Deer Creek.   The three Caterpillar tractor loads were on TZPR 68-foot flats, so I'm thinking these were D11s. The other 19 cars were from the Keokuk Junction Railway. Obviously, the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend affected the traffic mix for the week's first D49.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) rolls through Deer Creek, Illinois on its return leg from East Peoria, Illinois to Good Yard in Normal late afternoon Monday, December 1, 2025. NS 7021 and NS 7035 have 22 cars, including three Caterpillar tractor loads. - David P. Jordan