TP&W Morton Job (Almost) 7-12-26

Just before 1:00 this afternoon, I learned that a TP&W job was leaving East Peoria for Crandall and then Morton. So I headed out to Crandall and waited. The TPW 5009 and a single tank car (which I assume was a herbicide load, though the coil springs weren't pressed as one would expect for a load) stopped, the conductor detrained.
 
The usual routine is to pull up to Crandall on Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District, pull past the switch, then the conductor lines it for the train and the train shoves into the siding. After that, they line the switch into the connection, pull onto the TP&W's Morton Industrial Spur, and then shove toward Morton. 
 
Something must have been wrong with the mainline switch. The crew shoved west of it and waited for awhile. By mid-afternoon, the crew shoved the train back to Farmdale and into the East Peoria Yard.
 
At least I saw the train come as far as Crandall, and a rare instance of shoving back to East Peoria on the NS line. 


CAPTION: An extra crew out of East Peoria attempted to deliver a herbicide tank car to Fort Transfer Co. at Morton early afternoon Sunday, July 12, 2026. It appears though that one switch on Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District at Crandall did not work and the crew ended up shoving back to East Peoria in mid-afternoon. TPW 5009 did the honors on this trip.

- David P. Jordan

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