Peoria Station

  Like two weeks ago, this one has some variety.  It is good to see the eight loaded gondolas on the rear. I lacked a vantage point to see what was in them, but reporting marks match the cars used for iron oxide shipments from TP&W-served Waelz Sustainable Products' Clymers, Indiana plant. This traffic moved on a TPW-TZPR-IAIS-CPKC routing for about a year starting in March 2025.  The four Incobrasa covered hoppers must be needed to complete a trainset? The PESI which ran two weeks ago had but five of these cars. Usually, IAIS-served elevators load 25 at a time.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls through downtown Peoria, Illinois midday Sunday, August 16, 2026. Later, it is shown on home rails at San Koty, a few miles north of Peoria. IAIS 508 has 58 cars. - David P. Jordan

On the 139th anniversary of the Chatsworth Wreck, we have a mystery.    I can confirm from another railfan's video that this was the same set of grain empties that Canadian National Railway delivered to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track Sunday morning, August 2. Iowa Interstate moved it out of town with lone SD38-2 IAIS 153 on Monday morning. The train returned loaded this morning behind IAIS 506 and IAIS 511. Late this afternoon, a TP&W crew took it from the TZPR double track and rolled it through East Peoria and Washington to Cruger where it was left on the main track by Grainland Farmers elevator. The crew cut off all six locomotives. Last I saw them, they were on the adjacent siding.    Grain trains co-loaded at various Iowa Interstate-served elevators in central and western Iowa were moving frequently to CN via Peoria since January. I believe the last loaded train was interchanged to CN in mid-June. CN delivered the empties as G889 ...

I caught this empty grain train slowing toward Christmas Tree Road at South Pekin, but which I had been able to capture it first just south of Allen Station at mainline speed. Oh well, I still got it on the lesser-used section of Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision.  If I heard correctly on the symbol, I'd love to know what "HH" is. Must be in Iowa, or perhaps in Minnesota. The Dupo origin suggests a repositioning move.  CAPTION: A northbound Union Pacific train of grain empties, GSDUHH (Grain Shuttle, Dupo IL to Hope MN), slows toward a stop short of Christmas Tree Road at South Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, August 8, 2026. Later, the train rolls along the mainline toward a crew at what is left of the Chicago & North Western Railway's South Pekin Yard. After the new crew is aboard and the dispatcher gave them track warrants to Nelson, the train rolls by Chester L Road. A little more than an hour later, shortly after 1900 hours, the train rolls by ...

I missed SIPE coming in this morning, but captured PESI's departure in the afternoon.    SIPE arrived with three locomotives, but 153 was left on the Creve Coeur Team Track for the next ZENOW, which Canadian National brought up this morning. I also noticed that the North Limit Yard was full, so this morning's SIPE may have set out most or all of its cars there and ran engine light to East Peoria.    As noted in the caption below, today's PESI had a good variety of traffic/rolling stock. The coiled wire rod loads are from Liberty Steel & Wire Co's Bartonville mill. These movements seem to be occasional, but only started after Liberty reopened after idling the plant in 2024-2025. I believe they go east from Chicago on CSX.    The coil steel load was received from Norfolk Southern and is enroute to a transload at Altoona, Iowa.   The five Incobrasa covered hoppers are empty. Usually, TP&W hands off 20 to 25 at a time for loading in central...