Peoria Station

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 found this just minutes after it pulled up to S. Darst Street in Peoria. Shortly, the TZPR dispatcher gave the crew instructions to depart Darst Street for IC Junction at Pekin. The sun angle was poor, so I elected to try across the river at Hilliards, but that was bad too. I settled on the N. 2nd Street crossing in Pekin, but after the second pause, I moved to a location just south of IC Junction. I make limited use of my tri-pod due to frequent dissatisfaction with the results. Unfortunately, I had moments to set up on the last scene. Train took about eleven minutes to get by my position.  CAPTION: A BNSF Railway coal train is shown crossing N. 2nd Street in Pekin, Illinois early afternoon Saturday, February 22, 2025. Later, the whole train is shown rolling along Rt. 29 toward Illinois & Midland Railroad's Crescent Yard at Powerton. Bound for Kincaid Power Station, BNSF 5884, BNSF 9113 and BNSF 9073 were on the point. BNSF 9087 brought up the rear as DPU.   - Dav...

Driving I-474 westbound this afternoon, I heard brief chatter on BNSF's Peoria Sub frequency, but could not hear any specifics. Turns out, an empty Kincaid coal train was leaving town. I caught up to it after coming off Harmon Highway onto Kickapoo Creek Road. I could not beat it to Pottstown but managed to capture it near the West Siding Switch at Edwards.  CAPTION: A BNSF Railway train of coal empties rolls westbound through Edwards, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, February 11, 2025. Train came from the Kincaid Power Plant on the Illinois & Midland RR. BNSF 8444 and BNSF 9145 have 129 cars. BNSF 6606 and BNSF 6266 bring up the rear as Distributed Power Units. - David P. Jordan

Late-Saturday morning, I headed for the downtown library but got delayed. Driving on I-74, I glanced toward the TP&W's East Peoria Yard and found a TZPR switch crew building a cut for a return run to their home yard. Short train but no less interesting encounter.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew pulls a transfer from sister Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway toward the East Peoria Yard midday Saturday, October 5, 2024. TZPR 1521 has 12 cars. Later, I found an empty BNSF coal train crossing the river. As I followed it out of town, I learned that a second train would follow, so I stuck around the south end rather than return to the library.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train E-PEKNAM (Coal Empties, Peoria/Kincaid IL to N. Antelope Mine WY) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Saturday, October 5, 2024. Later, the whole train is shown at W. Farmington Road. Coal empties came from the Kincaid Pow...

Before heading to the downtown library, I intended to intercept an eastbound BNSF coal train. A friend called me around 1100 to tell me it was just leaving Galesburg, so I calculated it might appear in the area by 1300.  On my way up there, I caught a Union Pacific coal train just south of Farmington Road, turned around and waited at Cilco Lane south of Bartonville once I confirmed it to be a Powerton train (a Decatur-bound coal train would enter the Low Line at Peoria Junction). Although skies remained blue to the north and east, a cloud bank blocked the sun before just prior to the train's arrival.  CAPTION: A Powerton-bound Union Pacific coal train rolls by Cilco Lane at Sommer, Illinois midday Saturday, September 21, 2024. UP 5523 and UP 5562 have 135 loads. UP 6572 is DPU. After the Union Pacific coal train had passed, I headed toward Peoria and then west on Route 8. I encountered the BNSF train at Edwards a little after 1230, earlier than expected. I'm assuming the cr...

An empty BNSF Kincaid coal train was passing Hilliards about the time I left work (3:00pm). Normally, I'd ignore it, but the lead unit was BNSF 6179 was one of ten locomotives displaying eight heralds of predecessor companies commemorating the 25th anniversary of the railroad (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. was created on September 22, 1995). If figured I'd have to take I-74 as far as Edwards and then backtrack.  I was correct. I got maybe one mile east of Edwards when I saw the train slowly approaching. I turned around and waited at Kramm Road, an open spot a few miles west of Edwards. The train crawled up to the crossing so the conductor could detrain and watch for vehicle traffic until the locomotive blocked it. He then boarded and the train took off. I don't think it exceeded 10mph though.  CAPTION: A BNSF Railway westbound empty coal train resumes its run west on the Peoria Subdivision after pausing for a brief stop at Kramm Road, a few miles west of Edwards, Illi...