Peoria Station

When steam was king, the world was in black and white, or at least most television broadcasts in that era were in black and white. So I present this montage of steam action in black and white! I was fortunate to experience numerous mainline steam excursions between 2004 and 2019. Most of these are thanks to the Iowa Interstate Railroad, but the Monticello Railway Museum, Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway and Union Pacific Railroad are also represented here. Action is mostly in Illinois with some in Indiana and Iowa. The final scene, however, is in Colorado on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad's 3-ft. gauge line. Steam engines shown are MILW 261, IAIS 6988, IAIS 7081, NKP 765, SOU 401, UP 4014 and DRGW 463. (Save for the first scene, all other video is available on my YouTube channel, and in color!) - David P. Jordan

One week away! Those who bought tickets in time for the Iowa Interstate Railroad's Chillicothe-Henry excursions May 18, will be first to experience a ride behind steam on this line in 57 years. We know this fact because the  Peoria Morning Star  ran a story March 5, 1952 with the headline, All Diesel Power Passenger Trains On R. I. This Month . Delivery of six EMD E-8A passenger diesels enabled the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad to retire steam passenger power which then pulled Nos. 9 and 230, the nightly locals between Peoria and Chicago. The locomotive believed to have pulled the last steam-powered passenger train on the Rock Island's Peoria-Bureau line was 4-6-2 No. 886. In 1956, the Peoria Jaycees asked the Rock Island to donate this locomotive to Peoria for public display. After it was learned that 886 had been scrapped, sister 887 was renumbered "886" and substituted as a gift to the Peoria group. "New 886" moved to Peoria on a fr...

Peoria area railroads once boasted six Illinois River Bridges between Chillicothe and Pekin. Now there are three. And Peoria itself is left with just one.  The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's lift bridge hosts trains of six railroads: BNSF Railway, Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd., Keokuk Junction Railway, Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, Toledo Peoria & Western Railway and Union Pacific.  I've compiled video showing one train of each railroad using the bridge, and included a ride across the bridge as well as steam action (!).  - David P. Jordan