Peoria Station

  I again caught a Canadian National Railway switching Amerhart and Hanna Steel. Thursday, March 25, 2021, I happened to hear radio chatter between the crew of Canadian National Railway's southbound local, L557, and the dispatcher. I only caught part of the conversation but knew the dispatcher had given L557's crew a track warrant to run from IC Junction at Pekin to Mount Pulaski. That meant the train was close to Pekin. I was just across the river. So it was prudent to investigate.  I saw five steel coil loads and three lumber loads left at the siding just north of Derby Street. The northbound local, L556, usually leaves these cars for the next day's L557. But where was L557? Moments later, I found a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (TZPR) crew assembling a train for East Peoria. Their dispatcher (based at St. Albans, Vermont) gave them permission to run past IC Junction to East Peoria. So either the CN local had just cleared IC Junction or had yet to leave East Peoria. Turn...

On Saturday, March 20, 2021, Union Pacific local LSF54 ran from Bloomington to Lincoln, Illinois and return to switch International Paper Co.  The Bloomington, Illinois-based local crew used UP 1405 and UP 1387 to deliver three loaded boxcars and pull two empties. Returning to Bloomington, the LSF54 crew placed the empties on the rear of train MBNAS (Manifest, Bloomington IL to Alton & Southern), which departed in early evening. UP 7499 had 33 cars.  - David P. Jordan

Make no mistake, passenger traffic at Peoria Int'l Airport wasn't affected by "COVID-19." It was cut in half due to media-induced fear and politically-motivated lockdowns, now one year old.  And if anyone wonders why volume hasn't recovered, all you must do is read the "COVID-19 Information" section on the airport website. Why would one willingly fly for a reason but absolute necessity? We are living in what will probably be regarded as both the saddest and silliest period of our nation's history.  So it is frustrating but hardly shocking that passenger volume is way down the first two months of 2021. WEEK TV-25 reports that PIA handled 20,781 and 22,606 passengers, respectively, in January and February.  Worse, PIA never provided (that I can find) exact passenger figures for 2020. It is as if they are suffering from decliningpassengertrafficatcentralillinoisregionalairportitis , which I'll define as "fear of reporting the facts to hide em...

Late Wednesday morning, I happened across a Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway "Collier Turn" crawling into the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. HESR 3485 and TPW 5010 have 53 cars. The train left the last 28 for TZPR and went across the river to deliver 25 grain loads to ADM's South Yard. The scene below was shot just off W. Washington Street in East Peoria.  Seeing the TP&W train was nice but my mission was to catch the Iowa Interstate Railroad's manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL). This train's counterpart, SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) normally arrives East Peoria before sunrise. A new crew is called, and the train leaves town before this second-shift worker is awake! But on this day, a source informed me after 9:00 am that the train was doing its air-test prior to departure, so I headed into East Peoria/Creve Coeur to confirm. The train finally left around noon. I had lunch plans; otherwise I would have recorded the train's ...

The Keokuk Junction Railway local ran eastbound Tuesday, and probably made an East Peoria run Wednesday, so I figured it would go west Thursday morning. I nearly missed my chance.  When I arrived Kolbe after 0930, the train was missing, but there were cars parked nearby. So I went to Glasford. As I approached the crossing, the flashers activated and the train rolled in front of me. I turned around and set up just off Devil's Washboard Road. Video also shows it creeping through Canton. No work at Hitchcock on this day. PREX 2032-2040-2018 have 36 cars. When I arrived back in Peoria, I saw BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI sitting at S. Darst Street, so I pulled off and parked on Krause Ave. Moments later, the train entered Tazewell & Peoria Railroad territory. BNSF 5660-8752 have 29 cars. Lack of nitrogen tank cars from Wever, Iowa makes for a short train.  - David P. Jordan

  I caught Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 in both directions today. Consists have been shorter than usual as of late. The weather has been a factor, and the winter season may be as well. So it was refreshing to see 46 cars behind NS 6343 and NS 7014! I shot the train near W. Washington Street.  Train D49 dropped the inbound on A-38 and coupled to the outbound on A-27. It was in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard barely 90 minutes. Of particular interest are the four Caterpillar tractor loads on the head end. Right behind those was GRLX 7712, a tank car loaded with liquid sodium gluconate. The TZPR delivered this car to PMP Fermentation Products last Thursday.  I shot video at N. Main Street (near Morton) and again at Crandall, which was only possible because of a red signal indication at the TP&W crossing. NS 7014 and NS 6343 had 19 cars.  - David P. Jordan

Central Illinois residents will be getting better access to this year's Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.  The rally, to be held August 4-14, is the reason Allegiant Air is offering nonstops between Peoria and Rapid City, South Dakota on four dates (Aug 4, 7, 11, 14). Flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Although the season will be brief, Rapid City flights will be the tenth destination offered by Allegiant.  WMBD Radio 1470 is reporting the news this morning .  - David P. Jordan