Peoria Station

Union Pacific's MPECL ran around its usual time this afternoon.  Around 3:30, I saw it was still in the yard with no sign of a crew aboard yet, so I checked East Peoria happenings and then returned to the Adams Street Yard area in time to hear the crew tone up the UP dispatcher at 4:05.  The train was by W. Farmington Road 30 minutes later.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road late-afternoon Tuesday, October 31, 2023. UP 8193 has 59 cars. - David P. Jordan

Earlier this afternoon, I picked up radio chatter confirming the BNSF local was in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. I drove the Cedar Street Extension hoping to see it, but could not confirm that it was still there.  After spending some time at the downtown library, I had just made a left onto the Cedar Street Bridge and saw the outbound in the distance, crawling onto home rails.  Naturally, I turned around and got ahead of it just south of Harmon Highway.  Although the sun had already set, I managed to shoot video with my phone.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls out of Peoria, Illinois early evening Monday, October 30, 2023. BNSF 3869 and BNSF 5900 have 30 cars.   David P. Jordan

Apparently, Norfolk Southern's Des Moines, Iowa switch crews request and prefer GP38-2 high hood units for their local operations? The first several scenes are on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria after the train crossed the river. Most cars are grain empties, but there is a steel coil load and quite a few tank cars handling beverage, fuel-grade and industrial alcohol.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) is shown at various locations between Peoria and Mossville, Illinois mid-afternoon Sunday, October 29, 2023. IAIS 5014 has Des Moines, Iowa-bound NS 5199 and 59 cars.   - David P. Jordan

After missing it three times, I caught Union Pacific's MPECL this afternoon, leaving around its usual time around 4:00pm. The Keokuk Junction Railway ran an East Peoria turn on Thursday, so today's MPECL had boxcars laden with Amsted Rail/Griffin Wheel Corp. traffic.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by Milepost 80 (the former Molitor Junction) shortly after departing Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, October 27, 2023. Shortly, the train enters the double track at Pottstown. UP 7529 and UP 8242 have 62 cars.   David P. Jordan

I received a heads up early Sunday afternoon that a southbound Iowa Interstate freight had passed Mossville. So I headed into Peoria and encountered it near the Komatsu plant. I backtracked to the RiverPlex parking lot downtown and waited a few minutes before the train showed up. PMP Fermentation Products sure makes a good backdrop!   T oday's train was short. The GEVOs were split up with 518 coupled to an empty potash train (PEDAV) at Wesley. The 506 took PESI out of town, probably after dark.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by PMP Fermentation Products in downtown Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Sunday, October 22, 2023. Later, it is at South Street just before crossing the river. Both scenes are on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Uptown Division. IAIS 518 and IAIS 506 have 26 cars.   Earlier, I noticed a TP&W crew putting together a rather lengthy manifest in the East Peoria Yard. I figured an extra switch crew was on duty an...

Tuesday's Union Pacific MPECL left late and today's left early, so I missed both this week. But Norfolk Southern's D49 local made a late-East Peoria turn this afternoon, so I was able to catch its return leg at Crandall Junction about 3:30. Notably, all four scrap metal loads embedded mid-train - TFOX 1646, TFOX 1649, ITFX 212087 and TOFX 4456 - were delivered to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad by the Keokuk Junction Railway local on Wednesday. Reportedly, these cars are consigned to Steel Dynamics' Butler, Indiana steel mill.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 rolls by Crandall Junction (TP&W crossing) near Morton, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, October 20, 2023. NS 3410 and NS 3362 have 23 cars.   David P. Jordan

With a chance that a pair of F-7As could move west on the Keokuk Junction Railway Thursday, I left work at 9:00 and headed for Mapleton. Before I arrived, I already had a pretty good idea that the F-units pulled from East Peoria wouldn't be moving any further than the old Carter Lumber spur at Mapleton. Both units were left there last night, possibly for long-term storage. Speculation is that BNSF doesn't want to handle BUGX 401 and BUGX 402 to their intended destination, the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad in Kansas, and that the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, on whose Creve Coeur Team Track for nearly two months, wanted them gone. Storing them on the Keokuk Junction Railway must been determined to be the only solution until another scenario for transportation can be agreed upon.  Although the local didn't take the F-units west, I'm glad I did the chase on Thursday.  CAPTION: Chasing the Keokuk Junction Railway's weekly local from Mapleton, Illinois to a poin...