Peoria Station

Weekdays this time of year offer a limited window for shooting local rail action before long shadows and darkness falls. So when I can get something, I do.  I knew BNSF's M-GALPEI had coupled to its train at the Galesburg Yard late this morning, so I hoped I could catch it in Peoria after work. When I arrived the south end of town, I found two BNSF units ( 7911 and 7616) sitting on the main at Darst Street waiting for a TP&W local to clear so it could cross the river and grab a loaded feed train (G-PEISMR) at Grove on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin mainline. When the TP&W train cleared the mainline, two Iowa Interstate units (505 and 501) left East Peoria and crossed the river engine lite and then the BNSF units made their move. But I wasn't interested in lite engine movements, so I went to East Peoria to capture the TP&W train and set up at N. Main Street in time for its passage.  It appears the same power was used to deliver nine cars to the Tazewe...

I had seen social media reports that the train left Silvis this morning, so when I learned it was on the Bureau-Peoria line, I figured I had a chance of getting it in the San Koty Area. Sure enough, as soon as I drove by my favorite spot there, I saw the headlights... While it appears that the Iowa Interstate cycles three trains each way between Silvis and Peoria weekly, one of these may be a potash train.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad train DAVPE (Davenport IA to Peoria IA) rolls by the San Koty Station area (MP 154.2) near Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Sunday, November 26, 2023. IAIS 505 and IAIS 716 have 105 potash loads for Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC via Tazewell & Peoria Railroad delivery switch. David P. Jordan

Two years and five months have past since I've caught the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switching PMP Fermentation Products in downtown Peoria. So when I was crossing the river at midday this morning, and glanced at the action to my right, I hurried to a safe spot to record it.  TZPR 1351 was just finishing up shoving seven loads (probably all corn syrup, except one possibly a sodium hydroxide solution tank car) into the plant after pulling five corn syrup empties and one empty sodium hydroxide solution tank car and returning to East Peoria.  That latter car, CAOX 300307, was seen on last Saturday's CN L556 local. A second car with the same contents, GATX 229403, was on the same CN local, and might well have been delivered today. PMP has been receiving this product by rail since May 2022.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad "Industry Job" or extra spots seven loads at PMP Fermentation Products' Peoria, Illinois plant midday Saturday, November 25, 2023. Wh...

The TP&W received an empty Union Pacific grain train late-morning Tuesday and quickly forwarded it to ADM Grain Co's Clymers, Indiana elevator on Winamac Southern Railway's TP&W-operated Van (Logansport) - Bringhurst line.  So it was a surprise how quickly the loaded train returned west, arriving back at East Peoria late-afternoon on Thursday!  I didn't see the empties go east, but after a family gathering for Thanksgiving, I decided to check for evidence of potential Friday rail activity. I'm glad I did because I picked up scanner chatter on the TP&W road channel (161.400) in East Peoria.  I quickly found three UP motors on a grain train inching westbound through the TP&W yard. The crew asked for dispatcher's instructions on proceeding to Powerton where the train would be handed over to Union Pacific.  I shot the entire train in good lighting as it made its way along the TP&W's Peoria Sub in East Peoria, but in the video, you will first see ...

As soon as left work, I learned that CN 1501, an RDC converted into a track geometry car, had just passed Chillicothe enroute to Peoria. So I went home, and then left as quickly as possible only to arrive the North Limit Yard as soon as the geometry car pulled in.  While Tazewell & Peoria RR officials were there, the car must have tied up for the holiday. Soon, a TZPR crew will take it to the Creve Coeur Team Track. The CN might send up a crew to get it as early as Friday or Saturday.  Although I missed my chance to catch the CN 1501 actually moving, I did manage to see the Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria Turn at S. Darst Street. All 19 cars appeared to be loads. I'd guess the first 15 are for Norfolk Southern. The last four are probably for the Iowa Interstate.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway ran its East Peoria Turn Wednesday afternoon, November 22, 2023. Shown running on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad from Iowa Junction to East Peoria, LTEX 3848, P...

This past summer, when I happened to catch Union Pacific's MPECL switching Akron Services twice, my camera battery was low, so shooting switching action was limited. I had to complete the action with my phone camera, which has poor quality zoom capability.   The past two weeks, UP has switched Akron Services, but the LPD01 crew performed this chore in the morning using the MPECL train and then tying up at Edelstein for the regular road crew in the afternoon.  Finally this afternoon, I was able to catch this action with my camera battery fully-charged. The only downsides were overcast and early sunsets... But I got it. A little blur here and there, but not bad.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls across W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois a late afternoon Tuesday, November 21, 2023. UP 7334 and UP 8870 have 61 cars. Later, it stops to pull three empty anhydrous ammonia tank cars from Akron Services, giving it 64 cars. ...

I exited I-74 this morning onto E. Washington Street to find two locomotives and a tank car had backed out of the TP&W's East Peoria Yard. It could only mean that another run to Morton was imminent! I'm glad I happened upon this movement because it marked the first time I'd seen it use six-axle power. The only other time it is known to have happened was on March 2, 2023 when MQT dropped two tank cars for Fort Transfer. I don't believe Santa Fe ever used six-axle power on its Pekin District.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran "Morton Job" Sunday morning, November 19, 2023. TPW 5015 and MQT 3407 rolled down Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District to Crandall and then the Morton Industrial Spur to deliver a lone tank car to Fort Transfer Company. Scenes are at Farmdale, Crandall and Morton, with final scenes showing power leaving engine lite.  - David P. Jordan