Peoria Station

I caught it again this afternoon. I was already aware that Norfolk Southern train D49 had permission to leave the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard at 1439 hours, so when I left work, I turned on my scanner and turned left on Main Street.  Moments later, I heard the crew tell the dispatcher they were approaching Crandall, and I could see tank cars rolling in the distance. Fortunately, I made it to the Harding Road crossing in time to capture the scene below.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 rolls across Harding Road near Crandall, Illinois on the return leg to Good Yard in Normal. NS 3362 has nine cars.   David P. Jordan

The crew was already talking to the dispatcher when I drove by Adams Street Yard at 1531 hours this afternoon. That is the way I like it, and it cleared W. Farmington Road by 1550 hours!  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, January 30, 2024. UP 5253, wearing a recently modified livery, has 40 cars.   David P. Jordan

Armed with the knowledge that Norfolk Southern train D49 had already departed the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad some 30 minutes prior, I left work and high-tailed it down I-74 which gave me just a few minutes to spare. I knew I couldn't get to the crossing into time, I parked on the overpass. Later, I shot a runby as it entered Good Yard.  So now I caught NS 5199 on Saturday's Iowa Interstate SIPE and on today's Norfolk Southern local! CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49, rolls under Rivian Motorway at Yuton, Illinois as it nears the end of its run from East Peoria mid-afternoon Monday, January 29, 2024. Shortly, the train is shown entering Good Yard in Normal. NS 6343 and NS 6406 have high-hood NS 5199 and 19 cars.   David P. Jordan

A short one today, and all tank cars.  There were cars left behind at Adams Street Yard. I noticed a covered hopper, and there had to be at least one other car. The train was sufficiently short to be left in the yard, rather than on the Low Line, by the LPD01 crew.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by Milepost 80 shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, January 26, 2024. UP 5511 has 24 cars.   David P. Jordan

My first encounter with an Iowa Interstate train in 2024! I heard a horn from inside my house, minutes after returning from work. After a second false report of a TP&W train in Morton (a few truck horns moving to and from the Caterpillar parts department must sound like locomotive horns), I decided to investigate. I had some material to return to the local library, so I grabbed those and headed out. I quickly discovered that there hadn't been any activity on the Morton Industrial Spur since December.  After dropping items at the library, I returned to my car and turned on the scanner. Moments later, I heard the Iowa Interstate dispatcher give IAIS 510 a track warrant from Peoria to Burau Junction at 1520 hours! I wouldn't have known about it, had I not heard the fake locomotive horn, gone to the library, and turned on my scanner at that exact moment!  So naturally, I packed up my laptop (I'd stop by the downtown library after chasing the IAIS) and headed west on I-74. D...

Hopefully, things are back to normal. Friday's Union Pacific MPECL showed no sign of a crew aboard as of 1615 hours, so I left. Today's train radio'ed the dispatcher by 1545.  Two items of note: The 53rd car in the consist, ITFX 150294 is an empty, green, ex-International Bridge & Terminal (Boise Cascade) typically seen in bagged food salt service routed BNSF-Peoria-TPW to Sweetener Supply Corp. at Wolcott (Hoosierlift), Indiana.  I don't know if the car was re-billed empty to a new destination rather than move reverse route or if Union Pacific has snatched a portion or all of this business from BNSF. Watco shortline Kansas & Oklahoma RR, serves the Compass Minerals salt mine at Lyons, Kansas, and can interchange with either Class I. The other item is that radio chatter indicated MPECL would work East Clinton, Illinois. There is a Zen-Noh Grain Co. elevator at this location, but not sure what work this train would do. CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifes...

I arrived Wesley Road's south end crossing just in time to see the CN L557's approach. Short train, but good variety. I didn't stick around to see it switch Hanna Steel. CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track mainline through Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois mid-afternoon Thursday, January 18, 2024. GTW 4908 and CN 4803 have eight cars.   David P. Jordan