Peoria Station

Enroute to the downtown library, I passed through East Peoria this afternoon and glad I did. A TP&W East Peoria Switcher, probably EP2, asked the St. Albans Dispatcher for permission to depart the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard and head home a short distance east.  Despite heavy traffic, I found aplace to park and shot video at N. Main Street. Train had the same trio of units that worked to Morton and back last evening.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, probably EP2, rolls by N. Main Street in East Peoria, Illinois enroute home with a transfer from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad mid-afternoon Thursday, February 29, 2024. MQT 3407, IMRR 2108 and TPW 3441 have eight empty covered hoppers.   - David P. Jordan

The three-unit lashup sure made for an interesting scene when the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway delivered its first carload of liquid herbicide to Fort Transfer Company this evening. Not one six-axle unit but two!  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway made a run to Morton Wednesday evening, February 28, 2024 to deliver one herbicide load to Fort Transfer Company. MQT 3407, IMRR 2108 and TPW 3441 provided an interesting lashup for a single carload on a little-used industrial lead! Most action takes place at Crandall where the TP&W switches from Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District (used to and from East Peoria) to the Morton Industrial Spur, a remnant of Santa Fe's Pekin District.   - David P. Jordan

Today's train left about the usual time, crossing W. Farmington Road a little after 4:00pm. The three boxcars on the head end were dropped off by the Keokuk Junction Railway train on Monday afternoon.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Adams Steet Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, February 27, 2024. UP 6906 has 22 cars.   David P. Jordan

When I left work, I learned that the Keokuk Junction Railway local was picking up the two F-7As (BUGX 401 and BUGX 402) before heading to East Peoria. Those former Gettysburg & Northern F-units have been at Kolbe since October 18, reportedly for mechanical work. They were enroute to the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad in Kansas but that carrier was shutdown by the Federal Railroad Administration earlier this month for a number of violations. Whether these units are still enroute or if they have a new destination is unknown at this time. Note that they had been on the KJRY since October but arrived the area (separately) on Norfolk Southern in late-August.  As I waited for the KJRY to move, I learned that BNSF's M-PEIGAL had permission to depart the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. Given the great afternoon sunlight, I decided to capture the train crossing the river and again at my favorite Darst Street perch. I figured I had time to get it one more time...

One of these arrived Tuesday, only five days ago. The crew of today's X-SMRPEI told the TZPR St. Albans dispatcher that Galesburg wanted the power back. So as soon as they dropped the train at Pekin, both units went back west engine lite.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway X-SMRPEI train (Grain Empties, Summerfield TX to Peoria IL) enters the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois mid-day Sunday, February 25, 2024. BNSF 4114 and BNSF 6608 have 96 gluten feed empties for interchange to Canadian National at the Pekin's double track south end.   David P. Jordan

This morning, I got a heads up that three TP&W motors had passed Washington eastbound. I figured they were heading to Grainland Co-operative's Cruger elevator to pull corn loads back west. When I arrived, the trio was just departing with 35 loads. I noticed the train running through the East Peoria Yard but haven't confirmed whether these were going to BioUrja Renewables LLC at Peoria or interchange with the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad for delivery to Alto Ingredients in Pekin.  CAPTION: A TP&W Extra East Peoria Switcher is shown departing Grainland Co-Operative's Cruger, Illinois elevator westbound. Later, it is shown at Ernest Street in Washington and then at the Farmdale Trestle minutes before entering the East Peoria Yard. MQT 3407, TPW 3442 and IMRR 2108 have 35 corn loads.   UPDATE: All 35 corn loads were at BioUrja South Yard in Peoria when I checked this evening.  David P. Jordan

I learned around 1:00 this afternoon that Norfolk Southern local D49 was spotted moving west near Deer Creek, so when I left work two hours later, I immediately headed for Crandall Junction.  Sure enough, I could see the headlight in the distance when I crossed the NS on Tennessee Ave.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 rolls by Crandall Junction mid-afternoon Thursday, February 22, 2024. Running the return leg of its Normal to East Peoria turn, NS 7000 has 17 cars.   - David P. Jordan