Peoria Station

I saw BNSF's M-GALPEI in the East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Wednesday, so cold weather earlier this week seems to have taken operations off-schedule. I received a heads up that BNSF Railway's M-GALPEI may have departed Galesburg sometime Saturday night. I was expecting a possible M-PEIGAL this morning, but when I drove by the south side, it was M-GALPEI entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street.  CAPTION: BNSF train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, January 26, 2025 as it curves toward the Illinois River and East Peoria. BNSF 4351 and BNSF 3837 have 17 cars. After the BNSF train crossed the river, I did as well and found a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad yard job pulling 21 mash (or gluten feed) loads down the Pekin double track toward ADM Grain Co. at Hilliards. It is that time of year when they do this up to twice a day as the upper Mississippi River i...

I was in Peoria already so I came across this train as it was heading for the Illinois River.    After entering home rails, I had to wait awhile for further movement, but picked the final spot because a crew change was to take place just before W. Farmington Road. I did not want to wait any longer.  Gluten feed pellets were loaded by ADM in Decatur and routed CN-Peoria-BNSF to Summerfield, Texas.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train G-PEISMR (Grain, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) crosses the Illinois River and then nears the connection to home rails at S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois. Later, the whole train is shown after leaving town. BNSF 4005, BNSF 6391, and BNSF 5280 were on the point.   - David P. Jordan

When I drove the Cedar Street Extension in East Peoria, I saw the unmistakable KJRY power coupled to an outbound train. I also noticed the Iowa Interstate's PESI waiting for departure. The KJRY train was quickly given permission to depart for Iowa Junction. The Iowa Interstate train was given permission to depart when the KJRY passed.    I was hoping to catch the Iowa Interstate train, but as it turned out, a TZPR local with IORY 5013 had Komatsu high wide load(s) and the PESI could not pass it. I found this train switching PMP Fermentation Products, but darkness fell, and temperatures dropped. I decided to leave. At least I got the KJRY train.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria Turn is shown crossing the Illinois River after departing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Friday, January 24, 2025. Moments later, the whole train is shown at Sanger Street. LTEX 3010, PREX 2003 and LTEX 3836 have 41 cars, all empties. -...

I thought to look at Central Illinois Regional Airport's statistics page just now, and found 2023 figures.  The facility serving Bloomington-Normal handled 167,597 enplanements and 167,291 deplanements for a total of 334,888 passengers. Air cargo volume was 11.6 million pounds.  Given the limit number of frequencies to Atlanta (Delta Connection), Chicago-O'Hare (American Eagle), Dallas/Ft. Worth (American Eagle) and seasonal Allegiant Air (Orlando-Sanford and St. Petersburg/Clearwater) and Frontier Airlines (Denver) services, I would guess load factors were pretty good.  CIRA may be ripe for expanded frequencies or new service.  - David P. Jordan

I was wrong, but not by much. The Peoria Journal Star posted an article this afternoon revealing not only a record passenger tally for December 2024, but a near record for the entire year! I probably made fun of them sufficiently that they finally realized Peoria has an airport with scheduled commercial airline service, and that it is vital a local newspaper of record needs to report happenings on a consistent basis if it wants to be credible.  Last year, Peoria International Airport nearly broke its all-time passenger record. In 2019, it handled 689,416 passengers. In 2024, it handled 687,601, a difference of just 0.23 percent.  One record did fall. In December, PIA handled 66,150 passengers, more than any previous total for that month. In fact, this is nearly 10,000 more than the previous December record, which was in 2019.  United Express' new daily Denver nonstops begin March 30, 2025. Barring unforeseen calamity, this new service should help PIA break its 2019 reco...

I learned in early afternoon that Iowa Interstate's PESI had its crew called for 1100 hours. Despite the cold, I decided to check the East Peoria Yard for signs of imminent departure.  When I arrived, IAIS 152 was missing from the Creve Coeur Team Track (NS 5823 is still there...perhaps D49 will hauling it out of town Monday or Tuesday?), so either the train departed or it was on the train in the yard readying for departure.  The latter soon revealed itself as the correct answer. I lingered in the area and managed to snap a few pics of it at Leland Street after coming across the river and then shot video at three locations.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate PESI departed the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Sunday, January 19, 2025. Locations are Ft. of Main Street downtown and Fairholm Ave. in Peoria, Illinois, and at San Koty on home rails. IAIS 152 has 41 cars. - David P. Jordan

Iowa Interstate ran its SIPE during daylight Saturday afternoon with a surprise - NS 5823 was leading! Normally, these units are revenue freight, handled for Norfolk Southern from Des Moines to Peoria (and vice-versa) for 92-day inspections at Decatur.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by several locations mid-afternoon Saturday, January 18, 2025. Locations are Chillicothe, Rome, Mossville and San Koty. NS 5823 and IAIS 152 have just 16 cars. I can recall only one other time that an NS geep was leading. It was NS 5177 on SIPE the afternoon of October 4, 2020. David P. Jordan