Peoria Station

A empty BNSF coal train with a Norfolk Southern Distributed Power Unit bringing up the rear (I didn't see the head end) was crawling across W. Farmington Road as Union Pacific's MPECL entered the mainline on the parallel Peoria Sub. I was concerned it would be block my view from the west side. Thankfully, the BNSF train cleared a few minutes before MPECL showed up.  CAPTION: Union Pacific MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, February 28, 2023. UP 3909 has 28 cars. - David P. Jordan

A friend on social media provided a heads up that Union Pacific's Z-G4CI (Priority Intermodal, Global 4 to City of Industry CA) was just east of Toluca. I calculated that I could make it from church in northwest Peoria, and did. Before I left, I captured both a westbound and an eastbound BNSF intermodal train. CAPTION: Action on BNSF Railway's Chillicothe Subdivision early afternoon Sunday, February 26, 2023 includes Union Pacific's Z-G4CI and both westbound and eastbound BNSF intermodal trains. I was at the Peoria Public Library's North Branch parking lot when I heard a distant locomotive horn, which could only have been on the Union Pacific. I thought it sounded like a southbound crossing Alta Road, but after a quick dash down Rt. 6, it turned out to be a northbound blowing through N. Brauer/W. Ridgeview Road (top of Pioneer Hill). I exited onto US 150, headed up Rt. 91 and managed to get to W. Lake Shore Drive in time for video.  CAPTION: An empty Union Pacific tra...

CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by MP 80 shortly after departing Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, February 24, 2023. NS 9938 has 48 cars. Looks like Norfolk Southern power has found a home cycling on Union Pacific MCLPE and MPECL between Clinton, Iowa and Peoria.  Today's train had six boxcars on the head end and two on the rear - all likely locomotive wheel loads from Keokuk, Iowa (via the Keokuk Junction Railway), as well as more zinc oxide loads from Clymers, Indiana (via  the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway).  - Davif P. Jordan

I had my second encounter this year with Norfolk Southern's D49 local. Both encounters were completely unexpected. On Tuesdays, I normally take I-474 so I can check on Union Pacific's MPECL. Instead, I took I-74 into East Peoria and filled my tank at the Sunoco station on E. Camp Street because it was 22 cents cheaper than in Morton or Peoria. No sooner did I leave the gas station, I heard a horn... CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 rolls along the TP&W's Peoria Sub in East Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Shown on their return trip to Good Yard in Normal, NS 3410 and NS 7014 have 23 cars. I had hoped to see the Iowa Interstate haul those four ex-Amtrak (nee Santa Fe) hi-level cars out of town. I was aware that an IAIS crew delivered a potash train to TZPR early this afternoon, so I hoped for a departure well after 3:00. Turns out, PESI departure before 3:00, but a social media post alerted me to its location, and I calculated that I...

Looking north from NE Adams and Cornhill streets in Peoria, Illinois, Sunday, February 12, 2023 Here's some notes and thoughts on "AB-1056 (SUB-NO. 1X) PIONEER INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY CO. LLC - Discontinuance of Trackage Rights Exemption - In Peoria County, Ill.," a filing to the Surface Transportation Board last week and entered into the public record Wednesday, February 15, 2023.  (1) The carrier asks the STB to authorize PIRY to "terminate its trackage rights over approximately 1.07 miles of line (a portion of the Kellar Branch) located between milepost 1.71 and 2.78 (the 'Line') in the City of Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois." (2) As of January 1, 2023, the carrier is legally known as "Pioneer Industrial Railway Co. LLC." (3) PIRY's filing is part of the City's railroad service plan, discontinuing long out of service trackage rights over the south end of the old Kellar Branch.  (4) Board approval will free up the City of Peoria to 550 fe...

Four ex-Santa Fe hi-levels enroute from Madison to Silvis, Illinois are being routed UP-Peoria-IAIS. They arrived on MCLPE this morning and Union Pacific's LPD01 job reportedly delivered to them TZPR late this morning. I tried to find these cars this afternoon after work, but saw nothing of them. Perhaps TZPR has hidden them somewhere?  Anyway, I did come across the old "Kickapoo Job," short but sweet.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad "Industry Job" rolls by Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, February 20, 2023. Enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, TZPR 1352 has seven cars. - David P. Jordan 

Sunday afternoon I checked TP&W's East Peoria Yard where I found a crew working the west end with MQT 3407 and TPW 1538. I deducted that they were building a train for Collier Yard, but thought I had time to go home. I returned less than an hour later to find the train gone. I found it on the Nickel Plate, waiting for a TZPR train to enter the East Peoria Yard from the Pekin mainline. The bridge was up, so I parked off the Foot of Sanger Street and waited.  I decided to mix it up a bit and include video of a barge tow passing beneath the bridge. Excited geese are seen between the beginning and the end. I also included the bridge being lowered for the TP&W train.  CAPTION: A barge tow floats by, exciting the geese before the Tazewell & Peoria RR Illinois River Bridge comes down for the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's EP-3 Job. Shown at Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Sunday, February 19, 2023, MQT 3407 and TPW 1538 have 13 cars - five for Mapleton industries ...