Peoria Station

An unusual movement and a desirable one to capture! Union Pacific ran an empty autorack train out of Oklahoma (probably Oklahoma City, based on the "OK" symbol) a few days ago destined for temporary storage on Edelstein Siding. The train came up via St. Louis, and probably via Kansas City as well. Union Pacific accesses Oklahoma's capital from the west from Rock Island's old Mid-Continent Route at El Reno, or haulage/trackage rights on BNSF's ex-Santa Fe, both of which are north-south routes.  I assume the reason for this is that auto assembly plants are shut down this week, and empty autoracks need a place to go until the reopen after the Christmas-New Year's break.  I received a heads up this morning, and planned accordingly. I normally spend time at the downtown Peoria library so I was close anyway. I waited at W. Farmington Road and then headed north to capture it entering Edelstein Siding.  Reportedly, UP 7312 returned to South Pekin engine lite, passing ...

The last one in 2023! Tuesday's train had 26 grain empties and 15 plastic empties it normally wouldn't have. Without them, the 77-car train would have had just 36 cars. So I'm not surprised that today's MPECL was short. This should continue into January.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by Milepost 80 shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, December 29, 2023. UP 5691 has 24 cars.   David P. Jordan

Allegiant Air is operating Peoria - Fort Lauderdale nonstops Sundays and Thursdays from March 7 through April 7, 2024. I confirmed this using the airline's website. Months ago, I noticed that the Fort Lauderdale route had disappeared from the route map. Even seasonal routes are shown in broken lines, so it appeared the route had been officially dropped, seasonal or year-round. Given the time of year and short duration of this service, I assume this is for spring break... - David P. Jordan 

I was waiting for the green light at N. Morton Ave. and Jackson Street in Morton this afternoon when I heard the Iowa Interstate dispatcher confirm that a southbound had cleared its track warrant from Bureau Junction to Peoria. I was heading for downtown Peoria anyway, so it was pretty convenient to check on this train. After crossing the river, I went to the RiverPlex parking lot and waited. It didn't take but a few minutes to hear the train blowing for the Caroline, Spring and Morton Street crossings.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad train DAVPE (Davenport IA to Peoria IL) rolls by the PMP Fermentation Products Inc. plant in downtown Peoria, Illinois while running on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Uptown Division mid-afternoon Wednesday, December 27, 2023. IAIS 511, IAIS 712 and IAIS 718 have potash loads for TZPR-served Mosaic Crop Nutrition.    - David P. Jordan

I wasn't expecting Union Pacific's MPECL to leave around the usual time today, given the LPD01 crew didn't work on Monday. I figured they would work late, thus the MPECL crew would be called late.  When I arrived, the train was strung out onto the Low Line, so I suspected a crew might be aboard. But a BNSF X-SMRPEI (Grain Empties, Summerfield TX to Peoria IL) empty feed train was heading toward the TZPR bridge, so I thought I might have time to grab some video at Hillards. Fortunately, I had set my scanner to the UP Peoria Sub road channel (161.265mhz, AAR Channel 77), and heard MPECL call the dispatcher as the BNSF train approached my location. So I left before getting blocked by a long and slow train of 100 cars... CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls across W. Farmington Road late-afternoon Tuesday, December 26, 2023. UP 6889 has 77 cars.   David P. Jordan

Despite the soggy weather, I was able to capture the usual Friday afternoon action on Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision. I didn't gave to wait long either. The crew called the dispatcher at 1530 and cleared E. Farmington Road just 19 minutes later! CAPTION:   Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, December 22, 2023. UP 6543 has 19 cars. - David P. Jordan 

I don't know if L556/L557 made its usual Monday/Tuesday cycle this week. If it did, today's lengthy consist may be explained by season surges in ADM grain products moving between Cedar Rapids and Decatur plants.  The UP motor might have come off of a Decatur-bound coal train. The IC SD70s have been assigned to Decatur for awhile now.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls across Fifth Street near South Pekin, Illinois mid-afternoon Thursday, December 21, 2023. UP 7510, IC 1036 and IC 1038 have 86 cars.   David P. Jordan