Peoria Station

Before leaving work, I learned that Norfolk Southern local D49 was in East Peoria, and the GoRail unit (NS 6963) was leading. I figured a chance to see it just after work, which is what I did. Five cars on the head end are plastic loads, likely storage-in-transit business from Equistar Chemicals LP on the Illinois & Midland RR.  CAPTION:   Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown on its return leg mid-afternoon Thursday, October 31, 2024. NS 6963, the "GoRail" unit, and NS 6923, have 20 cars for Good Yard in Normal. Scene is at N. Main Street in Morton. :     - David P. Jordan

Going by past experience, the crew which brings in Iowa Interstate's SIPE late-Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights, typically takes PESI out of town on Monday and Wednesday, typically in the mid- to late-afternoon. I learned that IAIS 513 brought SIPE in Tuesday night, so after work checked if PESI was ready to depart East Peoria. Sure enough, 513 was already in the point of the train parked on the West Lead.    Consist was made up of 41 empties - a single ADM corn syrup-type tank car, a longer non-placarded tank car (possibly a tallow empty for Council Bluffs), six empty IAIS covered hoppers and 33 mash or other grain product empties - and seventeen loads - two alcohol, ten grain product (possibly some ADM traffic from the Hilliards barge dock?) and five scrap metal loads for Gary Railway in NW Indiana.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) is shown as several locations after departing East Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, Octobe

Tuesday's Union Pacific MPECL had to wait on a southbound Powerton-bound coal train, but left a little after 4:00pm. Reportedly, the train stalled on Pioneer Hill and had to double the hill and re-assemble the train to continue. Of note were twelve empty ballast hoppers mid-train.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, October 29, 2024. UP 8055 has 46 cars. - David P. Jordan

I missed BNSF M-GALPEI coming into town early this afternoon, but checked later for the chance the crew would turn back with M-PEIGAL. No such happening. Instead, the crew was driven to Grove where it boarded the feed train brought up by CN yesterday.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train G-PEISMR (Grain, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) is shown in several scenes departing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and on home rails mid- to late-afternoon Sunday, October 27, 2024. BNSF 4401 and BNSF 3896 had 100 gluten feed pellet loads. Entire train is shown at W. Farmington Road. Final scene is a power runby at Kramm Road, just west of Edwards.    - David P. Jordan

After spending time at the downtown library, I decided to take advantage of a heads up by driving to Lincoln.   Canadian National Railway pulled a loaded gluten feed pellet train out of Decatur in mid-afternoon, so I figured I could intercept it around Lincoln. Turns out, I only encountered it near Mt. Pulaski where it appeared to be crawling. I returned to Lincoln and waited for it, missing its passage in town. I had to drive north on old Route 121 passed the Bell elevator where I found a great country road crossing and harvested fields, enabling a decent view.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train G831 (Grain, Decatur IL to Peoria IL) rolls north of Bell, Illinois near Lincoln along old Rt. 121 late-afternoon Saturday, October 26, 2024. BNSF 4401 and BNSF 3896 had 100 gluten feed pellet loads for BNSF at Peoria. - David P. Jordan

Union Pacific's MPECL left Peoria early, so I missed it. But I was able to capture the Iowa Interstate's PESI train early this evening shortly after it cleared the North Limit Yard.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Peoria Subdivision just out of Peoria, Illinois early evening Friday, October 25, 2024. IAIS 151 has 33 cars. - David P. Jordan