Peoria Station

I learned that Norfolk Southern's D49 local left East Peoria around 3:00pm, just as I was leaving work. So I went home, grabbed my camera and set up at N. Main Street. I did not have to wait for long. I decided to grab another shot at Deer Creek, but by then it was raining so I switched to my phone camera.    Today's train was nothing special, other than having the GoRail unit (NS 6963) a second unit.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) is shown on its return leg back to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, November 24, 2025. Scenes are at N. Main Street in Morton and again at Deer Creek. NS 7021 and NS 6963 have 17 cars.   - David P. Jordan

Bloomington-Normal is on a role. Radio station WGLT 89.1 FM is reporting that Delta Connection will resume a third daily nonstop to Atlanta on March 8, 2026. Online schedules show departures at 0600, 1200 and 1559 on that date. Flights are operated by Endeavor Air on 76-seat CRJ900s. The airport authority has been trying to persuade the carrier to restore the third frequency, dropped during the COVID-19 lockdown. Rivian Automotive's decision to resume work on its Stanton Springs, Georgia plant might be a factor in Delta Connection's decision to increase service, though the easing pilot shortage and softening fuel prices most certainly play into this decision. Allegiant Air's decision to begin twice-weekly nonstop service to Phoenix-Mesa starting February 13 is the second air service announcement in a week. These announcements will increase service out of Central Illinois Regional Airport to 7 to 9, depending on the day of the week. Schedules for March show Allegiant Ai...

While out Sunday afternoon, I decided to check on a few things. Nothing new to report on Ozinga Cement Co. or Viridis Chemical, but I did happen to see a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local building a train at Kickapoo Yard. Shortly, it received instructions to East Peoria and I caught it at two locations.   Coiled wire rod loads are from Liberty Steel & Wire and scrap metal is from Alter Metal Recycling (Clarke Street facility and/or or the one on Liberty property in Bartonville). A gondola or two in between might have been loaded with steel billets. The tank cars were asphalt empties pulled from Interstate Asphalt Corp's Peoria River Terminal and the covered hoppers were likely DDGS loads from BioUrja South Yard.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, indicated to be "Lead 2" by radio chatter, runs from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, mid-afternoon Sunday, November 23, 2025. Shown working upgrade toward Darst Street and again crossing the river, TZPR ...

After work, I went into East Peoria to check for local rail action. TZPR radio chatter immediately tipped me off to a Keokuk Junction Railway local waiting at Iowa Junction for instructions into the East Peoria Yard. A pair of BNSF units had just cleared TZPR property at Darst Street on their way west. I assume the crew had just dropped an empty Decatur-bound gluten feed train on the double track for Canadian National. I stuck around to catch the KJRY local.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria turn runs on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Krause Avenue and then at Bridge Junction mid-afternoon Wednesday, November 19, 2025. LTEX 6437, LTEX 3837 and LTEX 3836 have seven cars. Despite the short days, I stuck around to capture the Iowa Interstate train. Overcast stole even more light. Soon, I will only be railfanning on weekends... CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad train of potash empties, PEDAV (Peoria IL to Davenport IA), rolls along the Tazewell & Peo...

I returned home Monday evening but still had another day off, so I took advantage of the situation for a little exploring.    I noticed five covered hoppers of various markings (CITX, three SCGX, one AMFX) at the old South Yard. These must be assigned to distillers dried grain service out of BioUrja Renewables LLC.    I also checked the new Ozinga Cement Co. facility at the lower end of the old Peoria Barge Terminal. A covered hopper was spotted under a spout, which appears to enable loading of bulk materials from barge to rail. I'd guess there is an undertrack pit on site to enable rail-to-barge transfer as well. Perhaps this facility is being installed to support the new slag cement mill being built on the Indiana Harbor Belt RR at East Chicago, Indiana? The Tazewell & Peoria RR is the serving carrier, and it will be exciting to find out what line haul carriers will be handling this traffic.    I checked Adams Street Yard where I found a short M...

A look at Allegiant Air's schedules show that Bloomington-Normal's Central Illinois Regional Airport is getting Phoenix-Mesa nonstops on Mondays and Fridays beginning February 13, 2026. The new service out of CIRA apparently does not appear to cannabilize Peoria's existing service. Starting February 17, PIA gets Tuesday flights in addition to Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. And business over the upcoming holiday periods requires nonstops daily from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 and also Dec. 17-Jan. 5! - David P. Jordan