Peoria Station

I was at the downtown library when I learned of this train's southbound movement. I decided to head to Mendenhall Road south of Bartonville. Sure enough, the train was already approaching when I arrived. It must have been just seconds behind me when I passed under the mainline at Bartonville.  CAPTION: A southbound Union Pacific grain extra, probably from Sterling, rolls by Mendenhall Road near Sommer (Bartonville), Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, October 11, 2025. UP 7410 and UP 6860 were on the point of the 115-car train. UP 6804 was DPU. - David P. Jordan

I took a half-day off work and decided to check on Union Pacific's MPECL. It left Adams Street Yard around 1230. Due early poor afternoon lightning at the old Molitor Junction (MP 80) and W. Farmington Road, I opted for video at Pottstown.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) has entered the double track as it rolls by Pottstown, Illinois early afternoon Friday, October 10, 2025. UP 5875 and UP 7225 have 25 cars.   Volume might be up with the fall harvest, but it has been years since I've seen any carrier deliver this many carloads of corn to the present BioUrja Renewables LLC/former ADM distillery in Peoria.   When rail-to-barge grain export operations commenced in 1981, the Chicago & North Western and Toledo, Peoria & Western were granted access to ADM's Riverside Track (ex-Rock Island Belt Line) via Iowa Junction. Both carriers seemed to deliver loads, pull empties or both on most days.   TP&W grain volume de...

Thanks to social media, I was able to intercept Canadian National's L557 local this afternoon.    Before I left work, I knew the crew had run their locomotives into the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. If I wanted to see it, I needed to get to Pekin fast. So I took Rt. 98 out of Morton, then cut through Groveland to Sheridan Road, took a left onto Veterans Road and made my way through Pekin's south side to find L557 just entering home rails at IC Junction. I simply turned left onto Washington Street, rolled down my window and started shooting.    It appears that when the 45-car train left East Peoria this afternoon, only the two loaded alcohol tank cars were from local industry; the other 43 cars were ADM traffic - probably from the Iowa Interstate - including five loaded corn syrup tank cars! CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) is shown at Washington Street in Pekin, Illinois mid-afternoon Thursd...

Rivian Automotive Inc's Normal assembly plant had been shutdown the past three weeks for retooling, prior to production of the R2, which is intended to start in the first half of 2026.   Although Rivian should have an inventory of vehicles on hand to continue shipments, it appears Norfolk Southern's D49 job was only doing limited work there (if any) during this period, and making the East Peoria trip earlier than usual.   That shutdown is likely complete effective today, thus I decided to check to see if D49 was in town. Sure enough, it was, and the crew was only backing its power into its outbound at 1535 hours.    Today's outbound D49 had the usual traffic -   2 steepwater loads 11 ADM grain product loads from IAIS 2 scrap metal empties 1 grain product (DDGS, gluten meal or feed) 3 CO2 refrigerated liquid loads (UN 2187) 3 steepwater loads 1 industrial alcohol load (UN 1170) 1 grain product load (DDGS, gluten meal or Feed) 2 Gluten meal loads ...

Before I left home this morning for the downtown library, I learned that an Iowa Interstate manifest was making its way from Bureau Junction to Peoria. The train had apparently been planned for Thursday evening, and again on Friday evening, but finally made it Saturday morning. That delay enabled a daylight chase of not only SIPE but also counterpart PESI. Other than five empty tank cars, a CIGX gondola is the only notable other than loaded and empty covered hoppers. That gondola is empty likely last contained iron oxide, and is returning to Waelz Sustainable Products at Clymers, Indiana on the TP&W.    CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Peoria Subdivision late morning Saturday, October 4, 2025. Scenes of the whole train at three locations - San Koty on IAIS's Peoria Sub, entering the North Limit Yard on the Tazewell & Peoria RR and in downtown Peoria. IAIS 513 and IAIS 703 had NS 7111 and 93 cars. After the Iowa Inter...

When I crossed the river on I-74 this afternoon, I glanced north (as I usually do) to find a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switcher working at PMP Fermentation Products. So I turned right onto NE Adams and made my way to the RiverPlex parking lot.  The crew was just finishing up their work, having just shoved corn syrup loads (and maybe a sodium hydroxide solution tank car) into PMP's spur. After coupling six corn syrup empties to three other cars (a tank car, probably used as a buffer and two Komatsu chassis loads), they left for the West Yard, dropped the train and then ran engine lite across the river. TZPR 1351 paused at Bridge Junction for maintenance-of-way to clear.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job leaves PMP Fermentation Products for the West Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, October 3, 2025. TZPR 1351 dropped its nine cars at the West Yard and crossed the river engine lite. After TZPR 1351 cleared, ADMX 932 dragged 15 TP&...