Peoria Station

Like last Friday, I took a half day off work with the intent of capturing some local Union Pacific action - believe it or not - for the first time in 2026! Unlike last Friday, I succeeded, but barely. On my way to Peoria I knew Union Pacific's MPECL had already left Adams Street Yard (call time seems to be getting earlier), so I intended to set up and wait at W. Farmington Road. But when I turned left from the Harmon Highway/Airport Road connector onto Kickapoo Creek Road, I saw the train's end in the distance! I quickly turned around and hightailed it up I-474 and decided it safe to go to Fox Road, off Rt. 91. Turns out, I could probably have beat it to the top of Pioneer Hill (but why take the chance?). Lighting was poor, but at least I got it.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) races across Fox Road just north of Peoria, Illinois early-afternoon Friday, February 13, 2026. UP 5962 and UP 8215 have 30 cars. I knew Norfolk Southern (ano...

Six of seven train movements (including the Keokuk Junction Railway train in both directions) were recorded in about a two-hour period Wednesday mid- to late-afternoon.    While I've seen nothing official, it is obvious BNSF's M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL trains are running Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The change, I believe, was implemented sometime after last April when Thursday runs were moved to Fridays.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Bridge Junction and then across the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge mid-afternoon Wednesday, February 11, 2026. BNSF 6047 and BNSF 3801 have 44 cars.   I caught the KJRY local's arrival but did not plan to stick around for its departure. I happened to hear the crew ask permission to depart the East Lead for Iowa Junction when I was still closeby, so I turned around and caught it after all. I'm glad I did, as I got one with an "Omaha Track" gondola...

United Express is increasing service to Peoria again. The carrier has returned to five daily roundtrips between Peoria International Airport and Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, probably this month. But on March 30-31, service increases to SEVEN daily roundtrips. The schedule for that date is as follows- From Chicago-O'Hare 10:02 CRJ200 12:36 CRJ200 14:07 CRJ550 16:44 CRJ200 18:53 CRJ200 21:08 CRJ550 22:27 CRJ200 To Chicago-O'Hare 06:30 CRJ550 08:15 CRJ200 10:40 CRJ200 13:20 CRJ200 14:50 CRJ550 17:25 CRJ200 19:28 CRJ200 Those flights with CRJ550 equipment, offering 50 seats and three-class service, are operated by GoJet Airlines. Those with CRJ200 equipment, offering 50 seats and single-class service, are operated by SkyWest Airlines.  But the frequency buildup is only temporary, as on May 21-22, service is cut back to five daily roundtrips, but with deployment of 76-seat Embraer 175 equipment on at least two, perhaps three roundtrips. I would include a schedule for th...

I haven't chased a westbound Keokuk Junction Rwy. local to Bushnell since October 19, 2023, more than two years. When I arrived Bushnell, I was thinking the ADM soy protein plant had already closed, yet there were two cars on spot and three loads on the stub ready to be spotted. Guess what? Monday's train switched out one empty, re-spotted the load and spotted one of three loads from the stub. The plant will close this year, so I probably saw it get switched for once, but probably my only time.    I noted quite a bit of track work in places, such as crosstie replacement and surfacing with much ballast poured (but not yet surfaced) on the stretch from the Spoon River Bridge to a point past the Marietta Road overpass, but the train never moved at more than 10mph. I left the chase just west of Bushnell about 4:00pm. At those speeds, the train would have reached La Harpe after dark (if it made it at all). I may try again when the days are longer in late-spring/early-summer....

It is unusual for PESI to have more loads than empties, but 15 iron oxide loads from TP&W, three gondolas from NS which appear to contain steel billets (based on another railfan's video at Putnam), two tank cars containing beverage alcohol and all loaded covered hoppers contain ADM grain products (probably from CN). Those NS cars are NW 190350, CR 582421 and NS 187590. CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, February 8, 2026. Later, power runbys at the Ft. of Main Street in downtown on the TZPR and on home rails at Peoria Heights, and the whole train at San Koty and Mossville. IAIS 502, IAIS 705 and IAIS 712 have 87 cars (48 loads, 39 empties).   CN and BNSF seemed to have suspended the Decatur (IL) to Summerfield (TX) gluten feed trains for awhile, but today, the carriers swapped empties and loads. The last one I shot was ...

Viridis Chemical's ethyl acetate plant is viewed January 18, 2026 from the Cedar Street Bridge   Local media outlets aren't reporting this, but in December, Viridis Chemical Co. halted work on the nearly-finished Peoria ethyl acetate plant relocated from Columbus, Nebraska. The decision by investor EIV Capital was blamed on a deteriorating market for "biobased chemicals" and tariffs, which caused the project to go over budget.    The former seems to be the bigger problem as the distillation column subject to a 50 percent import tariff was purchased and installed. The suspension explains why a rail siding was not built, and construction activity was put on hold before Christmas.    This article does offer hope for the plant -    [market development lead Steve] Friedewald expects the facility will start up eventually, but it may be a couple of years before the Viridis team recruits new investors or secures funding to finish final build-out and com...