Peoria Station

I took a half day from work, knowing Union Pacific's MPECL was going to be unusually big. Turns out, it wasn't called until mid-afternoon! At least I caught BNSF's inbound freight in advance. The 47-car consist included five empty flat cars on the head end (as opposed to the rear for better weight distribution (perhaps it doesn't matter so much on the Peoria Sub?), and ten more brand-new covered hoppers being delivered to Incobrasa Industries via TP&W.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Peoria, Illinois shortly before crossing the river into East Peoria mid-afternoon Friday, May 22, 2026. Later, counterpart, M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road. BNSF 7722 and BNSF 9081 arrived with 47 cars and departed with 21. The Union Pacific crew had troubles with their locomotive. It kept dumping the air. Finally, they got going and even made it up Pioneer Hill d...

On a whim, I decided to head to Bloomington-Normal to catch Norfolk Southern's D36 train, which typically leaves Good Yard by late-afternoon or early evening. The EOT on the rear car was flashing when I arrived, so I knew it would depart shortly. I had time to check on Union Pacific's MBNAS. Normally, it would have left by now, but turns out it had just left the yard but was paused just to the south. I crossed the Springfield Sub at 6 Points Road and then heard the horn. I immediately turned around. With no time to park and set up, I just shot the train through my windshield. Better than nothing (or chasing it, and missing the NS train!) CAPTION: Union Pacific MBNAS (Manifest, Bloomington IL to Alton & Southern) rolls across 6 Points Road on Bloomington, Illinois' southwest side early evening Thursday, May 21, 2026. UP 2184 and UP 2205 have 37 cars. D36 forwards D49 traffic out of East Peoria to Bement (setout for an eastbound manifest) and Decatur (for classification)...

Not sure what is with CSXT units leading local freight trains, but I don't mind. Notably, CSXT 775 was involved in that near-collision April 2 in Bushnell Florida. It was leading the train that scraped the rear of a school bus after the bus driver decided to cross in front of it. She was fired and arrested for her stupidity.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin mainline late-afternoon Tuesday, May 19, 2026. CSXT 775 and CN 3192 have 40 cars. CSX coil steel car is for Hanna Steel. Two FSR gondolas are loaded with scrap metal from KJRY-served Hitchcock Scrap Yard in Canton. Tuesday was one of those rare occasions that Union Pacific's MPECL is called late, and I can see it. I actually stumbled on it accidentally, and by chance got it after missing its departure. Consist is surprisingly short since Friday's train reportedly was made up of just 49 empty plastic pellet covere...

On Wednesday, May 6, I went up to check the Bartlett Grain elevator under construction at El Camino, just north of Interstate 80 along Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision. I learned too late that I had missed a BNSF M-GALPEI which had a 20-car block of brand new Incobrasa Industries covered hoppers. This evening, I actually caught M-GALPEI with a 19-car block! The CSX leader is interesting too.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls through Pottstown shortly before arriving Peoria, Illinois early evening Monday, May 18, 2026. CSXT 806 and BNSF 7742 have 56 cars, including a 19-car block of brand new covered hoppers for Incobrasa Industries (via TP&W). - David P. Jordan

The Iowa Interstate's Bureau Switcher (BUSW) ran SIPE to Peoria today and took PESI to a point just north of Chillicothe for a relief crew. I learned of PESI's departure from East Peoria and decided to head over to see it. An accident on westbound I-74 forced a detour that delayed my encounter but I'm happy I got it where I did. Behind the two geeps were 19 loads (ADM traffic from...CN???), two loaded alcohol tank cars and 34 ADM empties.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis) rolls through Rome, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, May 14, 2026. Shortly, it passes W. Moffitt Street on Chillicothe's north side. After another crew relieved BUSW, the whole train is shown again north of Chillicothe. IAIS 708 and IAIS 710 have 55 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I went to Deer Creek and waited, then chased to Carlock and Yuton. Five Caterpillar D9 tractor loads were worth the chase. Four OZIX (Ozinga) 2-bay covered hoppers were loaded, but based on their appearance on a D49 in July 2025 (before Ozinga's Peoria transfer dock was built) they might contain granulated slag from Harsco's Powerton plant (they are with EQUX plastic cars and other slag loads that most certainly came from IMRR).  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) is shown at Deer Creek, Illinois on its return leg from East Peoria to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, May 11, 2026. Later, it rolls through Carlock and pauses at Yuton so the conductor can line the switch into the make up track at Good Yard. NS 6968 and NS 6923 have 50 cars. Note five Caterpillar D9 track-type tractor loads.   M-PEIGAL will have 2? locomotives picked up from the Creve Coeur Team Track.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest,...