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Keokuk Junction Rwy. 2-9-26

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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....
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Iowa Interstate PESI, BNSF G-PEISMR 2-8-26

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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 ...
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Viridis On Hold

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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...
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TP&W M-Train, KJRY Local 2-6-26

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I took a half-day from work Friday hoping to catch Union Pacific's MPECL. Unfortunately, Adams Street Yard was empty when I drove by around 1140. I turnaround and checked the signal at W. Farmington Road. Yellow indication. I backtracked, thinking maybe the train was stopped at Peoria Junction and had yet to receive track warrants. No sign of it. I did see what I thought at first was BNSF's M-PEIGAL waiting for instructions to go west.    Turns out, MPECL was hiding from me. Or perhaps LPD01 was still at East Peoria, and when it crossed the river and returned to home rails, the train became MPECL as a new crew got onboard and departed around 1330. Unfortunately, I was an hour east. Also, the BNSF train was M-GALPEI that was for some unknown reason holding well short of Darst Street.    I salvaged my day with the knowledge of a westbound TP&W freight. Now that Ruff Brothers also uses the elevator on Gridley's east side, 15 cars total can be spotted for loading...
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Tazewell & Peoria RR Works "Whiskey Main" at Pekin - 2-5-26

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I've only shot video of one other train on the old Peoria & Eastern Railway "Whiskey Main" in Pekin, and that was in eleven years ago! So today was a treat when I heard some chatter about the Ice House, and headed for Pekin to find TPW 2056 stopped near the S. Front Street crossing.  I don't know if this was an extra sent to Pekin to pull four alcohol loads from Alto ICP, or the regular local lingering here later than usual before heading back to East Peoria.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local runs engine lite down the industrial line along S. Front Street in Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, February 5, 2026. The "Whiskey Main" is the last remnant of Peoria & Eastern Railway trackage in the area, and was named for American Distilling Co, the major industry at the end of the line from 1892 to 1980. TPW 2056 pulled four denatured alcohol tank cars from Alto-ICP and then shoved them across S. Front toward the main Pekin switchin...
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Tazewell & Peoria RR Industry Job, TP&W Transfer 2-4-26

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After work, I went to East Peoria to see if Norfolk Southern's D49 was still in town (don't know if it even came up). I did not see any NS action, but did notice a TP&W train in the TZPR's East Peoria Yard, building a transfer for the run back home. Meanwhile, radio chatter alerted me to a TZPR local running from Iowa Junction to Bridge Junction, where it paused briefly before crossing the river.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, presumably the regular Industry Job returning from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, crosses Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, February 4, 2026. IMRR 43 has a single loaded gondola. (Obviously, this car doesn't contain coiled wire rod, so it might contain billets.) The TP&W probably pulled the 13 grain empties on the head end from BioUrja South Yard in Peoria, then picked up the other 33 (a mix of IMRR, BNSF - and maybe NS - interchange) from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria...
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Keokuk Junction Railway "East Peoria Turn" 2-3-26

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The Norfolk Southern covered hoppers were empty, and I can only assume these are in corn germ service out of Roquette America's Keokuk, Iowa wet corn mill to ADM in Decatur. Many of the ALAB cars in this service are getting old, and newer 286,000-lb cars are now industry standard. (NS cars may also be used in organic, or non-GMO, grain service out of Burnside, but usually not this many.) CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's local crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Shortly, it crosses Darst Street. LTEX 3836, LNW 3806, LNW 3807 and LTEX 6437 have 24 empties.   - David P. Jordan
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