Peoria Station

On the 139th anniversary of the Chatsworth Wreck, we have a mystery.    I can confirm from another railfan's video that this was the same set of grain empties that Canadian National Railway delivered to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track Sunday morning, August 2. Iowa Interstate moved it out of town with lone SD38-2 IAIS 153 on Monday morning. The train returned loaded this morning behind IAIS 506 and IAIS 511. Late this afternoon, a TP&W crew took it from the TZPR double track and rolled it through East Peoria and Washington to Cruger where it was left on the main track by Grainland Farmers elevator. The crew cut off all six locomotives. Last I saw them, they were on the adjacent siding.    Grain trains co-loaded at various Iowa Interstate-served elevators in central and western Iowa were moving frequently to CN via Peoria since January. I believe the last loaded train was interchanged to CN in mid-June. CN delivered the empties as G889 ...

I caught this empty grain train slowing toward Christmas Tree Road at South Pekin, but which I had been able to capture it first just south of Allen Station at mainline speed. Oh well, I still got it on the lesser-used section of Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision.  If I heard correctly on the symbol, I'd love to know what "HH" is. Must be in Iowa, or perhaps in Minnesota. The Dupo origin suggests a repositioning move.  CAPTION: A northbound Union Pacific train of grain empties, GSDUHH (Grain Shuttle, Dupo IL to Hope MN), slows toward a stop short of Christmas Tree Road at South Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, August 8, 2026. Later, the train rolls along the mainline toward a crew at what is left of the Chicago & North Western Railway's South Pekin Yard. After the new crew is aboard and the dispatcher gave them track warrants to Nelson, the train rolls by Chester L Road. A little more than an hour later, shortly after 1900 hours, the train rolls by ...

I missed SIPE coming in this morning, but captured PESI's departure in the afternoon.    SIPE arrived with three locomotives, but 153 was left on the Creve Coeur Team Track for the next ZENOW, which Canadian National brought up this morning. I also noticed that the North Limit Yard was full, so this morning's SIPE may have set out most or all of its cars there and ran engine light to East Peoria.    As noted in the caption below, today's PESI had a good variety of traffic/rolling stock. The coiled wire rod loads are from Liberty Steel & Wire Co's Bartonville mill. These movements seem to be occasional, but only started after Liberty reopened after idling the plant in 2024-2025. I believe they go east from Chicago on CSX.    The coil steel load was received from Norfolk Southern and is enroute to a transload at Altoona, Iowa.   The five Incobrasa covered hoppers are empty. Usually, TP&W hands off 20 to 25 at a time for loading in central...

I came across this Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local waiting by BioUrja Renewables LLC's plant for the bridge to come down, which happened shortly. Train had four corn syrup empties (probably from PMP Fermentation Products, though those usually have ADMX markings), two other empty tank cars (possibly buffer cars), a beverage alcohol load, two denatured alcohol placarded tank cars which appear empty (second one has a home shop decal), a corn syrup tank car that appears to be loaded, and two truck chassis loads from Komatsu.   CAPTION: The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Industry 1" job diverges toward Bridge Junction in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, July 31, 2026. IMRR 43 has 12 cars, including two Komatsu truck chassis loads for the East Peoria Yard. A good substitute for missing Union Pacific's MPECL Friday afternoon. I have been working a lot of overtime lately, so I have less time for these encounters. I assume BNSF is still trying to run its G...

Today marked my first encounter with an Illinois & Midland Railroad local on its "Springfield Main" since April 19, 2020, also a Sunday. I've seen them on East Peoria turns and I've seen wind turbine tower and blade trains on the Springfield Main. The locals are pretty random, and catching them is a treat.    I first noticed the two locomotives in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin Yard adjacent Alto Pekin LLC's wet corn mill in mid-afternoon. I had an appointment for an oil change so after that was done, I returned to Pekin to hear the dispatcher give permission to depart Powerton south. I finally found the train near County Road 11000 North with just one covered hopper (CVHX 896100, plastic load).    I stepped out of my air conditioned car and the camera lens fogged up. I kept wiping it, only to have it fog up again, so that is the explanation for the first scene.    CAPTION: A southbound Illinois & Midland Railroad local out of Pow...

On July 11, the Federal Aviation Administration extended its Chicago-O'Hare flight cap for another year. Central Illinois media took nearly two weeks to report the effects on United Express service to Bloomington-Normal and Champaign-Urbana.  As expected, United Express must delay service to both cities by at least another year. Before the flight cap extension, four daily roundtrips were slated to begin on October 24.  Bloomington-Normal's WGLT 89.1 FM radio reported the story here . Champaign-Urbana's WCIA Channel 3 reported the story for its viewers here .  It seems that the FAA's flight cap will prevent service from starting to either city, and there is no longer a start date. The previous delays were frustrating to CIRA, as signage, staffing and ticketing were ready for the start of service when originally set to start on May 7.  - David P. Jordan