Peoria Station

It wasn't a manifest, and had to hold my camera for 9 minutes, 40 seconds thanks to 10mph speeds on TZPR's double track Pekin mainline, but coal trains may be gone from the area in a few years... CAPTION: BNSF Railway train C-NAMPEK (Coal Loads, N. Antelope Mine WY to Peoria/Kincaid IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track at Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois late-afternoon Sunday, June 7, 2026. BNSF 9096 and BNSF 9241 were on the point of the 135-car train. BNSF 9098 is DPU. - David P. Jordan

Based on Thursday's TZPR interchange receipt and what was already at Adams Street Yard (from KJRY and TP&W), I knew Union Pacific's MPECL would be decent-sized on Friday. I left work two hours early, and caught a rollby at the old Molitor Junction (MP 80). I then decided to head up I-474 and Rt. 6. Despite the glacial speeds due to construction activity, I actually beat MPECL by at least ten minutes! That lone rebuilt CM44AC was struggling with 80 cars as it crested the hill, but made it!  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by MP 80 shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, June 5, 2026. Later, the train has conquered Pioneer Hill on the northwest side of town. UP 7284 has 80 cars. I missed it on Tuesday, but after chasing Union Pacific's MPECL, I encountered the Keokuk Junction Railway local Friday afternoon, capturing it in both directions. PREX 2003 and PREX 2035 are newly painted in...

Heard of a late East Peoria interchange run, so camera already in my car, I drove from work to here to capture it. Both ways it turns out. Short train to, but longer train from. The loaded OZIX twin-bay covered hopper on the returning train is interesting. There are several rail-served Chicagoland Ozinga facilities accessible to UP, and one UP-served facility at Milwaukee.  CAPTION: Union Pacific's LPD01 ("Peoria Wayfreight") is shown at Peoria, Illinois mid- to late-afternoon Thursday, June 4, 2026. UP 7284 delivered 13 cars to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at East Peoria, and returned to Adams Street Yard with 52. Heard a northbound get warrants out of South Pekin. As soon as I arrived Cilco Lane, they were cleared to cross the Illinois River. It did not take long for them to show up. Probably bound for Rock River Lumber & Grain at Sterling. As soon as I returned to Peoria, LPD01 had clearance from East Peoria back to Adams Street Yard.  CAPTION: A northbound...

List, Driving westbound on I-74, I heard radio chatter which took several glances to confirm it was the NS road channel (161.145mhz). I was able to turn around at Pinecrest.   It seemed that D49 was getting a track warrant from Farmdale to MP 379 (Good Yard), but as I neared N. Main Street with a clear view of the Bloomington District , I noticed the train was already rolling by Crandall and the TP&W crossing.   An attempt to beat the train to Deer Creek failed, so I elected to get back on I-74 at Goodfield and get ahead of it at Carlock. As you can see, my plan succeeded.    Today's train was heavy, and probably the first since Thursday. Besides the four Caterpillar track-type tractor loads, we have the usual ADM traffic (two blocks) off the Iowa Interstate, plastic pellets off the Illinois & Midland, and alcohol, carbon dioxide refrigerated liquid and coiled wire rod loads from Tazewell & Peoria Railroad-served industries. CAPTION: Norfolk Southe...

While out this evening, I happened upon a BNSF train of coal empties that had just crossed the river into Peoria on its way west. I caught it near Harmon Highway a little later.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train E-PEKNAM (Coal Empties, Peoria/Kincaid IL to N. Antelope Mine WY) rolls out of Peoria, Illinois early evening Sunday, May 31, 2026. BNSF 7666 and BNSF 6402 have 135 cars. BNSF 6029 is DPU. - David P. Jordan

I noticed Iowa Interstate's PESI as I crossed the river on Interstate 74, so I did not have to drive far out of town to catch up to it.    Notably, the first 17 cars are empty and the next 26 are loads. Both blocks are ADM owned/leased. At least 25 of the latter one (not sure on the GBRX car) might be from Decatur via CN. I'm guessing that ADM is sending corn screenings to Cedar Rapids "dry grind" but I can't confirm. Can't think of another reason to send loads from Decatur to IAIS via Peoria, as loads routed IAIS-Peoria-CN/NS seem to be corn germ and corn meal for Decatur.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Grant Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, May 30, 2026. Later, early-evening, the train is on home rails at San Koty, a few miles out of Peoria. IAIS 516 and IAIS 150 have 46 cars. Tonight's run was made up of 25 soybean loads (not sure if f...