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Norfolk Southern D47 10-14-26

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D47 is probably a regular assignment now, as some of us have caught it a few times during the past week. The Good Yard-based local, D49, was moved to an early evening (1800) call time in late-August, so it seemed inevitable that with Rivian's R2 production set to increase substantially, a daytime job would be needed to handle other work such as the Tazewell & Peoria RR interchange.  Given its appearances at East Peoria in the afternoon and early evening hours, D47's call time is obviously somewhat later than 0600 hours, and is probably no earlier than 0800. This evening's train would not have returned to Good Yard until about 2000 hours. There is a possibility, however, that the train has no regular call time, and works only after D32 arrives Good Yard from Decatur, which can vary a lot.  Whatever D47's arrangement, its afternoon appears enable me to see both arrival and departure on some days. Early darkness won't be a problem either, given the bright street li...
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I happened to catch M-GALPEI having just entered Tazewell & Peoria property at Darst Street, so I headed to the riverfront for the only really good lighting left. Then I went to the library intending to catch M-PEIGAL later. What I did not count on was that M-PEIGAL left earlier than I figured it would, and that Norfolk Southern train D47 was cleared to run from Farmdale to P&PU Junction and into the East Peoria Yard at the same time. Fortunately, I got both! CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls across the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge at Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, October 9, 2026. BNSF 7429 and BNSF 1109 have 20 cars. In early evening, counterpart M-PEIGAL rolls by Kramm Road, a few miles west of Edwards, Illinois. I heard some radio chatter from the MOP giving instructions into the yard as well as where the outbound was, but didn't pickup the train symbol or control points. So I checked t...
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Norfolk Southern D47 10-8-26

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I went to the Farmdale area almost immediately after work and encountered Norfolk Southern D47 on its trip back to Good Yard at Normal.  When D49 moved from a morning to an evening call time on August 24, it seemed likely that a daylight job would be put on soon to support increased Rivian output.  Hopefully, D47 is actually a regular job now, and an East Peoria turn is one of its regular duties. (This seems likely; a commenter on the video wrote that he saw it yesterday behind the Dollar Tree in East Peoria.) CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Train D47 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL) rolls through the Farmdale area of East Peoria, Illinois on its return leg to Good Yard in Normal, mid-afternoon Thursday, October 8, 2026. NS 7011 and NS 7034 have 60 cars. - David P. Jordan
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PIA Control Tower Progress 10-4-26

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Late this afternoon, I shot this image of the new control tower now under construction at General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport. View looks east-southeast from the passenger terminal parking lot.  This structure is located east of the existing tower, and is actually closer to the Byerly Aviation business aviation terminal (out of view at left). Construction is expected to be completed in 2027. By then, the old tower, will have been in operation for 68 years! - David P. Jordan
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TP&W -UP Grain Extra 10-4-26

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Early Sunday afternoon, I learned that the TP&W was handling a grain extra out of Chenoa for Union Pacific at Peoria. This was the second train in as many days, one had been pulled from Grainland Farmers' Cruger elevator on Saturday. I did not see it, but understand it was also delivered to Union Pacific at Adams Street Yard. Apparently, the two carriers have decided to shift their interchange point for grain trains from Crescent/Powerton near Pekin or the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track mainline to Adams Street Yard/Low Line in Peoria. Saturday's Cruger train is reportedly bound for Mexico via Eagle Pass, Texas, and Sunday's Chenoa train is probably going to Mexico as well.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran this grain extra from Prairie Central Coop's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop Sunday afternoon, October 4, 2026. UP 5731, UP 8785 and UP 5640 were on the point of 115 loads. Train is shown at Cruger, Washington, Ea...
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Union Pacific SPESJ 10-3-26

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I went looking for a loaded TP&W-UP grain extra coming out of Cruger this afternoon, but never found it, but I did notice the green signal indication at W. Farmington Road before 5:00pm. About 30 minutes or so later, this comes by...   (Loads tend to run via St. Louis.) CAPTION: Union Pacific train SPESJ (Special, Peoria IL to South Junction CO) rolls by W. Farmington Road after departing Crescent, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, October 3, 2026. UP 9799 and UP 6552 have 72 empty wind turbine flats. Empties came from Havana via the Illinois & Midland Railroad. - David P. Jordan
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Union Pacific MPECL 9-29-26

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When I left work at 3:00pm Tuesday afternoon, I learned that Union Pacific's MPECL had left Adams Street Yard later than usual, and was reported at Harmon Highway (Rt. 116) on Peoria's southwest side about 30 minutes earlier. I debated whether to try and catch it. I had left my camera in the car just in case.   Given the time it would take to get to the Union Pacific's Peoria Sub due to traffic and construction, I told myself "no" and went home. Minutes later, I learned the train had paused at W. Farmington Road due to an issue with the twelfth car dropping its air and went for it... CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) is shown south and again north of Camp Grove, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, September 29, 2026. NS 7613, UP 5726 and UP 2742 have 88 cars. Slower-than-usual speed may be due to a rough-riding gondola in the block of 35 maintenance-of-way cars on the rear. - David P. Jordan
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