TZPR Transfer, BNSF E-PEKNAM & G-PEISMR and Iowa Interstate PESI 10-5-24

Late-Saturday morning, I headed for the downtown library but got delayed. Driving on I-74, I glanced toward the TP&W's East Peoria Yard and found a TZPR switch crew building a cut for a return run to their home yard. Short train but no less interesting encounter. 


CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew pulls a transfer from sister Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway toward the East Peoria Yard midday Saturday, October 5, 2024. TZPR 1521 has 12 cars.

Later, I found an empty BNSF coal train crossing the river. As I followed it out of town, I learned that a second train would follow, so I stuck around the south end rather than return to the library. 


CAPTION: BNSF Railway train E-PEKNAM (Coal Empties, Peoria/Kincaid IL to N. Antelope Mine WY) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Saturday, October 5, 2024. Later, the whole train is shown at W. Farmington Road. Coal empties came from the Kincaid Power Station on the Illinois & Midland RR. BNSF 5704 and BNSF 5854 are on the point; BNSF 6001 is DPU.
 
The second BNSF westbound was the gluten feed pellet train which comes off the CN from Decatur. The dispatcher rolled up the coal empty's track warrant at Edwards, enabling the feed train to follow. 


CAPTION: BNSF Railway train G-PEISMR (Grain or Grain Products, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) rolls by W. Farmington Road mid-afternoon Saturday. Slow speed is likely due to its following an empty coal train. BNSF 6340 and BNSF 6784 have 100 gluten feed loads from ADM in Decatur routed CN-Peoria-BNSF.
 
The Iowa Interstate's SIPE arrived as usual late on Thursday, but the return PESI did not get a crew until mid-afternoon Saturday. I saw it cross the river and snake through downtown Peoria before returning to the library. 


CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) is shown crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge late-afternoon Saturday, October 5, 2024. Shortly, it is shown at Chicago Street and again in downtown Peoria. IAIS 716 and IAIS 712 have 20 cars.

- David P. Jordan

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