Union Pacific NB Grain Loads! 7-7-25

The last time I witnessed a loaded, northbound grain extra on the Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision was on October 3, 2021. Loaded at BNSF-served ADM Grain Co. in St. Louis, five locomotives were required to get 102 corn loads up Pioneer Hill. It actually stalled with four the day before and the crew parked it just south of W. Farmington Road. When a fifth unit was added (probably ran engine lite from Clinton), they made another go of it.
 
The reason for northbound grain loads? A derecho had severely damaged Iowa's corn (and soybean) crop in July 2020, so processors had to import grain to make up for the shortage. A 42-car cut of corn was loaded at Encompass Grain & Rail's Allen Station terminal on November 6, 2020 and added to an MPECL (possibly that afternoon's train). It was a rare move for the LPD01 local as well. 
 
It is possible then that Encompass loaded this 115-car train I saw this evening, but why it was routed north is unclear. 


CAPTION: A rare Union Pacific northbound loaded unit grain train on the Peoria Subdivision rolls by Cilco Lane at Sommer, Illinois early evening Monday, July 7, 2025. Later, the whole train is shown at W. Farmington Road near Peoria and again at Fox Road north of Peoria. UP 7716 has 115 cars with UP 6300, UP 9811 and UP 8094 as Distributed Power Units positioned to fight Pioneer Hill.
 
-David P. Jordan

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