Iowa Interstate SIPE and PESI, BNSF M-PEIGAL 10-4-25

Before I left home this morning for the downtown library, I learned that an Iowa Interstate manifest was making its way from Bureau Junction to Peoria. The train had apparently been planned for Thursday evening, and again on Friday evening, but finally made it Saturday morning. That delay enabled a daylight chase of not only SIPE but also counterpart PESI. Other than five empty tank cars, a CIGX gondola is the only notable other than loaded and empty covered hoppers. That gondola is empty likely last contained iron oxide, and is returning to Waelz Sustainable Products at Clymers, Indiana on the TP&W. 

 

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Peoria Subdivision late morning Saturday, October 4, 2025. Scenes of the whole train at three locations - San Koty on IAIS's Peoria Sub, entering the North Limit Yard on the Tazewell & Peoria RR and in downtown Peoria. IAIS 513 and IAIS 703 had NS 7111 and 93 cars.

After the Iowa Interstate freight crossed the river, I learned that a TP&W crew had pulled an empty Union Pacific grain train from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track onto the Nickel Plate and was on its way east, presumably to Chenoa, but perhaps Clymers, Indiana. I shot brief video of it on the Farmdale Trestle and was waiting at Washington when I learned that BNSF's M-GALPEI was enroute to Peoria.

 

Now, I always love a good manifest over a unit train, but I should have stuck with the Union Pacific-TP&W grain empties. I had calculated that I could see M-GALPEI before it received permission to enter Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property at Darst Street. BNSF's Peoria Sub has been plagued by slow orders, but some work must have been done in recent weeks. I just missed it crossing the river. Yet, after a brief stint at the downtown library, I managed to capture M-PEIGAL leaving town. 

CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, October 4, 2025. BNSF 8336 and BNSF 3983 have 19 cars.

 

When I returned to downtown Peoria, radio chatter indicated that the Iowa Interstate's PESI was crossing the river, so I first set up at the old (1900) Rock Island depot. The sun was setting fast, so I settled on San Koty for the entire train. The coiled wire rod load is probably an oddity, but we can always hope that the IAIS will exploit its interline connections and build new business for the future!

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois, passing the old (1900) and new (1967) Rock Island depots and Fairholm Avenue. The entire train is seen at San Koty on home rails. A brief, final scene at Mossville shows the power in golden evening light. IAIS 513 and IAIS 702 have NS 7100 and 122 cars. Car 54 is a coiled wire rod load from TZPR-served Liberty Steel & Wire.

 

- David P. Jordan