Peoria Station

For the third Friday in a row, I took a half day off work, hoping those Caterpillar tractor loads would be on Union Pacific's MPECL. They were on it until they were not, unfortunately, but while waiting for MPECL's departure, Norfolk Southern's D49 snuck out of town with a short train. I heard radio chatter about it leaving, went back across the river and found it already clear of P&PU Junction. I found a spot and waited. It was my first encounter with this train in 2026! CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) is shown on the return leg shortly after entering home rails at East Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, February 20, 2026. NS 7034, NS 6923 and NS 6963 (GoRail) have nine cars for Good Yard.   Several Caterpillar tractor loads, a rarity on the Union Pacific, were switched out by MPECL's crew just minutes before departure. Although disappointed, the train had nine of those "Omaha Track" gondolas used by...

I barely caught this one in time.   I was still in East Peoria when I heard the MOP gave the KJRY instructions into the East Peoria Yard. The traffic lights at the Cedar Street-MacArthur Highway and SW Washington Street are always inconvenienty long-winded as well. I pulled onto Sanger Street just as the dngineer was blowing for the crossing. I guess a going away shot out my car window was better than nothing...   I left the downtown library too late to capture the return leg out of East Peoria. It cleared the Tazewell & Peoria RR at Iowa Junction about 1745 hours. It was dark anyway. Train will probably run west from Mapleton Friday morning, sometime after 0900.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria Turn rounds the curve at Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois shortly before crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge mid-afternoon Thursday, February 19, 2026. LTEX 6437, LTEX 3010, LNW 3807 and LTEX 3836 have 31 cars.  ...

I guess I'm assuming that these feed trains CN has resumed delivering to BNSF via Peoria are the Summerfield, Texas trains. Distributed power is new to this operation. The one I saw February 8 had but two locomotives on the point and no DPU. In the past, these trains usually rated three locomotives on the point.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway gluten feed train G-PEISMR (Grain, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Wednesday, February 18, 2026. BNSF 5253 and BNSF 7382 have 100 cars. BNSF 9275 is DPU.   I finished shooting the BNSF feed train at W. Farmington Road, returned to my car and in just a few minutes, this loaded Union Pacific coal train rolled by. I had to go to Cilco Lane at Sommer to get ahead of it. Lighting by this time wasn't so good, but this is only the second UP train I've seen this year.    CAPTION: A loaded, Powerton-bound, Union Pacific coal train rolls by Cilco Lane at Sommer,...

With such a huge consist, there was a good chance this train was going to stall. Fortunately, it did not. 😀 CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway local is shown crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, February 16, 2026. Shortly, it rolls by Krause Avenue and Darst Street. LTEX 3836, LTEX 3010 and LTEX 6437 have just two cars, both empty. (Train will grab UP interchange at Collier Yard in Bartonville before tying up at Mapleton.) Monday's M-PEIGAL was unusually lengthy but it had no loaded OZIX 2-bay covered hoppers as I had hoped. (I'm leaning toward the idea that Ozinga Cement Co's new TZPR-served barge-rail transfer facility on BioUrja's Riverside Track, ex-Rock Island Belt Line, may be sending coal ash and/or slag to a ready mixed concrete facility via BNSF at Montgomery, Illinois. Can't confirm yet.) CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) curves...

Last month, I missed the first of these grain trains moving empty north and loaded south. This month, I missed the northbound empties but today I caught the loads being moved out of Pekin by CN. These trains are co-loaded at Malcom and Kellogg, Iowa on the Iowa Interstate Railroad for a port in the New Orleans area for export.  CAPTION: An encounter with a Canadian National Railway grain extra for me on Sunday, February 15, 2026 began with a light engine movement by the old Chicago & Illinois & Midland Railway depot at IC Junction in Pekin, Illinois. IC 1028 and CN 2315 then coupled to 108 cars left early Saturday morning by the Iowa Interstate Railroad on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Main 2. Train is shown briefly at N. 3rd Street and Washington Street and then the whole train races across 5th Street near South Pekin.   After catching the CN power moving engine lite, it seemed odd that they sat for awhile between Ann Eliza and N. 2nd streets. Turns out, they ...

I just came across a publication at my local library called Choose Greater PEORIA Illinois , produced by livability dot com. On page 23, a community profile lists "transportation assets," which include two items which caught my eye- Five Class 1 railroads for hauling cargo Six short line railroads Both are incorrect. Greater Peoria, a designation that based on the magazine's other content matches the five-county official metropolitan area, is served by four Class Is, one Regional and four shortlines.  American common-carrier railroads are designated as Class I, Class II ("Regional") and Class III ("Shortlines"). These are broken down using annual revenue by the then-Interstate Commerce Commission critieria introduced in 1992 - $504,803,294 minimum for Class Is and $40,384,263 minimum for Class IIs. Carriers with annual revenue below the Class II minimum standard are designated as Class IIIs.  The Class Is are BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, No...

Like last Friday, I took a half day off work with the intent of capturing some local Union Pacific action - believe it or not - for the first time in 2026! Unlike last Friday, I succeeded, but barely. On my way to Peoria I knew Union Pacific's MPECL had already left Adams Street Yard (call time seems to be getting earlier), so I intended to set up and wait at W. Farmington Road. But when I turned left from the Harmon Highway/Airport Road connector onto Kickapoo Creek Road, I saw the train's end in the distance! I quickly turned around and hightailed it up I-474 and decided it safe to go to Fox Road, off Rt. 91. Turns out, I could probably have beat it to the top of Pioneer Hill (but why take the chance?). Lighting was poor, but at least I got it.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) races across Fox Road just north of Peoria, Illinois early-afternoon Friday, February 13, 2026. UP 5962 and UP 8215 have 30 cars. I knew Norfolk Southern (ano...

Six of seven train movements (including the Keokuk Junction Railway train in both directions) were recorded in about a two-hour period Wednesday mid- to late-afternoon.    While I've seen nothing official, it is obvious BNSF's M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL trains are running Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The change, I believe, was implemented sometime after last April when Thursday runs were moved to Fridays.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Bridge Junction and then across the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge mid-afternoon Wednesday, February 11, 2026. BNSF 6047 and BNSF 3801 have 44 cars.   I caught the KJRY local's arrival but did not plan to stick around for its departure. I happened to hear the crew ask permission to depart the East Lead for Iowa Junction when I was still closeby, so I turned around and caught it after all. I'm glad I did, as I got one with an "Omaha Track" gondola...

United Express is increasing service to Peoria again. The carrier has returned to five daily roundtrips between Peoria International Airport and Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, probably this month. But on March 30-31, service increases to SEVEN daily roundtrips. The schedule for that date is as follows- From Chicago-O'Hare 10:02 CRJ200 12:36 CRJ200 14:07 CRJ550 16:44 CRJ200 18:53 CRJ200 21:08 CRJ550 22:27 CRJ200 To Chicago-O'Hare 06:30 CRJ550 08:15 CRJ200 10:40 CRJ200 13:20 CRJ200 14:50 CRJ550 17:25 CRJ200 19:28 CRJ200 Those flights with CRJ550 equipment, offering 50 seats and three-class service, are operated by GoJet Airlines. Those with CRJ200 equipment, offering 50 seats and single-class service, are operated by SkyWest Airlines.  But the frequency buildup is only temporary, as on May 21-22, service is cut back to five daily roundtrips, but with deployment of 76-seat Embraer 175 equipment on at least two, perhaps three roundtrips. I would include a schedule for th...

I haven't chased a westbound Keokuk Junction Rwy. local to Bushnell since October 19, 2023, more than two years. When I arrived Bushnell, I was thinking the ADM soy protein plant had already closed, yet there were two cars on spot and three loads on the stub ready to be spotted. Guess what? Monday's train switched out one empty, re-spotted the load and spotted one of three loads from the stub. The plant will close this year, so I probably saw it get switched for once, but probably my only time.    I noted quite a bit of track work in places, such as crosstie replacement and surfacing with much ballast poured (but not yet surfaced) on the stretch from the Spoon River Bridge to a point past the Marietta Road overpass, but the train never moved at more than 10mph. I left the chase just west of Bushnell about 4:00pm. At those speeds, the train would have reached La Harpe after dark (if it made it at all). I may try again when the days are longer in late-spring/early-summer....

It is unusual for PESI to have more loads than empties, but 15 iron oxide loads from TP&W, three gondolas from NS which appear to contain steel billets (based on another railfan's video at Putnam), two tank cars containing beverage alcohol and all loaded covered hoppers contain ADM grain products (probably from CN). Those NS cars are NW 190350, CR 582421 and NS 187590. CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, February 8, 2026. Later, power runbys at the Ft. of Main Street in downtown on the TZPR and on home rails at Peoria Heights, and the whole train at San Koty and Mossville. IAIS 502, IAIS 705 and IAIS 712 have 87 cars (48 loads, 39 empties).   CN and BNSF seemed to have suspended the Decatur (IL) to Summerfield (TX) gluten feed trains for awhile, but today, the carriers swapped empties and loads. The last one I shot was ...

Viridis Chemical's ethyl acetate plant is viewed January 18, 2026 from the Cedar Street Bridge   Local media outlets aren't reporting this, but in December, Viridis Chemical Co. halted work on the nearly-finished Peoria ethyl acetate plant relocated from Columbus, Nebraska. The decision by investor EIV Capital was blamed on a deteriorating market for "biobased chemicals" and tariffs, which caused the project to go over budget.    The former seems to be the bigger problem as the distillation column subject to a 50 percent import tariff was purchased and installed. The suspension explains why a rail siding was not built, and construction activity was put on hold before Christmas.    This article does offer hope for the plant -    [market development lead Steve] Friedewald expects the facility will start up eventually, but it may be a couple of years before the Viridis team recruits new investors or secures funding to finish final build-out and com...

I took a half-day from work Friday hoping to catch Union Pacific's MPECL. Unfortunately, Adams Street Yard was empty when I drove by around 1140. I turnaround and checked the signal at W. Farmington Road. Yellow indication. I backtracked, thinking maybe the train was stopped at Peoria Junction and had yet to receive track warrants. No sign of it. I did see what I thought at first was BNSF's M-PEIGAL waiting for instructions to go west.    Turns out, MPECL was hiding from me. Or perhaps LPD01 was still at East Peoria, and when it crossed the river and returned to home rails, the train became MPECL as a new crew got onboard and departed around 1330. Unfortunately, I was an hour east. Also, the BNSF train was M-GALPEI that was for some unknown reason holding well short of Darst Street.    I salvaged my day with the knowledge of a westbound TP&W freight. Now that Ruff Brothers also uses the elevator on Gridley's east side, 15 cars total can be spotted for loading...

I've only shot video of one other train on the old Peoria & Eastern Railway "Whiskey Main" in Pekin, and that was in eleven years ago! So today was a treat when I heard some chatter about the Ice House, and headed for Pekin to find TPW 2056 stopped near the S. Front Street crossing.  I don't know if this was an extra sent to Pekin to pull four alcohol loads from Alto ICP, or the regular local lingering here later than usual before heading back to East Peoria.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local runs engine lite down the industrial line along S. Front Street in Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, February 5, 2026. The "Whiskey Main" is the last remnant of Peoria & Eastern Railway trackage in the area, and was named for American Distilling Co, the major industry at the end of the line from 1892 to 1980. TPW 2056 pulled four denatured alcohol tank cars from Alto-ICP and then shoved them across S. Front toward the main Pekin switchin...

After work, I went to East Peoria to see if Norfolk Southern's D49 was still in town (don't know if it even came up). I did not see any NS action, but did notice a TP&W train in the TZPR's East Peoria Yard, building a transfer for the run back home. Meanwhile, radio chatter alerted me to a TZPR local running from Iowa Junction to Bridge Junction, where it paused briefly before crossing the river.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, presumably the regular Industry Job returning from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, crosses Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, February 4, 2026. IMRR 43 has a single loaded gondola. (Obviously, this car doesn't contain coiled wire rod, so it might contain billets.) The TP&W probably pulled the 13 grain empties on the head end from BioUrja South Yard in Peoria, then picked up the other 33 (a mix of IMRR, BNSF - and maybe NS - interchange) from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria...

The Norfolk Southern covered hoppers were empty, and I can only assume these are in corn germ service out of Roquette America's Keokuk, Iowa wet corn mill to ADM in Decatur. Many of the ALAB cars in this service are getting old, and newer 286,000-lb cars are now industry standard. (NS cars may also be used in organic, or non-GMO, grain service out of Burnside, but usually not this many.) CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's local crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Shortly, it crosses Darst Street. LTEX 3836, LNW 3806, LNW 3807 and LTEX 6437 have 24 empties.   - David P. Jordan

I went into East Peoria after work this afternoon to find BNSF's M-PEIGAL at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard building a train on the East Lead. It looked like they were putting two cuts together, so I waited on the Peoria side of the river. It did not take long for them to depart. After shooting video at two locations, I went to W. Farmington Road and waited, but soon grew impatient and backtracked to find the train still sitting on the BNSF mainline within yard limits.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, February 2, 2026. Shortly, the train approaches and then enters home rails near Darst Street without pausing. BNSF 3769 and BNSF 7810 have 30 cars (11 loads, 19 empties). Four Komatsu truck chassis loads are on the head end.   - David P. Jordan