Norfolk Southern D49, Union Pacific MPECL 2-20-26

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 the contractor upgrading the Keokuk Junction Railway to Class 2 standards, and two boxcars used in bagged salt service to Sweetener Supply Corp. at the Hoosierlift in Indiana. It appears the routing has changed from BNSF-Peoria (TZPR)-TPW to UP-TPW direct. 
 
The train had two steepwater loads, one grain product (gluten feed/meal/mash), one ethyl alcohol (1170), one denatured alcohol (1987) and a load of locomotive wheels. Four tank cars placarded for ethyl alcohol (1170) appeared empty.


CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road early afternoon Friday, February 20, 2026. Later, it is shown by the expanding Akron Services Inc. elevator at its namesake UP station. UP 8215 and UP 5962 have 35 cars.
 
- David P. Jordan

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