Peoria Station

After work, I apparently just missed Norfolk Southern train D49 on its return trip to Good Yard, and I learned that had I headed directly west on I-74/I-474 into Peoria, I might have caught a late-running Union Pacific MPECL. Good think I caught LPD01 on Monday afternoon with part of MPECL's Tuesday consist...   I did, however, catch a rare movement. That grain train TP&W delivered to HIlliards with CN power Monday afternoon turned out to be for Norfolk Southern, The "40N" symbol is last reported to be consigned to Norfolk, Virginia.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway unit grain extra 40N is shown climbing upgrade as it passes N. Main Street near Morton, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Train was loaded by TP&W-served Grainland Farmers at Cruger. NS 1038, NS 8027 and NS 8154 had 109 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I saw posts on this and hesitated to come into town, figuring I'd be too late. Turns out, I came in time. I still must get used to seeing those empty salt boxcars on Union Pacific. Looks like loads are delivered directly to TP&W at Collier Yard and empties are received via TZPR. The four scrap metal loads and carbon dioxide refrigerated liquid tank car do not make regular appearances on these trains. As for the former, Alter Metal Recycling probably has excess scrap metal to ship to customers outside the area.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train LPD01 ("Peoria Wayfreight") eases to a stop at Darst Street late-afternoon Monday, March 30, 2026 so the conductor can detrain and line the switch before entering home rails. UP 7365 and UP 7006 have a healthy 50 cars (25 loads, 25 empties).   After the Union Pacific train crossed the river, TZPR's Industry 4 followed to run to the West Yard and switch BioUrja's Alcohol Tracks. I did not see this train, and I was waitin...

List, I went to Peoria via I-474 this afternoon and encountered two TZPR Industry Jobs heading back to East Peoria. Good thing Ozinga Cement Co. opened its barge-rail dock late last year, or today's train returning from Kickapoo Yard would have had but two cars!    The other, probably "Industry 1," has corn syrup empties from PMP Fermentation Products, alcohol loads and empties (the first with alcohol placards was empty, the others are possibly buffer cars) from BioUrja Renewables LLC and two Komatsu truck chassis loads. The first four cars, all tank cars, appear to be loads, and I assume the Iowa Interstate has recently left them at the North Limit Yard.  CAPTION: Two Tazewell & Peoria RR "Industry Jobs" roll across the Illinois River in quick succession enroute home mid-afternoon Friday, March 27, 2026. TZPR 1351, returning from Kickapoo Yard, has 14 cars for East Peoria. IMRR 43, returning from working the Uptown Subdivision, has 18 cars for East Peo...

After work, I was able to capture Norfolk Southerns D49 local on its way back to Good Yard. The train's consist was nothing unusual, but loads and empties are pretty identifiable.   The first five cars were loaded covered hoppers, two with ADMX markings. These contained some kind of grain product. Since ADM no longer operates its Peoria distillery (sold to BioUrja Renewables LLC in late-2021), these must have been received from the Iowa Interstate Railroad (from Cedar Rapids) or Union Pacific (Clinton).   The two NS gondolas were empty, and are probably in steel billet service. Recently, Norfolk Southern began delivering these to the Iowa Interstate (via TZPR). They reportedly originate down south for the Gerdau AmeriSteel mini-mill at Wilton, Iowa.    Sixteen more covered hoppers, many with ADMX markings, indicate a block of grain product loads from a connecting line, probably Iowa Interstate.    Then we have a single two-bay covered hopper. I beli...

Tazewell & Peoria Railroad mainline looking north from Caroline Street on March 22, 2026. Planned steel storage building and new rail siding will be at right. O'Brien Steel Service Co's existing facilities are at right.  We now have more information about O'Brien Steel Service Co's expansion plans into Detweiller Marina.  WMBD TV-31 covered it earlier this month when plans were revealed at a Peoria Park District meeting. The TV station posted an update on its website yesterday  after the Sierra Club hosted a meeting with community leaders. The article includes a photo of the plan, and confirms that a new rail siding will be built from the adjacent Tazewell & Peoria Railroad mainline to serve a relocated existing crane system and steel storage area. It isn't clear, however, if this will be enclosed or open. Based on the map, it could be either way.  Unfortunately, controversy appears to be the sole reason for media coverage, and only by one outlet. The Peoria...

The first gondola is empty. The AMFX covered hopper is used by BioUrja Renewables LLC, probably for outbound DDG (mash). The other three gondolas were loaded. Obviously not coiled wire rod. Scrap metal can usually be seen above the rim. My guess is steel billets.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, running from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, is shown at Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois. After river traffic clears, the train crosses the Illinois River. TZPR 1352 and IMRR 43 have five cars. I had come through Peoria to see the fourth empty grain train delivered to IAIS since January. Interestingly, they received one in February and two so far (Friday morning) this month!  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. train PENT (Peoria IL to Newton IA) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge early-afternoon Sunday, March 22, 2026. Shortly, the train rolls by the Ft. of Chicago Street and BioUrja Renewables LLC's Peoria distillery. Train arrived...

While hoping to see CN's local, I happened upon the Illinois & Midland RR local on its return leg from East Peoria to Powerton. The tank car was loaded, though I'm not sure with what. I'm guessing soybean oil for Agridyne LLC at Crescent. Then we have 14 loaded covered hoppers. As there are no ADM markings, I figure these are DDG loads from The Andersons at Clymers, Indiana that had come off the TP&W. These are followed by eleven zinc oxide loads for which IMRR acts as a bridge route between TP&W (East Peoria/TZPR) and CPKC (Springfield). A denatured alcohol load and empty bathtub coal car bring up the rear.  CAPTION: An Illinois & Midland Railroad Powerton Roadswitcher rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, March 17, 2026. HESR 2107 and IMRR 2108 have 28 cars.   After capturing the Illinois & Midland RR local, I saw that the CN local had already departed, but figured it was still ...

TP&W road freights have been fairly short lately.   I don't know if this is due to increased frequency and/or some traffic is in the off-season. Obviously, Indiana limestone for East Peoria Materials is one of those off-season traffic types. Incobrasa soybean empties for connecting lines via TZPR would be another. Same with longer blocks of nitrogen empties for BNSF (today's train only had four).  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway "M-Train" - sometimes called MEFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) rolls through Secor and Eureka, Illinois late-afternoon Monday, March 16, 2026. TPW 3442, MQT 3407 and IORY 5013 have 15 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I did not expect to see this one as typical crew call time is much earlier.   I even left home later than usual, but still managed to see a late-running Union Pacific MPECL. I often run by the south side of Peoria enroute to the downtown library in case BNSF's M-GALPEI, the KJRY local, a TZPR local out of Kickapoo Yard and maybe a TP&W EP2 or EPX1 are in the area.    It appears that three corn syrup tank cars in front and one behind the two boxcars are KJRY traffic, obviously from Roquette America's Keokuk, Iowa wet corn mill. The loaded UP coal hopper is strange.   CAPTION:   Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, March 13, 2026. UP 5879 has 28 cars. - David P. Jordan

O'Brien Steel Service Co. seen from Caroline Street June 28, 2023 after transfer of 550 feet of formerly City-owned trackage Information is a little vague at this point but WMBD TV, Channel 31, is reporting on plans by O'Brien Steel Service Co. to expand into Detweiller Marina , which is across the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad from its existing facilities along NE Adams Street. The video link below shows what appears to be a stub-end spur with a south switch on the east side of TZPR that is not there now. If you remember back in 2023, the City of Peoria abandoned the remaining south end of the Kellar Branch and transferred ownership of 550 feet from the junction with TZPR to O'Brien Steel so they could get rail service. Shortly after the transfer (probably June 2023), some digging had been done to clear out the spur switch on company property. By December, however, the dirt had been filled in again. One STB filing indicated O'Brien Steel was eager to get this tran...

I happened upon this train at Wesley, having just departed. Notables in the consist include three TZPR gondolas with unknown loads (possibly steel billets from Liberty Steel & Wire) and two twin-bay covered hoppers, most likely loaded with granulated slag from Harsco's Powerton facility. The three covered hoppers on the rear, likely loaded with dry fertilizer, were the same three I saw on that Tazewell & Peoria RR local Sunday afternoon.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls by Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track shortly after leaving East Peoria mid-afternoon Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Later, the train enters Pekin, and then home rails at IC Junction. CN 3192 has 19 cars.   - David P. Jordan

Portion of a dormant, almost-complete Viridis plant seen on January 18, 2026 A little update on Viridis Chemical's dormant, almost-complete Peoria ethyl acetate plant. The company on Sunday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas.  There are several reasons for the company's failure to start operations. Hopefully, reorganization is a phase prior to finding a new market and starting operations. The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Co. would serve the plant.    - David P. Jordan  

I learned that an empty BNSF feed pellet train had left Galesburg for Peoria in mid-afternoon so I left earlier than usual on Sunday evening.   Driving I-474 westbound just after crossing the river, I heard some radio chatter on the TZPR road frequency. I did not make out what was being said, but a quickly glance at a TZPR train ready to depart Kickapoo Yard prompted me to turn around and grab video. I was able to get it at Darst Street. Nothing groundbreaking behind the SW-1500 but the three loaded covered hoppers on the rear are likely dry fertilizer loads from Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC in the Pekin Bottoms.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, is shown late-afternoon Sunday, March 8, 2026. IMRR 43 has nine cars.   After the TZPR local went by, I resumed my plan to intercept the empty BNSF feed train, but just missed it at W. Farmington Road and could not turn around in sufficient time to bag it before the bl...

A number of TP&W manifests of late have had short consists when departing East Peoria. Days of operations still seem to vary, but short consists either mean more frequent runs or a lull in business. That lull, if a factor, is probably seasonal.    I learned of the train's departure from East Peoria around midday Saturday. It was a short consist, and eleven of the cars and one locomotive (IORY 3492) were on that transfer I caught Friday afternoon. But I decided to chase starting at Washington. After that, I cured an empty stomach and caught up to the train again at Secor. I usually bid adieu at El Paso, but knew pickups were planned at both Gridley and Meadows. These may be the first times I've seen TP&W pickup eastbound soybean loads at these local elevators that are consigned to Incobrasa Industries in Gilman.    I included video of the Gridley pickup. I stayed at Chenoa to watch a southbound Union Pacific intermodal train and Amtrak's San Antonio-bound ...

By the time I left work on this stormy Friday afternoon, I knew that Union Pacific's MPECL had already left and that Norfolk Southern local D49 had come and gone. So I went into Peoria thinking BNSF's M-GALPEI or M-PEIGAL could be here.    Sure enough, M-GALPEI was actually blocking Sanger Street, waiting for permission to cross the river. So I shot video of the train at Bridge Junction from my car as a heavy thunderstorm approached. My wait was brief. I left for the downtown library, checked for M-PEIGAL and found it still in East Peoria. Darkness fell and left as I had other plans.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls enters Bridge Junction on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad mid-afternoon Friday, March 6, 2026. BNSF 4233 and BNSF 8156 have 35 cars.   After bagging the inbound BNSF "local," I heard the TZPR Jacksonville dispatcher give a TP&W train permission to leave the north end of the East Peoria Yard fo...

Finally, I caught one of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's old "Kickapoo Job" locals (possibly "Industry 2") this afternoon with loaded OZIX twin-bay covered hoppers! I have yet to confirm which railroads hauls these out of the city, though BNSF is possible.    CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, rolls by Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois as it enters Bridge Junction before crossing the river mid-afternoon Monday, March 2, 2026. TPW 2056 has eleven cars, including seven loads from Ozinga Cement Co's new facility on BioUrja Renewable LLC's Belt Line.   - David P. Jordan

The crew was aboard this train, parked on the double track at Grove, from at least 1530 this afternoon. Radio chatter indicated the crew needed to grab a unit sitting on TZPR's Creve Coeur Team Track. That and river traffic delayed the train from crossing the river until about 1730 hours. It was clear on UP property by 1745.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train CDEBM (Coal Empties, Decatur/Peoria IL to Belle Ayr Mine WY) is shown crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois and then stopping briefly to enter home rails at Darst Street. UP 7519, UP 6658 and UP 7665 have 128 cars.   - David P. Jordan