BNSF M-GALPEI, Union Pacific MPECL, BNSF M-PEIGAL 5-22-26

I took a half day from work, knowing Union Pacific's MPECL was going to be unusually big. Turns out, it wasn't called until mid-afternoon! At least I caught BNSF's inbound freight in advance. The 47-car consist included five empty flat cars on the head end (as opposed to the rear for better weight distribution (perhaps it doesn't matter so much on the Peoria Sub?), and ten more brand-new covered hoppers being delivered to Incobrasa Industries via TP&W. 


CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Peoria, Illinois shortly before crossing the river into East Peoria mid-afternoon Friday, May 22, 2026. Later, counterpart, M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road. BNSF 7722 and BNSF 9081 arrived with 47 cars and departed with 21.

The Union Pacific crew had troubles with their locomotive. It kept dumping the air. Finally, they got going and even made it up Pioneer Hill despite being under-powered. Today's train had 18 boxcars - eleven loaded with locomotive wheels (from Keokuk, Iowa via KJRY) and seven empties (from TP&W-served Sweetener Supply Corp., east end of the Hoosierlift), which last contained bagged salt. 
 
BNSF's M-PEIGAL showed up maybe a half-hour later (see first video). 


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, May 22, 2026. UP 7006 has 82 cars.

- David P. Jordan

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