Iowa Interstate PESI, Canadian National L557 6-18-26

I saw a Facebook group message about this train just as I was leaving work at 5:00 this afternoon, so I decided to go for it. I caught it in Chillicothe, and was able to capture the first scene at the W. Moffitt Street crossing. I wanted another shot, so I settled on Sparland, which turned out very well! Notables include a loaded GBRX gondola (steel billets?) and three dry bulk fertilizer (urea, phosphate, etc.) loads (cars 22-24), possibly for the Growmark facility at Stuart, Iowa. 

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI rolls by W. Moffitt in Chillicothe, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, June 18, 2026. Shortly in early-evening, it was rolling through Sparland. IAIS 700 and IAIS 153 have NS 5281, and 43 cars.

After capturing the IAIS train at Sparland, I crossed the river into Lacon and took Rt. 26 to East Peoria, hoping the CN local had not yet departed. I arrived with radio chatter indicating they were still in the TZPR yard. I sat at Wesley for a little while, but after dozing off a few times, decided to go home. Then I saw Chip Gay's post about the train leaving! So I headed back to the TZPR and found the train at Grove. 

Lighting was getting bad, so I opted for full shadows by the Pekin cemetery. Unfortunately, the train stopped before clearing my position. I left, and it began to move... 

I decided to bag a full video at IC Junction, which was successful. Then, I headed south to check on any switching activity. Train just rolled right out of town. I got a last video at the Fifth Street crossing near South Pekin. 

Most cars on Thursday's train were empty. There were, however, the usual alcohol and DDGS/gluten meal/gluten feed loads from Alto Pekin plants, a gondola with scrap metal, an empty sodium hydroxide solution tank car from PMP Fermentation Products' Peoria plant. Most unusual were the first seven cars on the rear block of tank cars. Placarded as "1201" (fusel oil), all were loaded. Fusel (German for "bad liquor") oil is a by-product of fermentation. In the last 20 years or so, I occasionally noticed a tank car in the area placarded as "fusel oil." I think tonight's CN local more than doubled how many I've seen in my lifetime!

CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track at Pekin, Illinois Thursday evening, June 18, 2026. The train paused briefly, but I had already decided to capture it again at IC Junction. Later, the train races across Fifth Street near South Pekin. CN 8339 has 54 cars.

- David P. Jordan