Iowa Interstate ZENO-E and PESI 9-5-26

Despite the heat and humidity, I went out this morning after learning an an Iowa Interstate ZENO-E train was due into Peoria. At San Koty (a few miles north of Peoria), I made a right from Rt. 29 across the track and parked by the Firefighter training center with seconds to spare before I heard the horn. The train had a block of manifest cars on the head end. I can confirm that there were 23 as they were set out at the North Limit Yard, and the empty coil steel car was last. Sometime in early afternoon, the rest of the train crossed the river and left it on Main 2 at Hilliards, breaking it at the elevator access road crossing. 

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate train ZENO-E (Grain, Atlantic IA to Peoria IL) rolls by San Koty, Illinois a few miles from the North Limit Yard in Peoria, Illinois, where 23 manifest cars on the head end were set out. The 111 grain loads will go to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track main. IAIS 501 and IAIS 506 have 134 cars.

In mid-afternoon, I set out to check if IAIS 501 and 506 were poised to depart north. Sure enough, I could barely see locomotives on the point of a cut on East Peoria Yard track A-34. The train departed just before 5:00pm. 

CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, September 5, 2026. The following scenes are are Chicago Street, by the RecPlex in downtown Peoria (whole train), exiting the North Limit Yard and finally, San Koty (whole train). IAIS 501 and IAIS 506 have NS 5639 (for Des Moines, Iowa) and 43 cars (27 loads/16 empties).

- David P. Jordan