Peoria Station

It has been nearly a decade since I've seen Amtrak detouring along BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision east of Galesburg, and that was a planned shift to due a bridge replacement project on the Mendota Subdivision. So when I learned that Amtrak Nos. 4 and 6 would be combined at Galesburg and rerouted over the ex-Santa Fe this afternoon, I had to be trackside. Amtrak Nos. 3 and 5 are expected to run the usual route later today.  CAPTION: Due to a coal train derailment near Somonauk, Illinois, Amtrak No. 4, the Southwest Chief (Los Angeles CA to Chicago IL), and Amtrak No. 6, the California Zephyr (Emeryville CA to Chicago IL) were combined at Galesburg and detoured along the Chillicothe Subdivision at its namesake late-afternoon Wednesday, July 10, 2024. The ex-Santa Fe route was used by Amtrak's Southwest Chief regularly through July 1996. AMTK 147 and AMTK 199 led No. 4 while AMTK 72 and AMTK 29 were on No. 6, turned backwards when combined at the Amtrak depot in Galesburg.   ...

After a vain attempt to catch Canadian National L557 this afternoon, I decided to head to Lincoln and catch Amtrak 318 and Union Pacific MBNAS.  CAPTION: Amtrak No. 318, the Missouri River Runner/Lincoln Service (Kansas City MO to St. Louis MO and Chicago IL), rolls to a stop at Lincoln, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, May 11, 2023. A few blocks north, the train is shown again leaving town. IDTX 4606 has seven cars. CAPTION: Union Pacific train MBNAS (Manifest, Bloomington IL to Alton & Southern) rolls by Amtrak's Lincoln, Illinois depot early evening Thursday, May 11, 2023. UP 4656 and UP 4985 have 43 cars. I usually get the MBNAS train at Bloomington or Shirley, but I like Amtrak's Lincoln depot as a location for filming in the mid- to late-afternoon. I'll probably do more of this.  After capturing these two movements, I received a heads up that an empty Union Pacific grain train with five motors was heading up the Illinois & Midland RR to Barr and South Pekin...

Traversing the route of the Peoria Rocket, an Iowa Interstate Business Car Special to South Amana, Iowa began its journey in downtown Peoria on August 18, 2021  Another study, different route. The Illinois Department of Transportation is studying rail passenger service between Peoria and Chicago. On Tuesday, it revealed that the former Rock Island Rocket route was being considered.  Compared to the previous feasibility study on rail passenger service to Peoria, this one gets two things correct: (1) single-train service between Peoria and Chicago and (2) a route that serves more population that is presently lacking such service. But all else is a nostalgic dream at best and costly boondoggle at worst.  HISTORY The Rock Island's Peoria & Bureau Valley, which became the city's first operational railroad on November 7, 1854, inaugurated twice-daily, diesel, streamlined Peoria Rocket  service on September 19, 1937. A General Motors-built  Jet Rocket  tr...

The politicians are jumping on the passenger rail bandwagon again . PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Peoria representatives are once again trying to bring the downtown train to Peoria. State leaders said, for too long, the city has been left behind when it comes to passenger rail. (I'm scratching my head on the term "downtown train." Never heard of one.) What stood out for me in this article was how much Ray LaHood has changed his tune since his days in the U. S. Congress.  When you look at a map of Illinois there’s no reason why Peoria does not have rail service,” Ray LaHood, former Illinois congressman and U.S. Transportation Secretary said. “It’s the second-largest metropolitan area in Illinois. Remember back in 2007 how LaHood suggested to WCBU radio that Amtrak would never come here again and that bus connections to passenger services at Galesburg and Normal were satisfactory? His history is fuzzy as well... LaHood said it’s probably been about 50 years since the last time pas...

  On Amtrak's 50th birthday, May 1, 2021, late-running No. 6 (eastbound California Zephyr) and No. 4 (eastbound Southwest Chief) and somewhat late No. 5 (westbound California Zephyr) are shown at or near Galesburg, Illinois. No. 6 literally smokes out of Galesburg as raw, unburned diesel fuel spews from the exhaust stacks of its lead P42! - David P. Jordan