Peoria Station

While at the downtown library this afternoon, I learned that both Iowa Interstate's SIPE and Union Pacific's MCLPE were enroute to Peoria. As the closest, I went after SIPE first, encountering it in Chillicothe. I shot video at Rome and then headed north to intercept the Union Pacific train.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Rome, Illinois on the Peoria Subdivision early-evening Wednesday, May 1, 2024. IAIS 513, the Rock Island Heritage Unit, has 32 cars.   The sun had already set when I saw MCLPE's approaching headlight just south of Manlius. I managed to get a second video at the Rt. 40 crossing south of Buda. Low lighting means reporting marks and numbers are mostly unreadable, but the usual traffic makes most cars easy to identify in regards to load or empty status, commodities or commodities last handled.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MCLPE (Manifest, Clinton IA to Peoria IL) rolls south of Manlius, Illinois at 1925 N. Avenue...

I drove by Adams Street Yard this afternoon after work and noticed that Union Pacific's MPECL had already left.  I knew that if the train left early for whatever reason, there might be empty anhydrous ammonia tank cars to pull from Akron Services, so I turned around and head up I-474/Rt. 6 and Rt. 91 to check. When I arrived, I concluded the train had already passed as the two tank cars there last Friday were gone.  And just like a cat and a red laser pointer, when I heard then saw BNSF's H-GALIHB in the distance, I decided to chase it.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train H-GALIHB (High Priority Manifest, Galesburg IL to Indiana Harbor Belt) rolls by Blue Ridge Road near Chillicothe, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, July 11, 2023. BNSF 8131, BNSF 5992 and BNSF 5538 have 112 cars.   As soon as I was done shooting video of H-GALIHB at Blue Ridge Road (just west of Chillicothe), I learned that MPECL had been sitting on Edelstein Siding the whole time, and was about to depatt ...