Peoria Station

I learned that Iowa Interstate was running an SIPE this afternoon, so I decided to leave the downtown library and head north. I found the train at Bureau Junction slowly rounding the curve on to the Peoria Subdivision. I was able to capture numerous runbys until darkness fell. I would expect IAIS 510 to take PESI north sometime on Sunday,, perhaps by late-morning.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) is shown rolling down the Peoria Subdivision mid-afternoon to early-evening Saturday March 15, 2025. Locations are Rt. 26 at Bureau Junction, Putnam (overhead at wooden bridge, then whole south), Henry, near Sparland, W. Moffitt Street and almost "street-running" in Chillicothe, and a final runby at Rome. IAIS 510 has 88 cars with typical DDGS/mash, a couple potash and 24 soybean loads for Incobrasa Industries in Gilman, Illinois (via TP&W). Six tank cars and six gondolas, all empties, add some variety.   - David P. Jordan

My first encounter with an Iowa Interstate train in 2024! I heard a horn from inside my house, minutes after returning from work. After a second false report of a TP&W train in Morton (a few truck horns moving to and from the Caterpillar parts department must sound like locomotive horns), I decided to investigate. I had some material to return to the local library, so I grabbed those and headed out. I quickly discovered that there hadn't been any activity on the Morton Industrial Spur since December.  After dropping items at the library, I returned to my car and turned on the scanner. Moments later, I heard the Iowa Interstate dispatcher give IAIS 510 a track warrant from Peoria to Burau Junction at 1520 hours! I wouldn't have known about it, had I not heard the fake locomotive horn, gone to the library, and turned on my scanner at that exact moment!  So naturally, I packed up my laptop (I'd stop by the downtown library after chasing the IAIS) and headed west on I-74. D...

The Iowa Interstate Railroad, for the fourth time since 2014, has provided a crew and a train to run excursions out of Chillicothe, Illinois. Ticket revenue from these trips is donated to local volunteer firefighters. As usual, the event attracted a large crowd and most if not all seats were sold out.  In September 2014 and September 2016, diesels hauled former Montreal commuter coaches between Henry and Chillicothe. In May 2019, QJ 6988 led trips out of Chillicothe with a diesel on the return leg. These trips used P70 commuter coaches build for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Diesels bracketed the cars on today's trips. CAPTION: On Saturday, June 3, 2023, the Iowa Interstate Railroad provided a crew and a train for the "Ride the Rails" passenger excursions out of Chillicothe, Illinois. Sponsored by the Fred Meister Chillicothe Community Firefighters Association, four trips operated north to near Sparland and return. Iowa Interstate GP38-2s 702 and 701 bracketed five, 72-seat...

I was heading north anyway but got my route chosen for me... Most of the tank cars have beverage alcohol placards. I'm thinking these are bound for points east via Chicago interchange, either to a distributor or an actual distillery, blending and/or packaging operation.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls by several locations early afternoon Saturday, May 13, 2023. IAIS 518 has 38 cars, mostly DDGS (mash) empties and alcohol loads. Scenes are at Henry, Putnam, Bureau Junction and just east of Tiskilwa.   - David P. Jordan