Peoria Station

Cool temperatures, overcast, stay home after work weather...until I learned of an interesting Iowa Interstate movement.    I caught SIPE just south of Mossville, and shot video at San Koty then again as it entered the North Limit Yard. The train stopped briefly for the conductor to detrain. When I left it around 1830 hours, the train was preparing to shove into the North Limit Yard. When finished, both units would run engine lite through Peoria and across the river to fetch a LOADED grain train received Canadian National.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by San Koty, Illinois early evening Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Later, the train enters the North Limit Yard and Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property. IAIS 151 and IAIS 511 have 44 cars. I decided to go back into Peoria to see if I could capture IAIS units pull that loaded grain train from CN through one of the brightly-lit street crossings in downtown Peoria. B...

On the 139th anniversary of the Chatsworth Wreck, we have a mystery.    I can confirm from another railfan's video that this was the same set of grain empties that Canadian National Railway delivered to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track Sunday morning, August 2. Iowa Interstate moved it out of town with lone SD38-2 IAIS 153 on Monday morning. The train returned loaded this morning behind IAIS 506 and IAIS 511. Late this afternoon, a TP&W crew took it from the TZPR double track and rolled it through East Peoria and Washington to Cruger where it was left on the main track by Grainland Farmers elevator. The crew cut off all six locomotives. Last I saw them, they were on the adjacent siding.    Grain trains co-loaded at various Iowa Interstate-served elevators in central and western Iowa were moving frequently to CN via Peoria since January. I believe the last loaded train was interchanged to CN in mid-June. CN delivered the empties as G889 ...

I learned this train was setting out cars at South Pekin (for pickup by L557 to Emden on Thursday), so I figured I had time to get it on TZPR. Turns out, I had about ten minutes to spare when I arrived Wesley. The signal indication for Main 2 was yellow so I knew a northbound was lined up from Pekin. I turned around and found it at Hilliards. Back to Wesley I went!    The first four cars, covered hoppers, were loaded. Most of the empty tank cars following had 1201 (fusel oil) placards. The last two covered hoppers were loaded as well.    Tonight's L556 was much earlier than usual. I'd guess that a yard crew or another local dragged its cars from Decatur to Mount Pulaski. The L556 crew then went on duty at the latter. I saw L556 arrive Wesley at 1800 one day several years ago. Normally, this train arrives Pekin and enters TZPR property well after dark, even on the longest days.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L556 (Decatur IL to E. Peoria IL) roll...

I went to the Decatur Train Fair today. Shortly after my arrival, I was able to capture Canadian National Railway's daily manifest leaving for Memphis, Tennessee. Even better, the consist include two or three cars (and maybe more) that came off L557 from East Peoria!    Car 23 - UTLX 63090 is an empty tank car, and last contained sodium hydroxide solution (UN 1824). It was pulled from PMP Fermentation Products in Peoria.    Car 24 - TZPR 321848 is a loaded gondola, containing scrap metal. It was pulled from Alter Metal Recycling, probably the Clarke Street facility (Alter also operates a yard for Liberty Steel & Wire).    Car 71 - CNA 415800 is an empty boxcar. I haven't seen boxcars at Amerhart Ltd's Pekin warehouse for awhile, so I'm thinking this car could have last contained zinc ingots. If so, it was pulled from Liberty Steel & Wire Co. at Bartonville. The zinc boxcars ten to be hi-cubes, however. (CN's Peoria and Gilman Subs, which co...

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 dozin...

Sunday morning, I just missed them setting out a block of manifest (ADM traffic) at the North Limit Yard, but at least got it with the CN-bound grain loads as it rolled along the TZPR by PMP Fermentation Products in downtown Peoria. CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. train ZENOE (Zen Noh Grain Eastbound Loads) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Uptown Subdivision Sunday morning, June 14, 2026. IAIS 503 and IAIS 506 were on the point. Earlier, manifest cars were set out at the North Limit Yard. Normally, these potash empties move as PEDAV (Peoria IL to Davenport IA), but this one is reportedly bound for the Vermilion Valley Railroad at Danville. All I can think of is that the trainset is going into short-term storage. Routing would be IAIS-Chicago-CSX-Danville-VVRR. Radio chatter indicated Iowa Interstate would take the train to Chicago with a crew change at Bureau Junction.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. train PEBI (Peoria IL to Blue Island IL) rolls th...

Not sure what is with CSXT units leading local freight trains, but I don't mind. Notably, CSXT 775 was involved in that near-collision April 2 in Bushnell Florida. It was leading the train that scraped the rear of a school bus after the bus driver decided to cross in front of it. She was fired and arrested for her stupidity.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin mainline late-afternoon Tuesday, May 19, 2026. CSXT 775 and CN 3192 have 40 cars. CSX coil steel car is for Hanna Steel. Two FSR gondolas are loaded with scrap metal from KJRY-served Hitchcock Scrap Yard in Canton. Tuesday was one of those rare occasions that Union Pacific's MPECL is called late, and I can see it. I actually stumbled on it accidentally, and by chance got it after missing its departure. Consist is surprisingly short since Friday's train reportedly was made up of just 49 empty plastic pellet covere...

I went to the Wesley Road crossing at Hilliards, and the flashers and gates activated briefly then went back up. I looked both ways and just saw a feed train cut at crossing. No sign of L557. I headed south on Rt. 29. The CN-IAIS grain train (not sure if loaded or empty) was at Pekin. I went into Pekin, got gas at Circle K (40 cents off 4-7pm this evening!) and headed back north. I encountered L557 at Grove so I turned around and found a spot at IC Junction. Lighting was poor, but can't have everything...   I should note that the CSX coil steel car was brought up to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard by last night's L556 and left with the two units on the Creve Coeur Team Track. They seem to be doing this with cars for local industries (Hanna Steel, Amerhart) instead of leaving them at that siding in Pekin.    The empty hydrochloric acid tank car is interesting. Perhaps the Iowa Interstate Railroad received this car when loaded and it has returned ...

List, I stumbled on something interesting this afternoon. I heard chatter about the CN local coming into the TZPR's East Peoria Yard (which I assumed to be power coming off the Team Track), and also IMRR 43 on Main 2 at Wesley. Turns out, Canadian National's local, L557, soon departed on Main 1 (as usual), passing IMRR 43, which was on the point of L556 from last night. I don't know if CN left the train on Main 2 because weather-related delays meant they had no time to yard the train, or the yard lacked room.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls out of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late-afternoon Tuesday, April 28, 2026. CN 3192 has 47 cars. The lumber load up front was probably "turned" in the yard and is for Amerhart at Pekin.   Normally, L556 arrives East Peoria in darkness, so it was nice to catch the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Industry 4" pull the consist through...

Canadian National's Peoria Sub was busy today. An empty grain train was delivered to Iowa Interstate, local L557 worked south as usual on Thursday, and a weed sprayer train ran north, entered the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at IC Junction in Pekin, turned at Wesley and headed back south to home rails this afternoon.  CAPTION: A Canadian National weed spray train is shown mid- to late-afternoon Thursday, April 23, 2026 rolling along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois. Later, it is shown on home rails at IC Junction in downtown Pekin, at 5th Street near South Pekin, and again at the intersection with Main Street in South Pekin. CN 5289, an SD40-2W, has six cars.   - David P. Jordan

After work, I headed into town on I-474 and exited on SW Adams Street for the chance that Union Pacific's MPECL was late, as it is on occasion. Unfortunately, Adams Street Yard was empty. So I crossed the river to check out the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. While in the vicinity, I heard radio chatter about a TZPR 2133 seeking permission from Iowa Junction to East Peoria. I retraced my earlier journey on I-474 (construction on the Cedar Street Bridge would have delayed me too long), and found a train moving toward the bridge. Although a TZPR unit was on the point, all cars made it obvious that this was a TP&W train.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local, EP1, is heading toward the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge at Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, April 21, 2026. TZPR 2133 has 20 cars (most if not all are from Mapleton).   While heading for Peoria the second time, I noticed the tail end of Canadian...

I had a heads up that Canadian National's L557 local was about to, or already had. left East Peoria, and decided to take Rt. 98 and then a left on Rt. 29. This was a good decision because the train had entered Pekin just ahead of me.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls enters home rails at IC Junction in downtown Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, April 16, 2026. Steel coil and lumber loads, for Hanna Steel and Amerhart, respectively were "turned" at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard rather than being set out at Pekin (perhaps L556's crew was short on time?). CN 3192 has 37 cars.   I normally don't post UP Joliet/Springfield Sub action here, but something stood out with a possible local connection.    There were nine RISX covered hoppers on today's MBNAS (in groups of six and three). All empties. Those markings are familiar to me because similar RISX-marked cars are assig...

Old 3192 remains on the L556/L557 for now. First car is that coal load that I saw on MPECL March 13. I guess it is finally going back to ADM at Decatur. The HOME SHOP FOR REPAIR DO NOT LOAD decal is interesting, as the car is already loaded. An empty tank car, which last contained sodium hydroxide solution, came from PMP Fermentation Products in Peoria. Alcohol loads are probably from both BioUrja and Alto plants. The two boxcars on the rear are zinc ingot empties from Liberty Steel & Wire.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls by Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track mid-afternoon Tuesday, April 14, 2026. CN 3192 has 40 cars.   Des Moines haulage grain trains haven't run on the Iowa Interstate (IAIS) since August 2021, and those had 85 cars. This one is probably for loading at an IAIS-served elevator, in which case the Regional gets a rate division. NS power must...

This afternoon, I was able to capture this IAIS-CN grain extra on the CN side. The train rolled right through downtown Pekin at or near posted speed limit (10mph). That was in contrast to my first encounter with the train on February 15 when the conductor de-trained and walked it across 3rd Street at no more than 2-3mph!    I don't know how long several Iowa Interstate-served elevators - reportedly Landus Coop at Atlantic and Adair and Heartland Coop at Dexter, Kellogg and Malcolm - will continue these trains but this is great for variety of activity on two lines which serve Peoria.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway grain extra G888 (E. Peoria IL to Helvetia LA) is shown in various stages and at various locations on Saturday afternoon, April 11, 2026. The crew ran engine lite from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Creve Coeur Team Track down Main No. 1 then crossed over to No. 2 to attach to the train at Hilliards. After departing an hour later, power runbys are...

After crossing the river on Interstate 474, I heard the Canadian National local crew get a warrant from IC Junction south (probably to Mount Pulaski). I figured the train had just departed East Peoria, so I turned around. It was passing Hilliards when I got back across the river. Train had a scrap metal load, alcohol loads and some ADM grain product loads from the Iowa Interstate.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad as it enters Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, April 7, 2026. CN 3192 left East Peoria with 30 cars, and added three empties from Hanna Steel. Other scenes are at IC Junction in Pekin and at Hanna Drive. Final scene is at Fifth Street near South Pekin.   - David P. Jordan

After work, I caught this TP&W-CN grain extra rolling east through Secor, so I set up at El Paso and again at Gridley.  I had my camera set to "Auto," which unfortunately suffers from an object at the 1080 setting. I usually shoot 4k, so I switched it for the runby at Gridley.    TP&W-served elevators at Cruger (Grainland Farmers) and Chenoa (Prairie Central Cooperative) have loaded unit trains for BNSF, Canadian National, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific, all with run-through power. With this TP&W-CN train, I've now caught all five.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew assembled a grain at Grainland Farmers' Cruger, Illinois elevator mid-afternoon Monday, April 6, 2026 and departed east for Gilman, Illinois where the train will be handed off to Canadian National Railway. Video locations are El Paso and Gridley. CN 2665 and CN 3978 have 113 cars.   - David P. Jordan

The first gondola is empty. The AMFX covered hopper is used by BioUrja Renewables LLC, probably for outbound DDG (mash). The other three gondolas were loaded. Obviously not coiled wire rod. Scrap metal can usually be seen above the rim. My guess is steel billets.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, running from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, is shown at Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois. After river traffic clears, the train crosses the Illinois River. TZPR 1352 and IMRR 43 have five cars. I had come through Peoria to see the fourth empty grain train delivered to IAIS since January. Interestingly, they received one in February and two so far (Friday morning) this month!  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. train PENT (Peoria IL to Newton IA) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge early-afternoon Sunday, March 22, 2026. Shortly, the train rolls by the Ft. of Chicago Street and BioUrja Renewables LLC's Peoria distillery. Train arrived...

While hoping to see CN's local, I happened upon the Illinois & Midland RR local on its return leg from East Peoria to Powerton. The tank car was loaded, though I'm not sure with what. I'm guessing soybean oil for Agridyne LLC at Crescent. Then we have 14 loaded covered hoppers. As there are no ADM markings, I figure these are DDG loads from The Andersons at Clymers, Indiana that had come off the TP&W. These are followed by eleven zinc oxide loads for which IMRR acts as a bridge route between TP&W (East Peoria/TZPR) and CPKC (Springfield). A denatured alcohol load and empty bathtub coal car bring up the rear.  CAPTION: An Illinois & Midland Railroad Powerton Roadswitcher rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, March 17, 2026. HESR 2107 and IMRR 2108 have 28 cars.   After capturing the Illinois & Midland RR local, I saw that the CN local had already departed, but figured it was still ...

I happened upon this train at Wesley, having just departed. Notables in the consist include three TZPR gondolas with unknown loads (possibly steel billets from Liberty Steel & Wire) and two twin-bay covered hoppers, most likely loaded with granulated slag from Harsco's Powerton facility. The three covered hoppers on the rear, likely loaded with dry fertilizer, were the same three I saw on that Tazewell & Peoria RR local Sunday afternoon.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls by Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track shortly after leaving East Peoria mid-afternoon Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Later, the train enters Pekin, and then home rails at IC Junction. CN 3192 has 19 cars.   - David P. Jordan

Last month, I missed the first of these grain trains moving empty north and loaded south. This month, I missed the northbound empties but today I caught the loads being moved out of Pekin by CN. These trains are co-loaded at Malcom and Kellogg, Iowa on the Iowa Interstate Railroad for a port in the New Orleans area for export.  CAPTION: An encounter with a Canadian National Railway grain extra for me on Sunday, February 15, 2026 began with a light engine movement by the old Chicago & Illinois & Midland Railway depot at IC Junction in Pekin, Illinois. IC 1028 and CN 2315 then coupled to 108 cars left early Saturday morning by the Iowa Interstate Railroad on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Main 2. Train is shown briefly at N. 3rd Street and Washington Street and then the whole train races across 5th Street near South Pekin.   After catching the CN power moving engine lite, it seemed odd that they sat for awhile between Ann Eliza and N. 2nd streets. Turns out, they ...