Peoria Station

List, Driving westbound on I-74, I heard radio chatter which took several glances to confirm it was the NS road channel (161.145mhz). I was able to turn around at Pinecrest.   It seemed that D49 was getting a track warrant from Farmdale to MP 379 (Good Yard), but as I neared N. Main Street with a clear view of the Bloomington District , I noticed the train was already rolling by Crandall and the TP&W crossing.   An attempt to beat the train to Deer Creek failed, so I elected to get back on I-74 at Goodfield and get ahead of it at Carlock. As you can see, my plan succeeded.    Today's train was heavy, and probably the first since Thursday. Besides the four Caterpillar track-type tractor loads, we have the usual ADM traffic (two blocks) off the Iowa Interstate, plastic pellets off the Illinois & Midland, and alcohol, carbon dioxide refrigerated liquid and coiled wire rod loads from Tazewell & Peoria Railroad-served industries. CAPTION: Norfolk Southe...

I went to Deer Creek and waited, then chased to Carlock and Yuton. Five Caterpillar D9 tractor loads were worth the chase. Four OZIX (Ozinga) 2-bay covered hoppers were loaded, but based on their appearance on a D49 in July 2025 (before Ozinga's Peoria transfer dock was built) they might contain granulated slag from Harsco's Powerton plant (they are with EQUX plastic cars and other slag loads that most certainly came from IMRR).  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) is shown at Deer Creek, Illinois on its return leg from East Peoria to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, May 11, 2026. Later, it rolls through Carlock and pauses at Yuton so the conductor can line the switch into the make up track at Good Yard. NS 6968 and NS 6923 have 50 cars. Note five Caterpillar D9 track-type tractor loads.   M-PEIGAL will have 2? locomotives picked up from the Creve Coeur Team Track.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest,...

After work, I learned that Norfolk Southern's D49 local had already left East Peoria. I decided to go after it, catching just before Carlock. I knew I could not set up in time there, but exited I-74 (due to construction) onto US 150 (waiting on the train in town) and just barely beating it to Yuton, where it had slowed before pausing for the conductor to line the switch into the "make up" track and into Good Yard's Track 5.    This was a good one. Three Caterpillar tractor loads (one D10 and two D11s), four coiled wire rod loads, a plastic load (from IMRR), an alcohol load and the usual ADM traffic from the Iowa Interstate. Two empty coil steel cars from IAIS, and a scrap metal empty. Two probable steel billet empties (also from IAIS), brought up the rear. CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway Train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown slowing at Yuton, Illinois as it approaches its home terminal, Good Yard, in Normal late-afternoon Wednesday, April 22, 2026...

After work, I was able to capture Norfolk Southerns D49 local on its way back to Good Yard. The train's consist was nothing unusual, but loads and empties are pretty identifiable.   The first five cars were loaded covered hoppers, two with ADMX markings. These contained some kind of grain product. Since ADM no longer operates its Peoria distillery (sold to BioUrja Renewables LLC in late-2021), these must have been received from the Iowa Interstate Railroad (from Cedar Rapids) or Union Pacific (Clinton).   The two NS gondolas were empty, and are probably in steel billet service. Recently, Norfolk Southern began delivering these to the Iowa Interstate (via TZPR). They reportedly originate down south for the Gerdau AmeriSteel mini-mill at Wilton, Iowa.    Sixteen more covered hoppers, many with ADMX markings, indicate a block of grain product loads from a connecting line, probably Iowa Interstate.    Then we have a single two-bay covered hopper. I beli...

I just happened to notice the tail end of Norfolk Southern train D49 at Farmdale Switch in East Peoria, so I turned around and set up at Deer Creek and again at Carlock for video. Notice today's train has the same number of cars (23) as Wednesday's. CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown on its return leg to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois mid- to late-afternoon Friday, September 12, 2025. Scenes are at Deer Creek and Carlock. NS 4411, NS 7111 and NS 7034 have 23 cars.   - David P. Jordan

Sometime late-Monday or Tuesday morning, a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switch crew pulled the eight Caterpillar tractor loads (and an empty flat car ahead of them) into one of the A Yard's short tracks. That only seven of the tractor loads moved on Wednesday's D49, offers a possible explanation: one was bad ordered. Today's train was short, and just like on January 29 and 30, I began my chase minutes after leaving work!  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 rolls toward Deer Creek, Illinois mid-afternoon Wednesday, February 7, 2024. Later, it rolls through Carlock shortly before ending its run at Good Yard in Normal. NS 3362 and NS 7014 have 18 cars including SEVEN Caterpillar tractor loads.   I returned west and went into East Peoria to check on the Iowa Interstate crew with IAIS 711 reported to be grabbing Des Moines-bound Norfolk Southern high-hood GP38-2 5199 (which I saw on Norfolk Southern D49 January 29 - it came back following an inspection at Decatur)....

No sooner did a get home from work that I checked railfan social media and learned that not only was Norfolk Souther local D49 still at East Peoria, but that a geometry train had turned around at East Peoria and was heading east (timetable south). I didn't know where it was when I left, so I headed to Goodfield and waited.  I didn't wait long.  CAPTION: A Norfolk Southern Geometry Train is shown late-afternoon Monday, August 7, 2023 after turning at East Peoria. NS 9755 has NS 99 ("Belford," a former DL&W car) and NS 34. The train was re-crewed at Good Yard in Normal and ran to Bement. I figured I'd have time to backtrack west for D49, so I set up at N. Main Street just outside Morton and waited, and waited and waited. As distant, faint horn blasts were heard, and eventually growling from a quartet of EMD standard cabs as it struggled to pull its 94-car train up hill, I realized the 55 grain empties brought into town for loading at ADM's Hilliards elevato...

I took today off, and contemplated how to spend it. As events unfolded Thursday, I decided to stay in the area...well almost. First, I checked Good Yard in Normal for any sign of Norfolk Southern local D49. Lately, it seems this train is spending more days of the week pulling loads and spotting empties at Rivian Automotive Inc's adjacent ramp. This means that the East Peoria run is put off until later. But not today. When I arrived, I found D36 made up and parked on the Rivian ramp "balloon" track. No power was in sight. Then, my scanner picked up radio chatter. Moments later, I saw inbound train D32 stopped across College Avenue with NS 3228 and NS 3410 and about 15 cars. I quckly assumed that D49's crew had to pull it in, as D32 usually arrives well before sunrise. Activity died off as soon as the train pulled into and stopped in the yard, so I headed back to Peoria.  As I exited I-74 onto East Washington Street, I caught the tail end of a train which looked suspici...

I learned that Norfolk Southern local D49 didn't leave Good Yard in Normal until late this morning on account of having to switch Rivian Automotive, besides the usual routine of classifying D32. It looks like Rivian is getting switches Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, so that means D49 makes its East Peoria turn later than usual. Today's train delivered 55 cars to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, but it left with only 19. Still, it had to Caterpillar tractor loads. It left TZPR about 1430 hours, so I went after it from work, rather than go home first. I caught it at Goodfield, so I went on to Carlock and waited.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern train D49 rolls through Carlock, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, April 10, 2023. NS 6173 and NS 6122 have 19 cars for Good Yard in Normal. - David P. Jordan

Seven years ago today, I saw a most unusual occurrence (to me at least) with  Norfolk Southern Train D49. I'm replying to the original post I made to the  group but with a link to video I shot of the action. My original comments about this from the PeoriaRails Yahoo! Group on September 15, 2010. I set out early Wednesday morning to see if I could catch Norfolk Southern's  departing D49D train. When I arrived at East Peoria about 6:45am, it had  already left the TZPR yard. So I raced east on I-74 to Bloomington-Normal. A  drive by Good Yard revealed I'd beat the train (as with earlier adventures  with the same train). Where was it? As with most of these adventures, I drove Rt. 150 expecting to  see it roll through Carlock, forcing a quick turn around and then a race  back to a good location offering time to set up my tripod/video. But no D49D  as I drove through Carlock. It hadn't been through Congervill...