Peoria Station

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad's last day as a common carrier. How appropriate to capture an Iowa Interstate train running on former Rock Island track! CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. train PEDAV (Peoria IL to Davenport IA) is shown on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad passing the new (1967) Rock Island depot at Morton Street in Peoria, Illinois and then Fairholm Avenue as it enters the North Limit Yard late-afternoon Monday, March 31, 2025. Later, the train is shown at Peoria Heights on home rails. Further up the Peoria Sub, the whole train is shown twice - at San Koty and then at Mossville. All scenes are on the former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, which made its final runs as a common carrier 45 years ago today! IAIS 153 has 105 potash empties for Canadian Pacific Kansas City. - David P. Jordan

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...

One week away! Those who bought tickets in time for the Iowa Interstate Railroad's Chillicothe-Henry excursions May 18, will be first to experience a ride behind steam on this line in 57 years. We know this fact because the  Peoria Morning Star  ran a story March 5, 1952 with the headline, All Diesel Power Passenger Trains On R. I. This Month . Delivery of six EMD E-8A passenger diesels enabled the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad to retire steam passenger power which then pulled Nos. 9 and 230, the nightly locals between Peoria and Chicago. The locomotive believed to have pulled the last steam-powered passenger train on the Rock Island's Peoria-Bureau line was 4-6-2 No. 886. In 1956, the Peoria Jaycees asked the Rock Island to donate this locomotive to Peoria for public display. After it was learned that 886 had been scrapped, sister 887 was renumbered "886" and substituted as a gift to the Peoria group. "New 886" moved to Peoria on a fr...