Peoria Station

I left work this afternoon knowing an Iowa Interstate was leaving town, so I decided to give chase, finally catching up to it at Sparland. I'm glad I did as I was able to document the contents of the six gondolas bringing up the rear.    I shot overhead video from the wood road bridge at Putnam. The gondolas contain iron oxide shipped from Waelz Sustainable Products' Clymers, Indiana facility. I can't think of a destination for this product on the Iowa Interstate so they are likely going to CPKC at Davenport. Thus, IAIS is acting as a bridge line between the TP&W and CPKC! CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls between Sparland and Henry late-afternoon Friday, October 17, 2025. Later, it is shown from the wooden road bridge at Putnam. Power runbys at Rt. 26 and entering the mainline at Bureau Junction minutes later conclude the chase. IAIS 151 has 77 cars. - David P. Jordan

No sooner did I arrive East Peoria this afternoon did I hear the Iowa Interstate PESI crew asked for permission from the West Lead (East Peoria) to the North Limit Yard. Train was an unusually short six cars.   But it had a gem: two gondolas on the head end were loaded with the grayish granular stuff known as iron oxide. They were on a "Luthy Turn" from Logansport, Indiana last Wednesday.   Those gondolas are loaded at Waelz Sustainable Products (WSP) at Clymers, Indiana. New business! And since I can't think of a customer on the IAIS that would use iron oxide (except perhaps Gerdau AmeriSteel at Wilton), I suspect these cars will be going to CPKC at Davenport.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI is shown running along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at several locations in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, April 14, 2025. IAIS 707 and IAIS 153 have six cars (four loads, two empties), including two iron oxide loads (new business!) from the TP&W. ...

I caught another TP&W westbound freight on Sunday!   Athough short, the train had an ecclectic mix of power and rolling stock...and probably new business. The two GBRX gondolas on the head end were laden with the same gray, granular commodity as the BNSF steel hopper mid-train. I can only deduct that these were from the Waelz Sustainable Products plant in Clymers, Indiana.   Since 2022, zinc oxide has been moving from WSP in RISX covered hoppers to Union Pacific at Peoria (via TZPR for awhile now). Iron oxide, another by-product of recycling EAF bag dust from steel mills, has some uses as pigments for paints, coatings and inks, as well as in iron and steel production. It can also be used by the concrete industry.    Note also that there were four RISX covered hoppers on today's train. While most of these zinc oxide loads go to UP, some of have been recently seen as routed TPW-TZPR-IMRR-Springfield-CPKC.    The DOWX tank car, containing a non-haz...

The weather was nice but windy Sunday afternoon as I parked along BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision.    The first train to show, an eastbound, was primarily intermodal but with a block of autoracks on the rear. The second, also eastbound, had seven reefers mid-train. I like that kind of variety. After a third eastbound, I moved from North Rice Road to Princeville to check for activity at the Seneca Foods plant (one boxcar on spot, two empties "constructively placed" on the siding). No sooner did the fourth eastbound cleared the crossing did a westbound show its face. After another westbound, I headed for home, and another adventure... Train symbols in order are: S-CLOLPC1-04A (Port Stack Intermodal, Clovis NM to Logistics Park Center IL) Z-STOWSP7 (Priority UPS-LTL Intermodal, Stockton CA to Willow Springs IL) Z-PHXWSP8-04A (Priority UPS-LTL Intermodal, Phoenix AZ to Willow Springs IL) Z-LACWSP4-04U (Priority UPS-LTL Intermodal, Los Angeles/Hobart CA to Willow Springs IL) ...

Since yesterday's Norfolk Southern local D49 made its East Peoria turn so late, it "died" near Goodfield. I was hoping it would be late again so I could see the return leg after work. I didn't see it, and wonder if it even made the East Peoria trip today?  With no sign of D49, I crossed the river and approached Adams Street Yard just as Union Pacific's MPECL was receiving instructions from the dispatcher. At least the second locomotive was an NS unit!  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, April 18, 2023. UP 5524 and NS 8063 have 36 cars.  Social media provided a heads up that this train had cleared Washington around 1725. I was at the downtown library but decided not to break my rule ("when you can see a TP&W road train, do so"). Turns out, I had plenty of time. I waited maybe 15 minutes at Bittersweet Road (last crossing eas...