Peoria Station

Just before 1:00 this afternoon, I learned that a TP&W job was leaving East Peoria for Crandall and then Morton. So I headed out to Crandall and waited. The TPW 5009 and a single tank car (which I assume was a herbicide load, though the coil springs weren't pressed as one would expect for a load) stopped, the conductor detrained.   The usual routine is to pull up to Crandall on Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District, pull past the switch, then the conductor lines it for the train and the train shoves into the siding. After that, they line the switch into the connection, pull onto the TP&W's Morton Industrial Spur, and then shove toward Morton.    Something must have been wrong with the mainline switch. The crew shoved west of it and waited for awhile. By mid-afternoon, the crew shoved the train back to Farmdale and into the East Peoria Yard.   At least I saw the train come as far as Crandall, and a rare instance of shoving back to East Peoria on the NS...

I was stuck at work until 3:00pm today but learned that a Norfolk Southern extra (D09) had been called to fetch 53 grain loads from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in East Peoria. In late-summer, local grain elevators empty their silos to prepare for the harvest, thus unusual movements like this.     ADM Grain Co's Hilliards (Creve Coeur) elevator loaded these cars during the past week. The elevator can only handle 25 (or so) at a time, so TZPR had to pull one cut and spot more and combine them. I noticed what was probably part of the train sitting on the Nickel Plate on Thursday. Given the train's length, I am assuming it is consigned to an ADM plant in Decatur.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Train D09 (Bloomington District Extra) rolls between Deer Creek and Goodfield, Illinois mid-afternoon on September 6, 2025, a rare Saturday run out of East Peoria. NS 7561 and NS 9747 have 53 cars loaded at ADM Grain's Hilliards, Illinois elevator.   - David P. Jorda...

I just missed its departure yesterday. How rare is it to be able to capture the same train the next day?   Shortly after arriving home this afternoon, I learned that D49 was still in the Farmdale area. I did not want to risk missing it by driving I-74 or Rt. 150 into East Peoria and then backtracking to Farmdale, I decided to wait at Crandall.   I made the right move. The train came by just before 4:00pm.    After tying up at Farmdale Road due to hours of service by Wednesday evening, I assumed the crew would finish its trip first thing Thursday morning. I'm not sure why they waited until afternoon. It was probably because they either used D32's power to perform local work in Bloomington-Normal this morning, and only had time to work Wednesday's East Peoria train in the afternoon.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown rolling across the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's Morton Industrial Spur at Crand...

It took long enough for Liberty Steel & Wire to begin shipping coiled wire rod by rail. Workers were recalled to both the steel and rod mills and wire mills in March. Maybe regular rod traffic will prompt NS to improve service on the Bloomington District? My last encounter with a D49 handling coiled wire rod was slightly more than a year ago, on July 1, 2024!    I heard two weeks ago that Norfolk Southern did not run a D36 (Normal to Decatur) for three days in a row! Decatur's yard has been a mess for years now, and crew shortages continue. In the past, Norfolk Southern has bounced back from either a self-inflicted traffic meltdown (post Conrail split in 1999) or loss of business due to recession (2008-2009), but business seems to have stagnated and then dropped off the past six years.   Although D49 is carded to run Monday thru Friday, an East Peoria turn may happen at most three times a week. Unpredictable service, higher pricing, and lack of crews to run trains...

It wasn't long ago that TP&W made a Morton trip to pull two empty tank cars, leaving one load. So I was surprised to see then again so soon.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local runs engine lite across Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District at Crandall, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Shortly, HESR 2107 will run along the connecting track and then race toward Farmdale Switch to return to home rails in East Peoria. Last scene shows tank cars at Fort Transfer Company in Morton. One was left from the previous trip, and two more loads were brought in this day. - David P. Jordan

Before leaving work, I learned that Norfolk Southern local D49 was in East Peoria, and the GoRail unit (NS 6963) was leading. I figured a chance to see it just after work, which is what I did. Five cars on the head end are plastic loads, likely storage-in-transit business from Equistar Chemicals LP on the Illinois & Midland RR.  CAPTION:   Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown on its return leg mid-afternoon Thursday, October 31, 2024. NS 6963, the "GoRail" unit, and NS 6923, have 20 cars for Good Yard in Normal. Scene is at N. Main Street in Morton. :     - David P. Jordan

The tank car TP&W delivered to Fort Transfer Company in Morton on February 28 was pulled Tuesday, April 2. This morning, they delivered one car to Fort Transfer and returned to East Peoria engine lite.  As usual, I didn't hear it until it blew for the crossings on the way out of town... CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew used IORY 5007 to deliver a single tank car to Fort Transfer Company in Morton, Illinois late-morning Saturday, April 6, 2024. I couldn't hear the horn blowing until it departed engine lite. Various scenes at Nebraska Ave in Morton, and at Harding Road, Crandall Junction and along Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District at N. Main Street. Final view shows the tank car at Fort Transfer.   - David P. Jordan