Peoria Station

I happened to catch M-GALPEI having just entered Tazewell & Peoria property at Darst Street, so I headed to the riverfront for the only really good lighting left. Then I went to the library intending to catch M-PEIGAL later. What I did not count on was that M-PEIGAL left earlier than I figured it would, and that Norfolk Southern train D47 was cleared to run from Farmdale to P&PU Junction and into the East Peoria Yard at the same time. Fortunately, I got both! CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls across the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge at Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, October 9, 2026. BNSF 7429 and BNSF 1109 have 20 cars. In early evening, counterpart M-PEIGAL rolls by Kramm Road, a few miles west of Edwards, Illinois. I heard some radio chatter from the MOP giving instructions into the yard as well as where the outbound was, but didn't pickup the train symbol or control points. So I checked t...

I went to the Farmdale area almost immediately after work and encountered Norfolk Southern D47 on its trip back to Good Yard at Normal.  When D49 moved from a morning to an evening call time on August 24, it seemed likely that a daylight job would be put on soon to support increased Rivian output.  Hopefully, D47 is actually a regular job now, and an East Peoria turn is one of its regular duties. (This seems likely; a commenter on the video wrote that he saw it yesterday behind the Dollar Tree in East Peoria.) CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Train D47 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL) rolls through the Farmdale area of East Peoria, Illinois on its return leg to Good Yard in Normal, mid-afternoon Thursday, October 8, 2026. NS 7011 and NS 7034 have 60 cars. - David P. Jordan

Early Sunday afternoon, I learned that the TP&W was handling a grain extra out of Chenoa for Union Pacific at Peoria. This was the second train in as many days, one had been pulled from Grainland Farmers' Cruger elevator on Saturday. I did not see it, but understand it was also delivered to Union Pacific at Adams Street Yard. Apparently, the two carriers have decided to shift their interchange point for grain trains from Crescent/Powerton near Pekin or the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track mainline to Adams Street Yard/Low Line in Peoria. Saturday's Cruger train is reportedly bound for Mexico via Eagle Pass, Texas, and Sunday's Chenoa train is probably going to Mexico as well.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran this grain extra from Prairie Central Coop's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop Sunday afternoon, October 4, 2026. UP 5731, UP 8785 and UP 5640 were on the point of 115 loads. Train is shown at Cruger, Washington, Ea...

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...

The first 60 cars (22 loaded Incobrasa, 38 plastic empties) were probably from the Illinois & Midland RR, and the two IMRR geeps were probably on the transfer run from Powerton! CAPTION: An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway M-Train, sometimes called M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL), rolls by W. Bittersweet Road in Farmdale, Illinois shortly after leaving the East Peoria Yard early-evening Friday, September 18, 2026. TPW 3481, IMRR 2108 and IMRR 2084 have 77 cars. - David P. Jordan

List, It is always good to see one of the local G&W shortlines working. This job crossed the river with empty tank cars for BioUrja and BNSF's M-GALPEI waited its turn to cross the river.  CAPTION: The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Industry 4" crosses the Illinois River into Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, September 9, 2026. TPW 2105 has ten cars for the West Yard. I was surprised to see BNSF run an M-GALPEI on Wednesday when it ran (and flipped back as M-PEIGAL) on Tuesday. Tuesday's train would have run Monday if not for the Labor Day holiday. I'm not complaining though. Maintaining frequency is a good thing...  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Pottstown, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Later, the train is shown on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad near Bridge Junction enroute to East Peoria. BNSF 7825 and BNSF 6871 have 22 cars. I learned that an empty Union Pacifi...

Despite the heat and humidity, I went out this morning after learning an an Iowa Interstate ZENO-E train was due into Peoria. At San Koty (a few miles north of Peoria), I made a right from Rt. 29 across the track and parked by the Firefighter training center with seconds to spare before I heard the horn. The train had a block of manifest cars on the head end. I can confirm that there were 23 as they were set out at the North Limit Yard, and the empty coil steel car was last. Sometime in early afternoon, the rest of the train crossed the river and left it on Main 2 at Hilliards, breaking it at the elevator access road crossing.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate train ZENO-E (Grain, Atlantic IA to Peoria IL) rolls by San Koty, Illinois a few miles from the North Limit Yard in Peoria, Illinois, where 23 manifest cars on the head end were set out. The 111 grain loads will go to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track main. IAIS 501 and IAIS 506 have 134 cars. In mid-afternoon,...

I learned that an Iowa Interstate PESI was at East Peoria this morning, and later was able to shoot video of it at San Koty, a few miles out of the North Limit Yard. This train of 92 cars may have had only ten loads. The last six cars of the second block of covered hoppers were loaded. Two denatured alcohol (UN 1987), an iron oxide load (CIGX gondola) and a coil steel load (NS coil care car) were the others. NOTE: IAIS 152 was coupled to a PEDAV (potash empties) this morning and afternoon, but I saw no sign of a crew, probably tomorrow.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along home rails at San Koty, Illinois late-morning Sunday, August 30, 2026. IAIS 503 has 92 cars. Incobrasa Industries' massive expansion at Gilman, and purchase of the American Milling Co. feed mill and barge dock at Crescent (Pekin) has created sufficient volume for the TP&W to run East Peoria-Powerton turns for direct interchange with the Illinois & Midl...

 List, I was in the right place at the right time this afternoon to catch this movement. I found the first clearing with good lighting and took it. The tank cars were empty, so they are probably going to be spotted for loading at soybean oil tanks ("Cargill Oil Storage") adjacent MacroSource's North Pekin fertilizer mixing facility. The 18 covered hoppers are grain mash loads for ADM Grain Co's Hilliards (Creve Coeur) dock. I did not hear the train designation, but it might be Lead 3. I heard IMRR 43 as "Industry 4" enroute to Pekin a short time later.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local rolls down Main 2 through Wesley East enroute to Hilliards with cars for Cargill Oil Storage (c/o MacroSource) and ADM Grain Co. TPW 5008 has 20 cars. I actually went into East Peoria because of this.    Norfolk Southern train D47 arrived the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late Monday afternoon. Normally, D49 handles this business in ...

I missed SIPE coming in this morning, but captured PESI's departure in the afternoon.    SIPE arrived with three locomotives, but 153 was left on the Creve Coeur Team Track for the next ZENOW, which Canadian National brought up this morning. I also noticed that the North Limit Yard was full, so this morning's SIPE may have set out most or all of its cars there and ran engine light to East Peoria.    As noted in the caption below, today's PESI had a good variety of traffic/rolling stock. The coiled wire rod loads are from Liberty Steel & Wire Co's Bartonville mill. These movements seem to be occasional, but only started after Liberty reopened after idling the plant in 2024-2025. I believe they go east from Chicago on CSX.    The coil steel load was received from Norfolk Southern and is enroute to a transload at Altoona, Iowa.   The five Incobrasa covered hoppers are empty. Usually, TP&W hands off 20 to 25 at a time for loading in central...

I came across this Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local waiting by BioUrja Renewables LLC's plant for the bridge to come down, which happened shortly. Train had four corn syrup empties (probably from PMP Fermentation Products, though those usually have ADMX markings), two other empty tank cars (possibly buffer cars), a beverage alcohol load, two denatured alcohol placarded tank cars which appear empty (second one has a home shop decal), a corn syrup tank car that appears to be loaded, and two truck chassis loads from Komatsu.   CAPTION: The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Industry 1" job diverges toward Bridge Junction in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, July 31, 2026. IMRR 43 has 12 cars, including two Komatsu truck chassis loads for the East Peoria Yard. A good substitute for missing Union Pacific's MPECL Friday afternoon. I have been working a lot of overtime lately, so I have less time for these encounters. I assume BNSF is still trying to run its G...

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...

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...

No Caterpillar loads on this Monday. The first 13 cars (maybe 14, but that car is empty) were from Friday's Keokuk Junction Railway delivery. Ten cars near the end are likely ADM corn germ/meal, etc. from the Iowa Interstate.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Local, Normal IL to E. Peoria turn) is shown on its return leg to Good Yard at Normal, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, June 29, 2026. First scene is at N. Main Street in Morton's outskirts and then again at Deer Creek with a slow order. NS 3228, NS 7021 and NS 5116 (Des Moines unit via IAIS) have 45 cars. - David P. Jordan

After a family reunion in Indiana Sunday afternoon, I caught a TP&W local moving from Effner to near Gilman. The consist of 88 cars could have been entirely for Incobrasa Industries' Gilman plant complex (which opened a second soybean crushing facility last week, and was dedicated on June 22). This includes three methanol loads (UN 1230) near the end, but it is the TP&W, so I'll include it here.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local journeys westward from Effner to Gilman, Illinois late-afternoon and early-evening Sunday, June 28, 2026. The crew had earlier worked from Gilman to Effner with the first two units, adding TPW 5008 and flipping back with what appears to be a solid train for Incobrasa Industries. Scenes are at Sheldon, 2500 East Road, Watseka and Crescent City. MQT 3407, IORY 3492 and TPW 5008 have 88 cars. Monday morning's "M-Train" had 32 Incobrasa covered hoppers on the head end. It is possible that some are soybean meal l...

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 worked until 5:00pm on Friday, but learned that a TP&W "M-Train" had left East Peoria maybe 30 minutes prior. So instead of going home first, I took off east and found the train between Eureka and Secor, able to beat it to the latter, though not by much (the slow order from earlier this year has been fixed). I got it again in El Paso.    I'm glad I had my camera in the car.    The two units on Friday's train are the newest power seen on the TP&W. Until earlier this year, the OHCR 3329 had been sitting at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Creve Coeur diesel shop since 2024. BERX 6908 arrived in mid-May, and was quickly pressed into service. BERX is the reporting mark for Genesee & Wyoming Inc's Berkshire & Eastern Railroad, which is the neutral operator of the Pan Am Southern, a company jointly owned by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway. Apparently, C40-8Ws make the BERX 6908, and SD40-2s, superfluous.    Friday's ea...

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...

Based on Thursday's TZPR interchange receipt and what was already at Adams Street Yard (from KJRY and TP&W), I knew Union Pacific's MPECL would be decent-sized on Friday. I left work two hours early, and caught a rollby at the old Molitor Junction (MP 80). I then decided to head up I-474 and Rt. 6. Despite the glacial speeds due to construction activity, I actually beat MPECL by at least ten minutes! That lone rebuilt CM44AC was struggling with 80 cars as it crested the hill, but made it!  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by MP 80 shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, June 5, 2026. Later, the train has conquered Pioneer Hill on the northwest side of town. UP 7284 has 80 cars. I missed it on Tuesday, but after chasing Union Pacific's MPECL, I encountered the Keokuk Junction Railway local Friday afternoon, capturing it in both directions. PREX 2003 and PREX 2035 are newly painted in...

Heard of a late East Peoria interchange run, so camera already in my car, I drove from work to here to capture it. Both ways it turns out. Short train to, but longer train from. The loaded OZIX twin-bay covered hopper on the returning train is interesting. There are several rail-served Chicagoland Ozinga facilities accessible to UP, and one UP-served facility at Milwaukee.  CAPTION: Union Pacific's LPD01 ("Peoria Wayfreight") is shown at Peoria, Illinois mid- to late-afternoon Thursday, June 4, 2026. UP 7284 delivered 13 cars to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at East Peoria, and returned to Adams Street Yard with 52. Heard a northbound get warrants out of South Pekin. As soon as I arrived Cilco Lane, they were cleared to cross the Illinois River. It did not take long for them to show up. Probably bound for Rock River Lumber & Grain at Sterling. As soon as I returned to Peoria, LPD01 had clearance from East Peoria back to Adams Street Yard.  CAPTION: A northbound...