Peoria Station

Peoria International Airport can not only handle the world's biggest planes, but has handled them. All of them. But they are not regular visitors. If fact, their local appearance is rare.  United States Air Force Boeing E-4A "Nightwing," a military version of the 747, serves as an airborn command post, and are based at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska. These big jets first visited Peoria for practice flying ("touch-n-goes") in 1980, on January 15 when it blew out some of the runway landing lights, and again on August 12. I saw them in September 1989 and November 1990. I've heard reports that they've visited Peoria at least several times since.  The first appearance by a United States Air Force C-5A Galaxy probably occured in 1983. It happened twice. The first on April 8 to reportedly ship military hardware to Thailand. On October 9, one of the big jets loaded personnel and equipment from the 182nd ANG unit for exercises at Eglin Air Force Base ...

I happened upon this early Sunday afternoon. I didn't stick around for its departure once it had a BNSF crew, as I had other things to do.   Reportedly, this train was the last unit train of corn Grainland Coop's Cruger elevator will load for Mexico. If so, symbol is probably G-PEIELP (Grain, Peoria IL to El Paso TX).  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew runs a loaded BNSF grain train along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at East Peoria and the Illinois River Bridge at Peoria early afternoon Sunday, August 4, 2024. BNSF 4194, BNSF 4763 and BNSF 4361 were on the point. I wasn't able to get the whole train.   - David P. Jordan