Peoria Station

I noticed Iowa Interstate's PESI as I crossed the river on Interstate 74, so I did not have to drive far out of town to catch up to it.    Notably, the first 17 cars are empty and the next 26 are loads. Both blocks are ADM owned/leased. At least 25 of the latter one (not sure on the GBRX car) might be from Decatur via CN. I'm guessing that ADM is sending corn screenings to Cedar Rapids "dry grind" but I can't confirm. Can't think of another reason to send loads from Decatur to IAIS via Peoria, as loads routed IAIS-Peoria-CN/NS seem to be corn germ and corn meal for Decatur.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Grant Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, May 30, 2026. Later, early-evening, the train is on home rails at San Koty, a few miles out of Peoria. IAIS 516 and IAIS 150 have 46 cars. Tonight's run was made up of 25 soybean loads (not sure if f...

I caught this at Ernest Street, just southwest of Washington, with sufficient lighting. Then I shot the power crossing the recently-painted bridge over Peoria Road in Washington.    Consist was mostly typical: 15 TP&W grain empties, 20 Incobrasa grain empties, five empty covered hoppers (one AEX-marked car suggests these are DDGS empties heading for The Andersons in Clymers, Indiana), two ethyl alcohol (UN 1170) and one beverage alcohol (UN 3065) loads, two boxcars containing bagged salt and 11 more empty covered hoppers (possibly DDGS empties for The Andersons as well).  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran this eastbound Manifest train, sometimes called "M-EPEF," or Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL), late-afternoon Saturday, December 6, 2025. The entire train is shown at Ernest Street, just southwest of Washington, Illinois, and later, a brief runby in town. IORY 3472 and HESR 2107 have 56 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I learned only later this afternoon that the NS grain train TP&W delivered to Greenfield on Thursday evening was loaded and heading west. I waited until it was closer, and first encountered it just east of Washington. I assume TP&W left it on the Nickel Plate for a Norfolk Southern crew, which I would have expect to show up quickly if they weren't already there.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway pulled the loaded Norfolk Southern grain train westbound from Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop Thursday afternoon, October 2, 2025. Scenes include a power runby at Washington (newly-painted bridge over Peoria Street), the entire train at Ernest Street, and another power runby at N. Main Street in East Peoria. NS 4870, NS 1154 and NS 9871 have 85 cars. - David P. Jordan

While at work, I learned that a TP&W westbound was on the move, so I hoped to see it after work. I was able to capture it at Cruger and at Ernest Street just southwest of Washington. Unlike recent encounters, today's was a long train.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway westbound road freight, sometimes called "M-EFEP" (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL), rolls by the first Union Pacific-bound grain train to be loaded at Grainland Co-Op's Cruger, Illinois elevator late-afternoon Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Later, the train is seen at Ernest Street just southwest of Washington. IORY 5013, HESR 2107 and RCPE 3481 have 95 cars (the first seven were pulled from Piper City).   I was hoping to capture Iowa Interstate's next PESI. As I hoped, the two iron oxide loads that were on Sunday's TP&W westbound into East Peoria were on it. Look for the 71st and 72nd cars in the video.   A dozen scrap metal loads on the rear are also notable.   ...

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...

Just before leaving work this afternoon, I learned that the Union Pacific-TP&W grain MTs that I missed Thursday afternoon was loaded at Chenoa and headed west. I caught it between Cruger and Washington, in Washington and again (the whole train) at Ernest Street.  CAPTION: A Union Pacific grain train loaded on the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway at Prairie Central Co-Operative's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop is shown just west of Cruger, in Washington and at Ernest Street late-afternoon Friday, March 7, 2025. UP 5908, UP 2563 and UP 8124 were on the point.   - David P. Jordan

Another Sunday, another TP&W westbound. I don't know if this is just for the winter, but I like it and hope it continues indefinitely.  CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) rolls by four locations - west of Secor, Illinois at Cruger, in Washington and at Ernest Street - early afternoon Sunday, February 23, 2025. RCPE 3481, IORY 3472 and CFE 3316 have 38 cars.   - David P. Jordan

After seeing SIPE Saturday afternoon, I figured would run PESI this morning, so I managed to catch it once before the Peoria Train Fair. Looks like 35 DDGS and/or gluten feed pellet empties, and five scrap metal loads.    CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls by the E. Linnet Street crossing off Rt. 29 in Peoria Heights, Illinois late-morning Sunday, February 16, 2025. IAIS 712 and IAIS 151 have 40 cars.  A TP&W westbound was seen near Piper City late this morning, so after an hour or so at the Peoria Train Fair, I decided to head east to intercept. I found it just west of El Paso and shot video in five locations between there and Ernest Street.   Today's train has a decent mix, including 12 limestone loads on the head end. A 15-car block of corn could have been pulled from La Hogue. I noticed a few nitrogen fertilizer solution empties. This traffic, with loads originating at Wever, Iowa, may have been reduced afte...

After work, I was able to capture a short TP&W eastbound manifest leave the East Peoria Yard. After getting it a second time at Ernest Street near Washington, I decided it would be too dark to follow any further.  CAPTION:  Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL) departs the East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Friday, December 6, 2024. TPW 3440, TPW 5008 and TPW 5010 have 30 cars. Later, it rolls across Ernest Street before climbing into Washington. :   - David P. Jordan

Another day, another monster Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway road freight!  A summary of the train's monster consist shows the variety of traffic moving westbound on the TP&W these days -  eleven covered hoppers CORN eight hoppers LIMESTONE two covered hoppers ORGANIC GRAIN two covered hoppers LOADS ???? four gondolas L/C wire rod one cenerbeam flat LUMBER two covered hoppers DDGS two covered hoppers ZINC OXIDE two tank cars L/C nitrogen eight tank cars HOME SHOP five covered hoppers L/C soybeans two covered hoppers SOYBEAN MEAL? two covered hoppers ZINC OXIDE nine covered hoppers DDGS? 54 covered hoppers L/C soybeans three covered hoppers ZINC OXIDE one tank car L/C amines (UN 2735) two covered hoppers L/C grain or dry fertilizer 13 tank cars L/C nitrogen (last one HOME SHOP) CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown early- to mid-afternoon Saturday, March 16, 2024 at Fairbury, Chenoa, Gridley, El Paso,...

After locomotive issues forced a retreat late-Sunday afternoon, TP&W tried again Monday.  I caught it at Washington, but decided a power runby at the Route 8 overpass would do so I had to time to capture the train again a few miles west at Ernest Street. I missed it crossing the Farmdale Trestle but managed to capture it entering yard limits, cutting off the eight crushed limestone loads on the head end and spot them at The Rogers Group/East Peoria Materials quarry! The other cars are for interchange via the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, including three tank cars (probably containing corn oil), eight DDGS loads for the Illinois & Midland, and 14 zinc oxide loads for Union Pacific.  CAPTION: An East Peoria Switcher crew went east engine lite Monday to fetch 33 manifest cars left just east of Secor late Sunday afternoon. Scenes are at the Route 8 underpass in Washington, nearby Ernest Street (whole train) and the approach to the East Peoria Yard, where the crew cuts o...