Peoria Station

The downtown library was closed for an employee meeting but I decided to check on Norfolk Southern's D49 train. I had no heads up, but sure enough, I got off I-74 onto E. Washington Street and then left on Camp Street. As I approached the N. Main Street intersection, D49 rounded through the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Farm Creek bridge. I made a right, backtracked on I-74 to E. Washington Street and took a back to the Farmdale Trestle and waited.   I had plenty of time.    I found out why. The two locomotives had a healthy 65 cars behind them. The first 15 are from the KJRY - corn syrup/sorbitol and probably organic grain in the CGRX-marked covered hoppers. Maybe six of seven ADMX/leased covered hoppers were loaded. Two NS covered hoppers were empty. The ROLX and ADYX tank cars likely contain steepwater. The next 17 cars were empty NS-marked gondolas, which I've seen pulled by the Tazewell & Peoria RR from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, but not that many at on...

Before I left home this morning for the downtown library, I learned that an Iowa Interstate manifest was making its way from Bureau Junction to Peoria. The train had apparently been planned for Thursday evening, and again on Friday evening, but finally made it Saturday morning. That delay enabled a daylight chase of not only SIPE but also counterpart PESI. Other than five empty tank cars, a CIGX gondola is the only notable other than loaded and empty covered hoppers. That gondola is empty likely last contained iron oxide, and is returning to Waelz Sustainable Products at Clymers, Indiana on the TP&W.    CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Peoria Subdivision late morning Saturday, October 4, 2025. Scenes of the whole train at three locations - San Koty on IAIS's Peoria Sub, entering the North Limit Yard on the Tazewell & Peoria RR and in downtown Peoria. IAIS 513 and IAIS 703 had NS 7111 and 93 cars. After the Iowa Inter...

When I exited I-74 in East Peoria mid-afternoon, I was already hearing radio chatter on the Norfolk Southern frequency. I wasn't sure if D49 had just departed and was moving on home rails or...   Turns out, Norfolk Southern had brought three motors and 85 grain empties to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's *Nickel Plate Subdivision for interchange to the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. The TP&W crew boarded, turned the power, ran through the East Peoria Yard and coupled to the other end. Minutes later, with dispatcher's permission, the train left for Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa) rail loop.  * Probably still legally owned by Norfolk Southern but controlled by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad.     I believe this is the first time since early-June 2018 that TP&W has interchanged a grain train with Norfolk Southern at East Peoria. I did not see that last one, but caught one both ways on August 26-27, 2017.  CAPTION: A To...

In July and through the first full week of August, it seemed like Norfolk Southern was running its weekday, Good Yard-based local to East Peoria Tuesdays and either Thursday or Friday. But with this second full week in August, they have operated so far on Monday and Wednesday. If they do it on Friday, I'll start to believe NS is trying to provide service to the TZPR interchange three times a week. Perhaps crews are now available to operate D32 and D36 between Decatur and Normal more frequently?  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown on its return leg to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, August 13, 2025. First scene is at Main Street as it moves from Tazewell & Peoria RR to TP&W property at P&PU Junction in East Peoria. Shortly, it is shown on home rails after ducking under TP&W's Farmdale Trestle. NS 7035 has NS 5194, enroute from Des Moines to Decatur for its 92-day inspection, and 26 cars...

When I exited westbound I-74 toward E. Washington Street this afternoon, I happened to notice Norfolk Southern's D49 local power and cars behind it. I wasn't expecting to see it on Monday, but perhaps more Liberty Steel & Wire traffic is requiring more frequent East Peoria runs.    I hope so.    D49 used to make the East Peoria trip to interchange with the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad five days a week. Of course, Decatur-Normal connecting locals D32/D36 used to cycle daily, but apparently do not anymore for lack of crews.    Today's train had the usual plastic pellet traffic from the Illinois & Midland RR, coiled wire rod, steepwater, alcohol and carbon dioxide refrigerated liquid loads from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and coil steel empties from Iowa Interstate. The truck coil springs on the four AEX covered hoppers were open, i. e. empty. Makes me wonder if The Andersons (AEX) Clymers, Indiana ethanol plant is routing DDGS/Mash to t...

I didn't stick around to see it depart (which it probably hasn't as of this post), but I did get the inbound. Interestingly, the first nine cars - all covered hoppers - appeared loaded. Kind of unusual.  Perhaps these came from a point off the Bloomington District? I would be surprised if Bloomer Line-served One Earth Energy LLC or DuPont soybean processing plants at Gibson City would send DDGS or soybean meal, respectively, to Peoria-Pekin barge loadouts or interchanges.  The gondola has what appear to be engine blocks for scrapping (at KJRY-served Hitchcock Scrap Yard in Canton). CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway Train D49 is shown at W. Washington Street in East Peoria, Illinois well after dark Monday, April 15, 2024. After hitting a truck at a private crossing by the TP&W's Farmdale Trestle, the regular crew tied up and repairs were made to the lead unit. Later, a relief crew drove up to interchange with the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad. NS 7000 and NS 7014 have ...

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...