Peoria Station

It is unusual for PESI to have more loads than empties, but 15 iron oxide loads from TP&W, three gondolas from NS which appear to contain steel billets (based on another railfan's video at Putnam), two tank cars containing beverage alcohol and all loaded covered hoppers contain ADM grain products (probably from CN). Those NS cars are NW 190350, CR 582421 and NS 187590. CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, February 8, 2026. Later, power runbys at the Ft. of Main Street in downtown on the TZPR and on home rails at Peoria Heights, and the whole train at San Koty and Mossville. IAIS 502, IAIS 705 and IAIS 712 have 87 cars (48 loads, 39 empties).   CN and BNSF seemed to have suspended the Decatur (IL) to Summerfield (TX) gluten feed trains for awhile, but today, the carriers swapped empties and loads. The last one I shot was ...

I was in Peoria already so I came across this train as it was heading for the Illinois River.    After entering home rails, I had to wait awhile for further movement, but picked the final spot because a crew change was to take place just before W. Farmington Road. I did not want to wait any longer.  Gluten feed pellets were loaded by ADM in Decatur and routed CN-Peoria-BNSF to Summerfield, Texas.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train G-PEISMR (Grain, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) crosses the Illinois River and then nears the connection to home rails at S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois. Later, the whole train is shown after leaving town. BNSF 4005, BNSF 6391, and BNSF 5280 were on the point.   - David P. Jordan

I missed BNSF M-GALPEI coming into town early this afternoon, but checked later for the chance the crew would turn back with M-PEIGAL. No such happening. Instead, the crew was driven to Grove where it boarded the feed train brought up by CN yesterday.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train G-PEISMR (Grain, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) is shown in several scenes departing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and on home rails mid- to late-afternoon Sunday, October 27, 2024. BNSF 4401 and BNSF 3896 had 100 gluten feed pellet loads. Entire train is shown at W. Farmington Road. Final scene is a power runby at Kramm Road, just west of Edwards.    - David P. Jordan

Late-Saturday morning, I headed for the downtown library but got delayed. Driving on I-74, I glanced toward the TP&W's East Peoria Yard and found a TZPR switch crew building a cut for a return run to their home yard. Short train but no less interesting encounter.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew pulls a transfer from sister Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway toward the East Peoria Yard midday Saturday, October 5, 2024. TZPR 1521 has 12 cars. Later, I found an empty BNSF coal train crossing the river. As I followed it out of town, I learned that a second train would follow, so I stuck around the south end rather than return to the library.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train E-PEKNAM (Coal Empties, Peoria/Kincaid IL to N. Antelope Mine WY) crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Saturday, October 5, 2024. Later, the whole train is shown at W. Farmington Road. Coal empties came from the Kincaid Pow...

Both trains I saw this afternoon were brought up to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track from ADM in Decatur by Canadian National.  When I drove by Adams Street Yard this afternoon, MPECL was gone, but I figured it was sitting at Peoria Junction (shrouded by thick vegetation in summer), so I turned around and followed the tracks. I even heard some radio chatter as soon as I started driving Kickapoo Creek Road from Bartonville.  At the W. Farmington Road crossing, I was encouraged by the green signal indication for a northbound. After waiting on the east side of the tracks (the opposite as usual), the bells began dinging and the gates dropped. But it turned out to be BNSF's G-PEISMR, which had been holding the Peoria Sub mainline under the Adams Street Viaduct waiting for dispatcher instructions.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train G-PEISMR (Grain, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon T...

I waited for this one at W. Farmington Road, got impatient, left and then quickly discovered that the train was nearing the crossing! I turned around and barely made it to Pottstown to capture this scene. I switched to 4K, so the video quality is very high and took quite a long time to upload.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway G-PEISMR (Grain, Peoria IL to Summerfield TX) rolls by Pottstown, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, October 6, 2023. BNSF 7053 and BNSF 3835 have 100 gluten feed loads. If not for a friend who reported MPECL's later-than-unusual (two hours) departure a little after 6:00pm, I would have given up on it. Due to low light conditions, I decided to use my phone. While there is some blur, I think it turned out well for the most part.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by the old Pioneer Station on the northwest corner of Peoria, Illinois early evening Friday, October 6, 2023. UP 6361 and UP 7732 have 47 cars.   David P. Jorda...

Despite the holiday, Union Pacific's MCLPE came into Adams Street Yard as usual, or at least it was there on Monday afternoon (normally, it arrives before the LDP01 goes on duty at 0800 hours). The local job didn't run Monday so I figured they'd classify MCLPE, work the TZPR, TP&W and KJRY interchanges and build MPECL in time for its regular Tuesday run.  I was correct, but as late as 1630 hours today, it didn't appear that a crew was aboard. Instead, I waited at W. Farmington Road for a BNSF feed train which CN brought into town Monday afternoon, complete with BNSF power. I should have stayed there or checked Adams Street Yard again, as I would have caught MPECL.  I shot the BNSF feed train around 1700 hours. The UP train likely passed by there around 1745 hours. The train had a block of loaded ADM covered hoppers, something unusual which would have been nice to see. Having just one unit (UP 8387), some cars were left behind, so Friday's train should be rather ...