Peoria Station

I learned that an empty BNSF feed pellet train had left Galesburg for Peoria in mid-afternoon so I left earlier than usual on Sunday evening.   Driving I-474 westbound just after crossing the river, I heard some radio chatter on the TZPR road frequency. I did not make out what was being said, but a quickly glance at a TZPR train ready to depart Kickapoo Yard prompted me to turn around and grab video. I was able to get it at Darst Street. Nothing groundbreaking behind the SW-1500 but the three loaded covered hoppers on the rear are likely dry fertilizer loads from Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC in the Pekin Bottoms.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria, is shown late-afternoon Sunday, March 8, 2026. IMRR 43 has nine cars.   After the TZPR local went by, I resumed my plan to intercept the empty BNSF feed train, but just missed it at W. Farmington Road and could not turn around in sufficient time to bag it before the bl...

The train was reported by Elmwood at 1340 hours, but a maintenance foreman apparently held up the train's movement on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property. CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) has just entered the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, December 5, 2025. Train is heading for the river and East Peoria to interchange with TZPR and flip back as M-PEIGAL. BNSF 4253 and BNSF 9174 have 28 cars. - David. P. Jordan

When I drove by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard late this afternoon, I noticed a yard job assembling what looked like BNSF Railway's M-PEIGAL onto the East Lead. So I figured M-GALPEI was due soon.  I spent a little time at the downtown library, but decided to leave early and check on M-GALPEI. It crossed W. Farmington Road at 1753, but I arrived too late to shoot video there. With long afternoon shadows, I had to wait for the train to enter the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street for decent lighting (and even then, it was slightly backlit).  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois for the final leg of its journey to East Peoria early evening Thursday, May 30, 2024. BNSF 3268 and BNSF 5147 have 55 cars.  David P. Jordan

I assume they're running a day early due to the holiday. Which means it might turn back as M-PEIGAL tonight, and run as far west as possible.  The NS leader was interesting, but I suppose it was a unit on hand at the Galesburg terminal.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly before arriving Peoria, Illinois early evening Sunday, May 26, 2024. NS 4321 and BNSF 7306 have 64 cars for delivery to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at East Peoria.   - David P. Jordan

While at the downtown library this afternoon, I learned that BNSF Railway's M-GALPEI was enroute. I left earlier than usual so I could see the train at the W. Farmington Road crossing (a favorite going back to childhood). Sure enough, the train showed up with an unusually short consist. I shot video of the train a second time as it entered the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road near the end of its run late-afternoon Monday, April 22, 2024. Later, the train enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad territory at S. Darst Street to cross the river and deliver to that carrier's East Peoria Yard. BNSF 5355 and BNSF 9066 have a shorter-than-usual 20 cars.     David P. Jordan

Daylight Savings Time came just in time. Last week, it would have been dark when I saw BNS's M-GALPEI Monday evening.  I knew it had passed Yates City around 1735 hours, so I went to the West Farmington Road crossing and waited. The train went by me about 1828 hours. Then I decided to capture it again entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street. The evening arrival brings back memories of seeing BN's 13814 locals here early evenings in the mid-1990s.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois early evening Monday, March 11, 2024. Later, it enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad rails at Darst Street for the trip across the river to the East Peoria Yard. BNSF 6558 and BNSF 6298 have 42 cars (21 loads/21 empties).   David P. Jordan

As I left work, I learned that BNSF's M-PEIGAL received permission from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad to depart East Peoria at 1410 hours. So I calculated that I could drive Interstate 74 to the Rt. 97 crossing east of Knoxville and backtrack, hopefully successfully intercepting the train before it stopped for a likely re-crew.  And I did just that! The CP and CN units were a little unusual, so I'm glad I made the trip. The train paused briefly at the County Road 17 crossing and then proceeded across Rt. 97, tying up short of S, Farnham Street in Galesburg for a re-crew. After sunset, the new crew got permission to enter the big hump yard. I had shot video of an eastbound and a westbound manifest on the Mendota Sub and didn't expect to see M-PEIGAL again.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) is shown at Rt. 97 just east of Knoxville, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, November 2, 2023. Later, after a re-crew, the train exits the P...

Today, I had my first encounter with BNSF's M-PEIGAL since mid-July!  Saturday's weather was great, but I almost didn't see this train. A false alarm nearly "derailed" this afternoon's adventure, but my determination (or Irish stubborness) helped me achieve what I wanted.  I usually leave home for the downtown library late Saturday morning. Instead of I-74, I decided to take US 150 into East Peoria, enabling a quick glance at TP&W's yard. There were no locomotives visible, offering the possibility that a local was working somewhere nearby or across the river. So I decided to check TZPR's yard. I quickly found BNSF's M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) strung out from the yard onto the East Lead. No power was on the Creve Coeur Team Track, so either an M-GALPEI had yet to arrive, or power had to be on the point of M-PEIGAL. I went to Bridge Junction in Peoria to confirm the latter was true. But my mind works funny at times. An empty w...

I usually don't post anything here on BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision, because it doesn't really serve the immediate metro area, but I make an exception today because I had no idea a caboose would bring up the markers on this afternoon's M-GALCHI. BNSF Railway train M-GALCHI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Chicago IL) rolls by N. Centerville Road just east of Edelstein, Illinois early afternoon Sunday, May 22, 2022. BNSF 1409 and BNSF 3100 have 78 cars, including an ex-Santa Fe caboose! - David P. Jordan

  On Amtrak's 50th birthday, May 1, 2021, late-running No. 6 (eastbound California Zephyr) and No. 4 (eastbound Southwest Chief) and somewhat late No. 5 (westbound California Zephyr) are shown at or near Galesburg, Illinois. No. 6 literally smokes out of Galesburg as raw, unburned diesel fuel spews from the exhaust stacks of its lead P42! - David P. Jordan

I got lucky Tuesday. BNSF Railway's Peoria Subdivision is now void of active customers save for two industries on Galesburg's east side. Gates Corp. manufacturers rubber at a plant opened in 1961 and receives carbon black by rail on a regular basis. Progress Rail Services, which purchased Galesburg Iron & Metal Co. about 2008 and had a new spur built on its property ten years ago, receives retired rolling stock for dismantling.  While in the Galesburg area yesterday, I happened to catch a BNSF local job switching Gates Corp's spur east of town with snoot nose SD40-2 1905 and TEBC6 54 (a slug built by RELCO from an SD9). The first twelve cars were for Progress Rail Services' nearby facility (where retired rolling stock goes to die) and the three carbon black cars were switched to or from Gates Corp.  Other industries on this line in recent years were Caterpillar's "tire plant" in Peoria, which closed in 2017; the rarely-served Caterp...

Until late Thursday morning, July 12, I had never been able to capture a rail movement of military equipment. By Sunday afternoon, I had done so twice. The first was a movement of Illinois Army National Guard vehicles to Fort Polk, Louisiana. According to a news release on the Illinois National Guard's Facebook page , About 200 vehicles from the Illinois Army National Guard will load onto rail cars at the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) July 9-13, as part of a deployment to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The Iowa Interstate Railroad, which has access to the rarely-used Rock Island Arsenal trackage, assembled the train and placed on the rear of an already lengthy Blue Island, Illinois to Council Bluffs, Iowa freight, BICB. Union Pacific will handle the train from Council Bluffs to Fort Polk, Louisiana. I shot video of the 160-car train shortly after it departed the Silvis, Illinois Yard at 1115 on Thursday. Military loads began at the 9:...

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway once served numerous industries in Galesburg. According to the Illinois Division Car Location Identity Codes (CLIC) booklet issued for MP 67 to MP 205 in January 1981, track still were in place serving McCabe Scrap Metal, Hanson Lumber, Willis Steel, Consumer Grain, a TOFC ramp, an unnamed coal yard, Butler Manufacturing Co., Iowa Malleable, Illinois Power Co., Brown Specialty, Gale Products, Admiral and Knox Box Co. Most were on the mainline but a few were located on an industrial line on which Chicago, Burlington & Quincy/Burlington Northern also had access. All that is left is Knox Box Co., now Westrock. On June 23, 2018, I caught the City Job switching that corrugated box plant off Linwood Road next to BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision. Video begins with a roll-by next to the now-closed Archer Daniels Midland Co. soybean processing plant. Next, I shot the train crossing Monmouth Boulevard. BNSF 2377 pulls five paper lo...