Peoria Station

I took today off from work. Despite the rain, I decided to check on Union Pacific train MPECL. Sure enough, as I drove by Adams Street Yard shortly before 1:00pm, it was just moving toward Peoria Junction.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, June 20, 2025. UP 6452 has 46 cars. I got home this afternoon thinking Union Pacific's MPECL was the only local movement I'd record today, but not long after uploading the video, I learned that a TP&W eastbound manifest was cleared to depart East Peoria for Milepost 52 (just west of Fairbury). Possible mechanical issues delayed the train's departure by more than an hour, but I was able to capture its passage at Cruger, Illinois. CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway eastbound, often referred to as MEPEF (handled by the EPX2 crew), rolls by Grainland Cooperative's Cruger...

TP&W-served elevators at Cruger and Greenfield (Chenoa) have been loading a lot of grain trains for CSX in recent weeks. I was finally able to catch an empty westbound for Cruger today. Even better, the CSX unit honoring 9-11 first responders was the leader! CAPTION: A TP&W crew ran this westbound empty CSX grain train to Grainland Cooperative's Cruger, Ilinois elevator late-morning Sunday, June 8, 2025. Scenes are between Secor and Eureka, and at Cruger. CSXT 911 and CSXT 724 have 89 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 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

This morning, I got a heads up that three TP&W motors had passed Washington eastbound. I figured they were heading to Grainland Co-operative's Cruger elevator to pull corn loads back west. When I arrived, the trio was just departing with 35 loads. I noticed the train running through the East Peoria Yard but haven't confirmed whether these were going to BioUrja Renewables LLC at Peoria or interchange with the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad for delivery to Alto Ingredients in Pekin.  CAPTION: A TP&W Extra East Peoria Switcher is shown departing Grainland Co-Operative's Cruger, Illinois elevator westbound. Later, it is shown at Ernest Street in Washington and then at the Farmdale Trestle minutes before entering the East Peoria Yard. MQT 3407, TPW 3442 and IMRR 2108 have 35 corn loads.   UPDATE: All 35 corn loads were at BioUrja South Yard in Peoria when I checked this evening.  David P. Jordan

One of TP&W's biggest historical weakness - lack of concentration of heavy industry on both ends of its system (and in between) - is being rectified in recent years. The latest is a major expansion by Incobrasa Industries' Gilman, Illinois soybean crushing facility, which opened in 1997. Although it is also served by Canadian National, TP&W will hopefully see a significant increase in business when construction is complete.  So it is good to see local activity for Incobrasa industries. An extra crew pulled a mix of old and new (or newer) covered hoppers from the East Peoria Yard to Grainland Co-operative's Cruger elevator this afternoon for soybean loading.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway Cruger Turn rolls by Ernest Street in Washington, Illinois early afternoon Saturday, April 22, 2023. IORY 5014 and TPW 2105 have 58 empties for soybean loading at Grainland Co-op. - David P. Jordan 

I still abide the principal: If you can catch a TP&W road freight, do it!  And I'm always rewarded when I do. Today's train left East Peoria at 1434 hours with 87 cars. It stopped at Cruger to add 26, which being loaded and heading east confirms that they contained soybeans for Incobrasa Industries at Gilman.  M-EPEF and M-EFEP typically only operate two cycles per week, which makes their length and variety of traffic a bit deceiving. Yet, the TP&W of the 2020s enjoys much greater variety of through carload business on its East End, as compared to startup in 1989 and through the 1990s. Pics of early Gordon Fuller-era TP&W through freights show trains dominated by double stacks, TOFC and grain, sprinkled with some dry and liquid fertilizer traffic, chemicals and perhaps some lumber. The Conrail split of June 1, 1999 added a variety of carload business to TP&W, as previous CR-direct routings to and from Peoria (via NS haulage west of Lafayette, Indiana for three ...

When I saw Union Pacific's MPECL was gone from its usual spot adjacent Adams Street Yard in Peoria this afternoon, I figured it had already departed. Rather, I quickly learned that the short train was sitting further up the Low Line in a convenient spot for the crew to board.  But a Texas-bound BNSF corn shuttle loaded at Grainland Co-Operative's Cruger elevator just west of Eureka was making its way west out of town, so I waited for it at West Farmington Road. It sure is good to see so many Cascade Green cars! CAPTION:  A BNSF grain shuttle rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, January 31, 2023. BNSF 9127 has 112 corn loads from TP&W-served Grainland Co-op at Cruger. BNSF 6947 and GECX 4782 bring up the rear. Twenty minutes later, the Union Pacific train showed up. Disappointingly short, but why miss it when you're already on location? Of course, it almost looked like Norfolk Southern local D49 wanted to explore the west... CAPTION: ...

Road freights operated by the Toledo, Peoria & Western can be elusive, especially in daylight, so any chance to capture their movement must be taken when possible.  I took the opportunity Sunday, December 30, 2018 to intercept and then chase one of those elusive TP&W freights from near Secor to East Peoria. A pair of TP&W SD40-2s, resplendent in standard orange paint of parent Genesee & Wyoming Inc., lead 86 cars west a short distance past of Secor, Illinois. The first 25 cars were set out at Grainland Cooperative's Cruger elevator. After setting out 25 Incobrasa-marked empties at Grainland Cooperative's Cruger elevator a new crew got onboard. Shortened to 61 cars, the whole train is shown at both Washington and on the Farmdale Trestle entering East Peoria, Illinois.  Twenty-five carloads of corn are probably for Archer Daniels Midland Co. (or ADM Grain Co.'s barge loadout) in Peoria. A 20-car block of CSX-marked covered hoppers contai...

Last year, Chenoa, Illinois-based Prairie Central Cooperative began construction on a new elevator and rail loop. The new facility (see above), being built between Meadows and Chenoa, will be capable of loading 100-car (or more) grain trains when it is completed later in 2018. Grain processors abound in Central Illinois, but the region produces far more than is needed locally, so a large volume is exported to other regions, and other nations. Presently, Prairie Central Coop's three TP&W-served elevators at Meadows, Weston and Fairbury individually ship corn to Peoria (ADM) and soybeans to Gilman (Incobrasa) but co-load a unit train for the southeast, usually routed to CSX at Lafayette, Indiana. The new elevator will probably load unit trains for both southeast and southwest markets.  Another elevator expansion appears to be in the works. Grainland Coop's Cruger facility is reportedly planning to extend its track east toward Eureka so it can built unit trains o...