Peoria Station

After work, I caught this TP&W-CN grain extra rolling east through Secor, so I set up at El Paso and again at Gridley.  I had my camera set to "Auto," which unfortunately suffers from an object at the 1080 setting. I usually shoot 4k, so I switched it for the runby at Gridley.    TP&W-served elevators at Cruger (Grainland Farmers) and Chenoa (Prairie Central Cooperative) have loaded unit trains for BNSF, Canadian National, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific, all with run-through power. With this TP&W-CN train, I've now caught all five.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew assembled a grain at Grainland Farmers' Cruger, Illinois elevator mid-afternoon Monday, April 6, 2026 and departed east for Gilman, Illinois where the train will be handed off to Canadian National Railway. Video locations are El Paso and Gridley. CN 2665 and CN 3978 have 113 cars.   - David P. Jordan

After work, I apparently just missed Norfolk Southern train D49 on its return trip to Good Yard, and I learned that had I headed directly west on I-74/I-474 into Peoria, I might have caught a late-running Union Pacific MPECL. Good think I caught LPD01 on Monday afternoon with part of MPECL's Tuesday consist...   I did, however, catch a rare movement. That grain train TP&W delivered to HIlliards with CN power Monday afternoon turned out to be for Norfolk Southern, The "40N" symbol is last reported to be consigned to Norfolk, Virginia.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway unit grain extra 40N is shown climbing upgrade as it passes N. Main Street near Morton, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Train was loaded by TP&W-served Grainland Farmers at Cruger. NS 1038, NS 8027 and NS 8154 had 109 cars.   - David P. Jordan

This train had a reported 142 cars before it set out 57 at Grainland Farmers's Cruger elevator. The three units and consist starting with the covered hopper just ahead of the second set of gondolas is what I tried to get departing TZPR's East Peoria Yard late-Sunday, but darkness fell and I had plans for the evening.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran an eastbound "M-Train" Monday afternoon, January 5, 2026. After setting out grain empties at Cruger, the now shorter train rolled through Eureka, Illinois. IORY 3472, RCPE 3481 and IORY 5007 have 85 cars.   - David P. Jordan

After work, I went into East Peoria hoping to see Norfolk Southern's D49 local leaving for Normal. Before I had a chance to check the TZPR yard, I heard the horn, and saw D49 approaching the E. Washington Street crossing. I decided to set up east of the Farmdale Trestle for video.    I liked the results.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Local, Normal IL to E. Peoria IL) rolls under the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's Farmdale Trestle on the east edge of East Peoria, Illinois on its way back to Good Yard in Normal mid-afternoon Friday, September 5, 2025. NS 4486, NS 6085 and NS 3277 have 46 cars. Shortly after the NS local came into view, I learned that a TP&W eastbound was approaching Washington. I calculated that I had time to bag the NS local and then head east to capture the TP&W train.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's eastbound M-train, sometimes called "M-EPEF," rolls by Grainland Farmers' Cruger, Illinois ...