Peoria Station

I caught the latest Union Pacific grain train loaded at the TP&W-served ADM Grain Co terminal at Clymers, Indiana.  The TP&W delivered to Union Pacific at sister Illinois & Midland Railroad's Powerton Yard, and a UP crew had already moved it to South Pekin and broke it at the Townline Road crossing.  I arrived when the next crew was putting the train together to go south.  CAPTION: A southbound Union Pacific grain extra is shown north and south of Green Valley, Illinois early-evening Sunday, June 9, 2024. UP 8818, UP 5659 and UP 7004 have 112 cars. Train was loaded at ADM Grain Co's Clymers, Indiana terminal, routed west over the TP&W and delivered to the UP at the Illinois & Midland Railroad's Powerton Yard near Pekin.   - David P. Jordan

  Late this morning, Canadian National Railway local L557 left Wesley with 58 cars. Besides the unusually long train, lone IC 1034 was on the point! More than 20 years after CN absorbed the Illinois Central Railroad (October 1, 2000), that carrier's units remain operational in their original paint! Video shows it crawling along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad double track as it approaches Pekin, Illinois and snakes through the downtown area. The train then races across 5th Street near South Pekin (where it picked up 25 grain empties). The final scene showns the now 83-car train is at Worner Road near Green Valley. The block of 26 empty plastics covered hoppers was a little unusual. A sprinkling of eight empty gondolas tells me CN is still handling scrap metal to TZPR for delivery to Liberty Steel & Wire Co. - David P. Jordan