Peoria Station

 After a four-year gap, the Iowa Interstate Railroad is bringing excursions to Chillicothe on Saturday, June 3, 2023! The railroad has already done this on three occasions, and like the first two, trips will presumably serve both Henry and Chillicothe, starting at the former.  Details have yet to be worked out, but should be available shortly along with a flyer. See below for highlights from the 2014, 2016 and 2019 train trips. CAPTION: The Iowa Interstate Railroad operated four roundtrips between Henry and Chillicothe for the public and volunteers on Saturday, September 13, 2014. Power for these trips was IAIS 151 and 154 - both SD38-2s - bracketing eight former Montreal commuter coaches. Scenes are taken at various locations inside the train and trackside throughout the day between Henry, Sparland and Chillicothe. Runs were made to raise funds for local volunteer fire departments. CAPTION: The Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. operated roundtrip passenger excursions between He...

One week away! Those who bought tickets in time for the Iowa Interstate Railroad's Chillicothe-Henry excursions May 18, will be first to experience a ride behind steam on this line in 57 years. We know this fact because the  Peoria Morning Star  ran a story March 5, 1952 with the headline, All Diesel Power Passenger Trains On R. I. This Month . Delivery of six EMD E-8A passenger diesels enabled the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad to retire steam passenger power which then pulled Nos. 9 and 230, the nightly locals between Peoria and Chicago. The locomotive believed to have pulled the last steam-powered passenger train on the Rock Island's Peoria-Bureau line was 4-6-2 No. 886. In 1956, the Peoria Jaycees asked the Rock Island to donate this locomotive to Peoria for public display. After it was learned that 886 had been scrapped, sister 887 was renumbered "886" and substituted as a gift to the Peoria group. "New 886" moved to Peoria on a fr...