Peoria Station

I learned that an Iowa Interstate PESI was at East Peoria this morning, and later was able to shoot video of it at San Koty, a few miles out of the North Limit Yard. This train of 92 cars may have had only ten loads. The last six cars of the second block of covered hoppers were loaded. Two denatured alcohol (UN 1987), an iron oxide load (CIGX gondola) and a coil steel load (NS coil care car) were the others. NOTE: IAIS 152 was coupled to a PEDAV (potash empties) this morning and afternoon, but I saw no sign of a crew, probably tomorrow.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along home rails at San Koty, Illinois late-morning Sunday, August 30, 2026. IAIS 503 has 92 cars. Incobrasa Industries' massive expansion at Gilman, and purchase of the American Milling Co. feed mill and barge dock at Crescent (Pekin) has created sufficient volume for the TP&W to run East Peoria-Powerton turns for direct interchange with the Illinois & Midl...

I had finished mowing my yard Sunday afternoon when I was given a heads up that a TP&W freight had departed East Peoria for the east. I figured I could intercept it and catch it at Cruger. Sure enough, the train's glacial speed through Washington and to Cruger proved me correct. I ended up chasing it and getting a second video at El Paso. The first 49 cars were soybean loads for Incobrasa Industries' Gilman plant.  CAPTION: An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway manifest, sometimes known as M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL), rolls by Grainland Farmers' Cruger elevator late-afternoon Sunday, August 23, 2026. Later, it rolls through El Paso at reduced speed. TPW 3386, TPW 5010, TPW 5008 and IORY 5014 have 78 cars. - David P. Jordan

  Like two weeks ago, this one has some variety.  It is good to see the eight loaded gondolas on the rear. I lacked a vantage point to see what was in them, but reporting marks match the cars used for iron oxide shipments from TP&W-served Waelz Sustainable Products' Clymers, Indiana plant. This traffic moved on a TPW-TZPR-IAIS-CPKC routing for about a year starting in March 2025.  The four Incobrasa covered hoppers must be needed to complete a trainset? The PESI which ran two weeks ago had but five of these cars. Usually, IAIS-served elevators load 25 at a time.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls through downtown Peoria, Illinois midday Sunday, August 16, 2026. Later, it is shown on home rails at San Koty, a few miles north of Peoria. IAIS 508 has 58 cars. - David P. Jordan

On the 139th anniversary of the Chatsworth Wreck, we have a mystery.    I can confirm from another railfan's video that this was the same set of grain empties that Canadian National Railway delivered to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track Sunday morning, August 2. Iowa Interstate moved it out of town with lone SD38-2 IAIS 153 on Monday morning. The train returned loaded this morning behind IAIS 506 and IAIS 511. Late this afternoon, a TP&W crew took it from the TZPR double track and rolled it through East Peoria and Washington to Cruger where it was left on the main track by Grainland Farmers elevator. The crew cut off all six locomotives. Last I saw them, they were on the adjacent siding.    Grain trains co-loaded at various Iowa Interstate-served elevators in central and western Iowa were moving frequently to CN via Peoria since January. I believe the last loaded train was interchanged to CN in mid-June. CN delivered the empties as G889 ...

After a family reunion in Indiana Sunday afternoon, I caught a TP&W local moving from Effner to near Gilman. The consist of 88 cars could have been entirely for Incobrasa Industries' Gilman plant complex (which opened a second soybean crushing facility last week, and was dedicated on June 22). This includes three methanol loads (UN 1230) near the end, but it is the TP&W, so I'll include it here.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local journeys westward from Effner to Gilman, Illinois late-afternoon and early-evening Sunday, June 28, 2026. The crew had earlier worked from Gilman to Effner with the first two units, adding TPW 5008 and flipping back with what appears to be a solid train for Incobrasa Industries. Scenes are at Sheldon, 2500 East Road, Watseka and Crescent City. MQT 3407, IORY 3492 and TPW 5008 have 88 cars. Monday morning's "M-Train" had 32 Incobrasa covered hoppers on the head end. It is possible that some are soybean meal l...

I worked until 5:00pm on Friday, but learned that a TP&W "M-Train" had left East Peoria maybe 30 minutes prior. So instead of going home first, I took off east and found the train between Eureka and Secor, able to beat it to the latter, though not by much (the slow order from earlier this year has been fixed). I got it again in El Paso.    I'm glad I had my camera in the car.    The two units on Friday's train are the newest power seen on the TP&W. Until earlier this year, the OHCR 3329 had been sitting at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Creve Coeur diesel shop since 2024. BERX 6908 arrived in mid-May, and was quickly pressed into service. BERX is the reporting mark for Genesee & Wyoming Inc's Berkshire & Eastern Railroad, which is the neutral operator of the Pan Am Southern, a company jointly owned by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway. Apparently, C40-8Ws make the BERX 6908, and SD40-2s, superfluous.    Friday's ea...

The five empty Incobrasa covered hoppers, six salt-laden boxcars and nine loaded nitrogen tank cars were on Wednesday's late-afternoon transfer from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad.   Kind of sad that these cars sat for nearly four days, but the Incobrasa cars were empties and Sweetener Supply Corp. at Wolcott, Indiana already had six arrive this week, and probably didn't have room yet. The nitrogen loads might not be "hot" either.  CAPTION: An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway "M-Train," sometimes called M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL) rolls by Cruger, Secor and El Paso midday Sunday, January 11, 2026. TPW 5008, IORY 3492 and RCPE 3481 have 40 cars.   - David P. Jordan

It is always good to catch a long TP&W freight on the East End mainline.    Minutes after a notice on a local Facebook group that a TP&W eastbound freight was approaching Washington, I left the house and drove to Cruger. Watching its passage, I noticed that the two locomotives on Saturday evening's transfer to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad - TPW 5009 and IORY 5007 - were on this train. I did not stick around for it due to darkness, but I assumed they would return with eastbound traffic.    Today's train has a decent variety of rolling stock -    1 tank car (soybean oil empty) 9 tank cars (nitrogen fertilizer solution loads) 1 tank car (denatured alcohol load) 2 tank car (industrial alcohol loads) 12 covered hoppers (phosphate empties) 2 tank cars (sorbitol loads) 1 tank car (corn syrup empty) 1 tank car (methylamine anhydrous empty) 1 tank car (dimethylamine anhydrous empty) 5 covered hoppers (phosphate empties) 25 covered hoppe...

Late this morning, I found BNSF's M-GALPEI sitting on the mainline short of Darst Street. I believe it had just arrived, but it did not appear to have a crew aboard. I could be wrong though. It is possible that the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard had no room, and M-GALPEI was waiting for Iowa Interstate's PESI to depart.   I did not stick around to find out, opting instead to chase PESI to a location with decent lighting, but ended up getting it several times between downtown Peoria and Chillicothe.    Today's PESI had a decent variety.    - 12 ADM mash empties - 1 industrial empty alcohol (UN 1170)* - 6 BRIX (Incobrasa Industries) soybean empties - 1 PTEX potash empty - 2 gondolas (CIGX/GBRX) that were likely iron oxide loads - 2 ADMX covered hoppers (probably corn germ or gluten meal empties) - 14 BRIX (Incobrasa Industries) soybean empties - 5 industrial alcohol loads (UN 1170) - 15 (various marks) dry fertilizer loads - 18 AD...

Saturday, I decided to drive along the TP&W as far as Effner, checking on recent infrastructure expansion.  Along the way, I noticed a CSX grain train on the Prairie Central Co-Op loop at Greenfield (just west of Chenoa) and found the three-track rail loop on Incobrasa Industries property extended on the south side, and possibly complete.  Lingering in Gilman, I noticed a westbound moving along the TP&W in the distant north. A closer looked confirmed that it was a run-through train of grain empties from CSX. I wasn't sure if a Hoosierlift crew was going to drop it between Gilman and La Hogue, but when I waited at the latter, it came by me at mainline speed. Good show!  After checking new siding construction on the TP&W at Effner, I returned west and encountered the Chenoa train just past Forrest, turned around and shot video in town.  CAPTION: On Saturday, August 30, 2025, the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran both a westbound empty CSX grain tr...

I happened to see the train on the TP&W "Peoria Sub" (West Main) preparing for departure, so I waited near W. Washington Street. Sure enough, the crew asked for permission to deliver to the "hump." I decided to return home to change clothes and get something to eat, and when I returned to East Peoria, I caught the tail end of the return trip, which had grabbed those 25 cars off the Nickel Plate from yesterday.    I missed this move, expecting it to take longer. Hopefully, it will become a regular deal. I can confirm that the 25 cars were loaded at Western Grain Marketing's Atterberry elevator, and pulled Friday. That TP&W grabbed them and took them to its home terminal in East Peoria tells me they will head east soon on the "M-train" with a Gilman destination.   Most likely, the cars contain soybeans for Incobrasa Industries. WGM-Atterberry is likely to send corn to Alto Pekin. If not trucked (or shipped by rail) to the Peoria-Pekin area fo...

I usually get the Illinois & Midland transfers to East Peoria on the return southbound leg, but I finally encountered it early this afternoon on the northbound leg.    I was suprised to see that the 25 TP&W covered hoppers on the head end were loaded. Western Grain Marketing's Atterberry elevator probably loaded soybeans for Incobrasa Industries at Gilman. The crew pulled to the north end of the TZPR yard, broke these off and doubled them over to the Nickel Plate. I assume a TP&W switch crew will grab them soon (they had not as of 1600 hours this afternoon). The only other possibility is that soybeans were transferred from barges to railcars at Incobrasa Industries' ex-American Milling Co. facility on Crystal Lake, just southwest of Pekin. But the tracks there are usually filled up with DDGS cars from the Iowa Interstate. So I'm leaning toward the former theory... CAPTION: An Illinois & Midland Railroad Powerton Roadswitcher pulls through Wesley (Creve C...

This is a typical occurence on Sundays. I neither get it every Sunday nor do I get a heads up every Sunday either, so I can't be sure it happens every Sunday, but it seems to do so.    The short consist is odd, but the nitrogen fertilizer solution shipping season must be slacking off, and interchange with CSX must have light, save for the usual Incobrasa traffic (which would not go west of Gilman). The 13 Incobrasa empties on today's train might be for the KJRY. Four nitrogen empties and one empty salt boxcar are for BNSF at Peoria.  CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown Sunday afternoon, March 30, 2025. Locations are El Paso, just west of Secor (and again alongside US 24), Eureka, Cruger, Washington (and again at Ernest Street) and East Peoria. CFE 3316 and MQT 3407 have a short 18 cars (all empties). - David P. Jordan

Recently, I noticed Incobrasa Industries covered hoppers at Alto Pekin LLC's wet corn mill elevator, indicating TP&W is borrowing these cars for general service to online elevators or Inco Grain Ltd. is loading for for Alto at its Goodland, Indiana elevator.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local from Pekin is shown at Wesley (Creve Coeur), Illinois moments from arriving the East Peoria Yard on a cold and soggy mid-afternoon Saturday, December 14, 2024. TZPR 1352 has 16 cars. I received a heads up on BNSF's M-GALPEI too late to see it arrive Peoria, but was able to catch M-PEIGAL's run back west. I don't know if this was a third cycle for the week, or if Thursday's train was delayed until Saturday. Either are possible.  CAPTION: After crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge, BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) curves toward Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois on a cold and soggy mid-aft...

I received a heads up around midday today that a TP&W westbound had passed Fairbury, Illinois. Fortnately, I was able to see it at El Paso and chase to Cruger.   The 25-car mid-train block of Incobrasa covered hoppers were loaded, so they were likely from Inco Grain Ltd. at Goodland, Indiana consigned to BioUrja Renewables LLC in Peoria. Inco Grain Ltd is a subsidiary of Incobrasa Industries, and purchased the Co-Alliance LP elevator in September 2023. It will load corn for two years and then switch to soybeans only.  CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E Peoria IL) rolls through El Paso, Secor, just west of Secor, Eureka and Cruger early afternoon Sunday, November 24, 2024. TPW 5015, RCPE 3481, TPW 5008 and TPW 3441 have 50 cars.   - David P. Jordan

Iowa Interstate's SIPE arrived Thursday night with 513 again. Friday, I learned that PESI was planned for Saturday afternoon, but 513 was still parked on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Creve Coeur Team Track as of late-afternoon. I did see a BioUrja Renewables LLC crew drop empties and pull loads from the South Yard in Peoria.   I made a vain attempt to reach S. Darst Street, hoping 932 was pulling, but then realized it was a short train (probably eleven cars) being shoved from the plant into the yard. The 932 came back, switched to the other siding (TP&W grain cars were on the main Riverside Track) and pulled 14 loads to the plant.  CAPTION: A BioUrja Renewables LLC crew using ADMX 932 pulls 14 corn loads from the South Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, November 2, 2024. Earlier, the 932 shoved empties into the South Yard. Incobrasa Industries cars are loaded at Inco Grain Ltd. in Goodland, Indiana.   - David P. Jordan

I got a pleasant surprise this morning on my way to the downtown library. Train was strung out on the Peoria Sub short of E. Washington Street. The TZPR end cab unit on the point told me a TZPR crew was aboard. The two trailing units must be needed due to the train's size and/or are heading to the diesel shop for maintenance. Train includes nine zinc oxide loads, which TP&W has been interchanging to Union Pacific via TZPR at East Peoria rather than directly via Collier Yard at Bartonville. There are 27 cars of mixed traffic and 50 Incobrasa covered hoppers. CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew pulls a lengthy transfer home from the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway 's East Peoria Yard. TZPR 1351, TZPR 2133 and TPW 3443 have 77 cars (11 loads, 66 empties). David P. Jordan

Weekdays this time of year offer a limited window for shooting local rail action before long shadows and darkness falls. So when I can get something, I do.  I knew BNSF's M-GALPEI had coupled to its train at the Galesburg Yard late this morning, so I hoped I could catch it in Peoria after work. When I arrived the south end of town, I found two BNSF units ( 7911 and 7616) sitting on the main at Darst Street waiting for a TP&W local to clear so it could cross the river and grab a loaded feed train (G-PEISMR) at Grove on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin mainline. When the TP&W train cleared the mainline, two Iowa Interstate units (505 and 501) left East Peoria and crossed the river engine lite and then the BNSF units made their move. But I wasn't interested in lite engine movements, so I went to East Peoria to capture the TP&W train and set up at N. Main Street in time for its passage.  It appears the same power was used to deliver nine cars to the Tazewe...

CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western road freight M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown at locations at or near Weston, Chenoa, Gridley, El Paso, Eureka and Washington, Illinois Saturday afternoon, November 11, 2023. The entire train is shown at each. TPW 2070, IORY 5007, TPW 5010, and IORY 5014 have 121 cars from on-line industries and CSX and CN interchanges.   A nice sunny late-morning and early-afternoon in November is a good time to get a westbound TP&W freight!  A lot of typical TP&W freight business is represented on today's train. - The first 15 cars are loaded with limestone shipped from The Rogers Group/Newton County Stone in Perkins, Indiana and consigned to East Peoria Materials, located on the east end of the TP&W yard (and to celebrate 20 years in January 2024!). - Fourteen TPW-marked cyclindrical covered hoppers might have been pulled from the Ludlow Co-Operative Elevator Company at La Hogue. (Crescent City is possible, but newer, 2...

I received a heads up early Sunday afternoon that a southbound Iowa Interstate freight had passed Mossville. So I headed into Peoria and encountered it near the Komatsu plant. I backtracked to the RiverPlex parking lot downtown and waited a few minutes before the train showed up. PMP Fermentation Products sure makes a good backdrop!   T oday's train was short. The GEVOs were split up with 518 coupled to an empty potash train (PEDAV) at Wesley. The 506 took PESI out of town, probably after dark.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by PMP Fermentation Products in downtown Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Sunday, October 22, 2023. Later, it is at South Street just before crossing the river. Both scenes are on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Uptown Division. IAIS 518 and IAIS 506 have 26 cars.   Earlier, I noticed a TP&W crew putting together a rather lengthy manifest in the East Peoria Yard. I figured an extra switch crew was on duty an...