Peoria Station

I exited I-74 in East Peoria, jogged E. Washington and then left onto E. Camp Street and heard a faint locomotive horn to the west. Approaching N. Main Street, I noticed an orange geep with a string of tank cars negotiating the Tazewell & Peoria Railroads Farm Creek bridge. I took a u-turn and set up off E. Washington Street for video.    Althought TZPR 2133 belongs to sister Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, this was clearly a TP&W train. Corn syrup and sorbitol tank cars belonging Ingredion's Crystal Car Line (CCLX) and leasing firms, two methyl chloride empties, an unidentified chemical empty (UN 3082), tallow empties, and 22 phosphate empties returning to CSX in Indiana were all from Mapleton industries. I'm unsure if this was a Collier Turn returning home or a through run by the old Kolbe Local.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local rolls along home rail in East Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Wednesday, October 22, 2025. TZPR 2133 has 37 ca...

I caught another TP&W westbound freight on Sunday!   Athough short, the train had an ecclectic mix of power and rolling stock...and probably new business. The two GBRX gondolas on the head end were laden with the same gray, granular commodity as the BNSF steel hopper mid-train. I can only deduct that these were from the Waelz Sustainable Products plant in Clymers, Indiana.   Since 2022, zinc oxide has been moving from WSP in RISX covered hoppers to Union Pacific at Peoria (via TZPR for awhile now). Iron oxide, another by-product of recycling EAF bag dust from steel mills, has some uses as pigments for paints, coatings and inks, as well as in iron and steel production. It can also be used by the concrete industry.    Note also that there were four RISX covered hoppers on today's train. While most of these zinc oxide loads go to UP, some of have been recently seen as routed TPW-TZPR-IMRR-Springfield-CPKC.    The DOWX tank car, containing a non-haz...

I happened to catch this local early evening leaving Kolbe for Colllier Yard. Given the late hour, I wonder if it an extra EPX1 rather than the usual EP1 symbol?  Cars appear to be either tallow empties from Evonik, corn syrup empties and sorbitol loads from Ingredion, and an "environmentally hazard liquid" empty (UN 3082) on the rear, which I'm guessing is from Evonik. Not since I saw a southbound the local the evening of July 18, 2023 have I seen any indication of foundry sand traffic moving to Caterpillar's foundry. I'd like to know what is going on with that.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway local runs along the Keokuk Junction Railway as it departs the Kolbe (Mapleton), Illinois area early-evening Monday, March 18, 2024. TZPR 2133 has 15 cars for Collier Yard at Bartonville...and beyond.   David P. Jordan