Peoria Station

A late departure enabled me to capture MPECL after work Tuesday, just like the good old days before November 2024... This train had 28 empty covered hoppers on the head end that are of the type used for trona shipments to NRG Energy's Powerton Station.  Behind these were six loaded corn syrup tank cars, and nine more further back. These are almost certainly from the Keokuk Junction Railway-served Roquette America's Keokuk, Iowa wet corn refinery. If so, routing is KJRY-UP.  I don't think I've seen that many loaded corn syrup tank cars on MPECL since winter 2022 when Roquette shifted business temporarily to KJRY-UP when BNSF was threatened with a labor strike.  CAPTION: Union Pacific MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Later, the train crests Pioneer Hill on Peoria's northwest side. UP 5726 has 71 cars. - David P. Jordan

Based on Thursday's TZPR interchange receipt and what was already at Adams Street Yard (from KJRY and TP&W), I knew Union Pacific's MPECL would be decent-sized on Friday. I left work two hours early, and caught a rollby at the old Molitor Junction (MP 80). I then decided to head up I-474 and Rt. 6. Despite the glacial speeds due to construction activity, I actually beat MPECL by at least ten minutes! That lone rebuilt CM44AC was struggling with 80 cars as it crested the hill, but made it!  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by MP 80 shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, June 5, 2026. Later, the train has conquered Pioneer Hill on the northwest side of town. UP 7284 has 80 cars. I missed it on Tuesday, but after chasing Union Pacific's MPECL, I encountered the Keokuk Junction Railway local Friday afternoon, capturing it in both directions. PREX 2003 and PREX 2035 are newly painted in...

I'm not sure the last time Norfolk Southern D49 ran before today, but it must have been awhile. Monday's return trip had 89 cars! Besides five Caterpillar D10 tractor loads, the train had seven plastic loads from the Illinois & Midland, 24 ADM grain product loads from Iowa Interstate, 10 corn syrup tanks from the Keokuk Junction Railway and possibly some other interchange business.    I came home from work unaware if the train had left, then received a tip, and headed out. I decided to try to capture the train rolling across the Mackinaw River east of Goodfield. Turns out, I should have just waited for it at Goodfield, and then gone on to Carlock. But I missed it at Yuton as I did not want to risk construction delays on I-74 east of Carlock. Fortunately, the D36 crew had already arrived and took the train on east after adding 43 more cars.   Recent reports have D32 (Decatur to Normal) running Sunday during the day (a wide window) and Monday through Friday during ...

Like earlier this year (February 8-9), six TZPR gondolas up front on this afternoon's KJRY local returning to Mapleton from East Peoria likely contain scrap railroad wheels for Amsted Rail's Griffin Wheel Div. at Keokuk, Iowa.    I have not been able to confirm the origin of these scrap wheel loads, but TZPR-marked gondolas confirm thart they were loaded locally, probably at Alter Metal Recycling's W. Clarke Street processing facility or Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. The TZPR's RIP facility there and two local firms which refurbish, assembly and supply railcar wheels - Alliance Wheel Services at Washington and Wheelworx North LLC at Pekin - seem likely sources for these wheels.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's "East Peoria turn" is shown on its westbound (return) leg at Cilco Lane south of Bartonville and at Mapleton early-evening Friday, April 24, 2026. LTEX 3836-3010-3837-6437 have 20 cars. Train reportedly had 12 car...

I caught the Keokuk Junction Railway local heading to and from East Peoria this afternoon and evening. I can't be 100% sure that all 19 tank cars (corn syrup loads, maybe a few contain sorbitol) are for Norfolk Southern, but if D49 runs Friday, they should be on it. The return run left East Peoria with a healthy 57 cars, though all were empty. Most were grain empties, presumably corn, from Alto's Pekin locations. A pressure differential covered hopper probably last contained corn starch. At least some of the ALAB cars may have last contained corn germ or corn screenings.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's local makes its "East Peoria turn" late-afternoon/early evening at Darst Street and Krause Avenue in Peoria, Illinois Thursday, April 9, 2026. LTEX 6437-3837-3010-3836 have 19 loads (all tank cars) for the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. LTEX 3836-3010-3837-6437 return from East Peoria with 57 empty covered hoppers.   Although I u...

I saw posts on this and hesitated to come into town, figuring I'd be too late. Turns out, I came in time. I still must get used to seeing those empty salt boxcars on Union Pacific. Looks like loads are delivered directly to TP&W at Collier Yard and empties are received via TZPR. The four scrap metal loads and carbon dioxide refrigerated liquid tank car do not make regular appearances on these trains. As for the former, Alter Metal Recycling probably has excess scrap metal to ship to customers outside the area.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train LPD01 ("Peoria Wayfreight") eases to a stop at Darst Street late-afternoon Monday, March 30, 2026 so the conductor can detrain and line the switch before entering home rails. UP 7365 and UP 7006 have a healthy 50 cars (25 loads, 25 empties).   After the Union Pacific train crossed the river, TZPR's Industry 4 followed to run to the West Yard and switch BioUrja's Alcohol Tracks. I did not see this train, and I was waitin...

I barely caught this one in time.   I was still in East Peoria when I heard the MOP gave the KJRY instructions into the East Peoria Yard. The traffic lights at the Cedar Street-MacArthur Highway and SW Washington Street are always inconvenienty long-winded as well. I pulled onto Sanger Street just as the dngineer was blowing for the crossing. I guess a going away shot out my car window was better than nothing...   I left the downtown library too late to capture the return leg out of East Peoria. It cleared the Tazewell & Peoria RR at Iowa Junction about 1745 hours. It was dark anyway. Train will probably run west from Mapleton Friday morning, sometime after 0900.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria Turn rounds the curve at Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois shortly before crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge mid-afternoon Thursday, February 19, 2026. LTEX 6437, LTEX 3010, LNW 3807 and LTEX 3836 have 31 cars.  ...

With such a huge consist, there was a good chance this train was going to stall. Fortunately, it did not. 😀 CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway local is shown crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, February 16, 2026. Shortly, it rolls by Krause Avenue and Darst Street. LTEX 3836, LTEX 3010 and LTEX 6437 have just two cars, both empty. (Train will grab UP interchange at Collier Yard in Bartonville before tying up at Mapleton.) Monday's M-PEIGAL was unusually lengthy but it had no loaded OZIX 2-bay covered hoppers as I had hoped. (I'm leaning toward the idea that Ozinga Cement Co's new TZPR-served barge-rail transfer facility on BioUrja's Riverside Track, ex-Rock Island Belt Line, may be sending coal ash and/or slag to a ready mixed concrete facility via BNSF at Montgomery, Illinois. Can't confirm yet.) CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) curves...

Six of seven train movements (including the Keokuk Junction Railway train in both directions) were recorded in about a two-hour period Wednesday mid- to late-afternoon.    While I've seen nothing official, it is obvious BNSF's M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL trains are running Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The change, I believe, was implemented sometime after last April when Thursday runs were moved to Fridays.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Bridge Junction and then across the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge mid-afternoon Wednesday, February 11, 2026. BNSF 6047 and BNSF 3801 have 44 cars.   I caught the KJRY local's arrival but did not plan to stick around for its departure. I happened to hear the crew ask permission to depart the East Lead for Iowa Junction when I was still closeby, so I turned around and caught it after all. I'm glad I did, as I got one with an "Omaha Track" gondola...

I haven't chased a westbound Keokuk Junction Rwy. local to Bushnell since October 19, 2023, more than two years. When I arrived Bushnell, I was thinking the ADM soy protein plant had already closed, yet there were two cars on spot and three loads on the stub ready to be spotted. Guess what? Monday's train switched out one empty, re-spotted the load and spotted one of three loads from the stub. The plant will close this year, so I probably saw it get switched for once, but probably my only time.    I noted quite a bit of track work in places, such as crosstie replacement and surfacing with much ballast poured (but not yet surfaced) on the stretch from the Spoon River Bridge to a point past the Marietta Road overpass, but the train never moved at more than 10mph. I left the chase just west of Bushnell about 4:00pm. At those speeds, the train would have reached La Harpe after dark (if it made it at all). I may try again when the days are longer in late-spring/early-summer....

I took a half-day from work Friday hoping to catch Union Pacific's MPECL. Unfortunately, Adams Street Yard was empty when I drove by around 1140. I turnaround and checked the signal at W. Farmington Road. Yellow indication. I backtracked, thinking maybe the train was stopped at Peoria Junction and had yet to receive track warrants. No sign of it. I did see what I thought at first was BNSF's M-PEIGAL waiting for instructions to go west.    Turns out, MPECL was hiding from me. Or perhaps LPD01 was still at East Peoria, and when it crossed the river and returned to home rails, the train became MPECL as a new crew got onboard and departed around 1330. Unfortunately, I was an hour east. Also, the BNSF train was M-GALPEI that was for some unknown reason holding well short of Darst Street.    I salvaged my day with the knowledge of a westbound TP&W freight. Now that Ruff Brothers also uses the elevator on Gridley's east side, 15 cars total can be spotted for loading...

The Norfolk Southern covered hoppers were empty, and I can only assume these are in corn germ service out of Roquette America's Keokuk, Iowa wet corn mill to ADM in Decatur. Many of the ALAB cars in this service are getting old, and newer 286,000-lb cars are now industry standard. (NS cars may also be used in organic, or non-GMO, grain service out of Burnside, but usually not this many.) CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's local crosses the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge into Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Shortly, it crosses Darst Street. LTEX 3836, LNW 3806, LNW 3807 and LTEX 6437 have 24 empties.   - David P. Jordan

Based on activities just a week ago, December 26, I was hoping that Union Pacific's MPECL would leave at least a few hours late, but when I arrived the south side of Peoria around 3:30 Friday afternoon to find ,MPECL gone and a Union Pacific crew shoving an empty coal train (received from Decatur via Canadian National) off the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and onto the Low Line toward Peoria Junction.   Apparently, as of December 2025, most Decatur coal routed to CN at Peoria (actually TZPR's Pekin double track) now originates at the Gateway Mine near Coulterville, Illinois instead Wyoming's Powder River Basin. So trains must "see-saw" on the Nickel Plate in East Peoria to be positioned in the right direction. If UP and CN hadn't removed the direct connection at South Pekin in March 2002...   Anyway, once the UP coal empties cleared onto home rails at Darst Street, the Keokuk Junction Railway local's conductor lined the switch and the train moved acro...

I figured that Friday would be busy, and I was correct.    On Wednesday, a BNSF coal train was sitting on the mainline near Darst Street. The TZPR bridge was in the raised position so it seems the whole railroad was shut down for both Wednesday (Christmas Eve) and Thursday (Christmas Day). A second BNSF coal train was reported at Galesburg. I noticed on Christmas Day that Union Pacific's MPECL was parked on the Low Line by Adams Street Yard, and it probably arrived early, like Wednesday evening.    I missed some action due to work (BNSF's M-GALPEI) and darkness (BNSF's M-PEIGAL, and the departing KJRY local). I did not bother with a short (four cars) Norfolk Southern D49 leaving East Peoria because I was waiting for the TP&W train described below.    This one was waiting on the east leg of the wye, a bit unusual for a TP&W train. Apparently, this job must have pulled rather than backed out of the South Yard and connection and then onto the TZ...

I had to go further than I wanted on account of this afternoon's snow showers. My favorite spots at N. Main Street (outside Morton) and Crandall probably weren't clear of snow, so I opted for Deer Creek.   The three Caterpillar tractor loads were on TZPR 68-foot flats, so I'm thinking these were D11s. The other 19 cars were from the Keokuk Junction Railway. Obviously, the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend affected the traffic mix for the week's first D49.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) rolls through Deer Creek, Illinois on its return leg from East Peoria, Illinois to Good Yard in Normal late afternoon Monday, December 1, 2025. NS 7021 and NS 7035 have 22 cars, including three Caterpillar tractor loads. - David P. Jordan

After work, I went into East Peoria to check for local rail action. TZPR radio chatter immediately tipped me off to a Keokuk Junction Railway local waiting at Iowa Junction for instructions into the East Peoria Yard. A pair of BNSF units had just cleared TZPR property at Darst Street on their way west. I assume the crew had just dropped an empty Decatur-bound gluten feed train on the double track for Canadian National. I stuck around to catch the KJRY local.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria turn runs on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Krause Avenue and then at Bridge Junction mid-afternoon Wednesday, November 19, 2025. LTEX 6437, LTEX 3837 and LTEX 3836 have seven cars. Despite the short days, I stuck around to capture the Iowa Interstate train. Overcast stole even more light. Soon, I will only be railfanning on weekends... CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad train of potash empties, PEDAV (Peoria IL to Davenport IA), rolls along the Tazewell & Peo...

I caught this Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria. Highlights include an empty CN boxcar that is likely in zinc ingot service from British Columbia to Liberty Steel & Wire Co., and four empty ex-CN gondolas marked EMRX (Northern Metals Recycling), indicating a Minnesota origin for scrap metal.   CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job (2 or 3) rolls by Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois toward the Illinois River enroute from Kickapoo Yard to East Peoria mid-afternoon Wednesday, November 5, 2025. TZPR 1352 has 19 cars.   The Keokuk Junction Railway local followed close behind from Iowa Junction with a short train. I stuck around long enough to catch the local on its westbound run back to Mapleton. The 19 ALAB-marked covered hoppers on this one are presumably in corn germ service from Keokuk to Decatur (via Norfolk Southern) as we don't normally see them loaded with corn or soybeans at Sciota, but being blo...

I only caught the local at Bridge Junction, so it may have set out cars for Union Pacific at Collier Yard, but did not make a pickup on the way back to Mapleton. If this carrier is only cycling into and out of the area once per week, you would think interchange with Union Pacific would be a stop both ways every time. (TP&W interchange, mostly eastbound grain, seems to move via the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad now.)   CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria turn crosses BioUrja Renewables LLC Riverside Track shortly before entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge late-afternoon Thursday, October 30, 2025. LTEX 6437-3837-3836 have nine cars. Later, LTEX 3836-3837-6437 have ten cars at Bartonville on the Union Pacific-owned, TP&W-controlled ex-Peoria Terminal Co. line.   - David P. Jordan

After work, I usually head to downtown library, but I did not make it on Friday afternoon because there were too many trains.    I just barely caught the Keokuk Junction Railway's local operating an East Peoria turn. I shot it the last place I could - the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River bridge.    CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's weekly East Peoria turn is shown in both directions on Friday afternoon, October 24, 2025. LTEX 6437, LTEX 3837 and LTEX 3836 have 17 cars for interchange with connections via the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad. LTEX 3836, LTEX 3837 and LTEX 6437 left East Peoria with 14 cars. Driving the Cedar Street Bridge into Peoria, I saw the Keokuk Junction Railway local entering the Bridge Junction wye at Sanger Street, but also a distant headlight that was clearly a BNSF train. My hopes were fulfilled when I reached Darst Street to find a short M-GALPEI ready to follow the Keokuk Junction Railway across the river.  ...

Most of today's delivery to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard is for Norfolk Southern, so if I see D49 later this week, I expect to see these cars again... CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria Turn is shown at Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, September 16, 2025. LTEX 6437, PREX 2003 and LTEX 3010 has 25 cars.   - David P. Jordan