Peoria Station

When I was in Bloomington-Normal Thursday evening, I noticed that D32 had brought in quite a few cars for TZPR and connections, including steel coils for IAIS and steel scrap for Liberty Steel & Wire. I figured they'd run D49 on Friday. But when I decided to head into East Peoria this morning, I was seconds from missing it. Driving US 150 from Morton, I noticed the tail end on TP&W's West End. Fortunately, I head a green light at E. Washington Street. I pulled into the left of two turn lanes at the N. Main Street intersection just in time to shoot a going away video. It took an hour for D49 to turn around and depart with the outbound. Midday lighting this time of year can be a challenge, but Carver Lane proved to be a good location.  Besides three steel coil loads for Iowa Interstate and 13 NS/WRWK gondolas that I believe contained scrap metal for Liberty Steel & Wire (I've seen TZPR locals handling these to and from Kickapoo Yard), there were two empty BNSF cov...

I took a half day from work, knowing Union Pacific's MPECL was going to be unusually big. Turns out, it wasn't called until mid-afternoon! At least I caught BNSF's inbound freight in advance. The 47-car consist included five empty flat cars on the head end (as opposed to the rear for better weight distribution (perhaps it doesn't matter so much on the Peoria Sub?), and ten more brand-new covered hoppers being delivered to Incobrasa Industries via TP&W.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Peoria, Illinois shortly before crossing the river into East Peoria mid-afternoon Friday, May 22, 2026. Later, counterpart, M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls by W. Farmington Road. BNSF 7722 and BNSF 9081 arrived with 47 cars and departed with 21. The Union Pacific crew had troubles with their locomotive. It kept dumping the air. Finally, they got going and even made it up Pioneer Hill d...

On Wednesday, May 6, I went up to check the Bartlett Grain elevator under construction at El Camino, just north of Interstate 80 along Union Pacific's Peoria Subdivision. I learned too late that I had missed a BNSF M-GALPEI which had a 20-car block of brand new Incobrasa Industries covered hoppers. This evening, I actually caught M-GALPEI with a 19-car block! The CSX leader is interesting too.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls through Pottstown shortly before arriving Peoria, Illinois early evening Monday, May 18, 2026. CSXT 806 and BNSF 7742 have 56 cars, including a 19-car block of brand new covered hoppers for Incobrasa Industries (via TP&W). - David P. Jordan

I went to Deer Creek and waited, then chased to Carlock and Yuton. Five Caterpillar D9 tractor loads were worth the chase. Four OZIX (Ozinga) 2-bay covered hoppers were loaded, but based on their appearance on a D49 in July 2025 (before Ozinga's Peoria transfer dock was built) they might contain granulated slag from Harsco's Powerton plant (they are with EQUX plastic cars and other slag loads that most certainly came from IMRR).  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) is shown at Deer Creek, Illinois on its return leg from East Peoria to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, May 11, 2026. Later, it rolls through Carlock and pauses at Yuton so the conductor can line the switch into the make up track at Good Yard. NS 6968 and NS 6923 have 50 cars. Note five Caterpillar D9 track-type tractor loads.   M-PEIGAL will have 2? locomotives picked up from the Creve Coeur Team Track.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest,...

By the time I left work on this stormy Friday afternoon, I knew that Union Pacific's MPECL had already left and that Norfolk Southern local D49 had come and gone. So I went into Peoria thinking BNSF's M-GALPEI or M-PEIGAL could be here.    Sure enough, M-GALPEI was actually blocking Sanger Street, waiting for permission to cross the river. So I shot video of the train at Bridge Junction from my car as a heavy thunderstorm approached. My wait was brief. I left for the downtown library, checked for M-PEIGAL and found it still in East Peoria. Darkness fell and left as I had other plans.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls enters Bridge Junction on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad mid-afternoon Friday, March 6, 2026. BNSF 4233 and BNSF 8156 have 35 cars.   After bagging the inbound BNSF "local," I heard the TZPR Jacksonville dispatcher give a TP&W train permission to leave the north end of the East Peoria Yard fo...

My first Class I encounter in 2026!   I was entering Peoria on the Cedar Street Bridge and saw the headlight in the distance, and learned within seconds that it was the BNSF "local."    The five OZIX-marked (Ozinga) twin-bay covered hoppers on today's train were empty, and may be assigned to Illinois & Midland RR-served Harsco slag processing facilities at Powerton and Sicily. After all, I saw several loaded OZIX-marked cars departing East Peoria on Norfolk Southern's D49 last summer. But the new Ozinga Cement Co. barge-rail-truck? facility recently opened at the lower end of the old Peoria Barge Terminal property has been getting a lot of these cars, most of which have OZIX markings as well.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property enroute to East Peoria late afternoon Monday, January 12, 2026. BNSF 3910 and BNSF 6795 have 35 cars.   - David P. Jordan

The train was reported by Elmwood at 1340 hours, but a maintenance foreman apparently held up the train's movement on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property. CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) has just entered the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, December 5, 2025. Train is heading for the river and East Peoria to interchange with TZPR and flip back as M-PEIGAL. BNSF 4253 and BNSF 9174 have 28 cars. - David. P. Jordan

When I left work this afternoon, I already knew Norfolk Southern's D49 local had arrived and departed, so I took I-474 to Peoria and went up SW Adams to find BNSF's M-GALPEI, the third turn this week, just getting permission to enter Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property at Darst Street.    Sometime in late-April this year, M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL changed from a Monday/Thursday pattern to Monday/Friday. There are still two or three days in between runs. No real difference. But I wondered if this new routine might signal a future increase in frequency, i. e., three instead of two weekly cycles. Although BNSF has occasionally operated a third weekly cycle in the past, I see no reason to do so on a regular basis unless there is a significant increase in traffic, or a company-wide change in operations strategy.    I can't confirm whether this week's Wednesday run was the beginning of increased service or a fluke. I did not see the train itself, but BNSF 9100 and BNSF 67...

After work, I made my usual trip to the downtown library, with appropriate detours.   After exiting I-74 in East Peoria, I noticed what I thought might be a Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train preparing to shove a few tank cars out of the west end of the yard and run Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District to Crandall Junction and then into Morton. Turns out, it was probably just a short train returning from Collier Yard in Bartonville.   Shortly, I heard the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad dispatcher give BNSF's M-GALPEI permission to enter his property at Darst Street when river traffic cleared and the bridge was lowered. That gave me time to get to Krause Avenue in time to capture the train's passage.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) has just entered Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property at Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Monday, September 22, 2025. BNSF 7167 and BNSF 6748 have 30 cars for the Eas...

I left home earlier than usual Saturday morning. It was fortunate that I did because I came across BNSF's M-GALPEI, which was a day late. A contractor is replacing cross ties on the north end of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard so the BNSF train pulled down the Pekin double track at Wesley, shoved along Wesley 8 and into yard track A-39. I did not stick around to see if they made up M-PEIGAL and departed but assume that they did.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property at Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois Saturday morning, September 20, 2025. BNSF 7586 and BNSF 7705 have 43 cars. Shortly after the BNSF train crossed the river, the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Lead 2" job dragged 40 cars that were left by the Iowa Interstate at the North Limit Yard (a common practice with East Peoria is full). It too had to pull down the double track main and shove into ...

I missed M-GALPEI's arrival but after my routine visit to the downtown library, I returned to East Peoria to check on M-PEIGAL with the assumption it would run in the evening.   Sure enough, the crew was putting together its train but re-crewed before departure. Highlights on today's train include one more of those Dash 9-44CW Norfolk Southern sold to Relco (Albia, Iowa), four Caterpillar D9 track-type tractor loads and the three iron oxide loads TP&W delivered to TZPR on Sunday.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) comes off the "New Horn" after crossing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge early evening Monday, July 21, 2025. BNSF 7475 and NS 1078 have ex-NS 3946 (sold to Relco) and 28 cars. The three BNSF steel hoppers mid-train contain iron oxide, and were delivered to TZPR by TP&W on Sunday.   - David P. Jordan

Despite the heat, I was aware that BNSF's M-GALPEI arrived Peoria sometime in late-morning or early-afternoon, and knew I had a chance to see M-PEIGAL flip back west. Sure enough, shortly after I veered off I-474 onto SW Adams and then SW Washington streets, I picked up radio chatter giving the BNSF train permission to depart the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard for Galesburg.  Driving my desire to catch this train was that 30 years ago today, June 23, 1995, I caught its predecessor's eastbound leg. Burlington Northern local 13814 had one locomotive (BN 1596, a GP28P normally assigned to Northtown Yard in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and 14 cars on that day. One car was delivered to Caterpillar's tire plant and an empty was pulled and blocked on the rear of the 39-car outbound train left on the New Long Main (just west of Darst Street). Low lighting and low quality camera notwithstanding, I'm glad I recorded this encounter three decades ago! Back to the ...

Running a day early for some reason.    The block of 29 empty flatcars on the head end look like the kind used to haul concrete crossties, but why they are moving empty to Peoria is not clear.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Rockhill Road near Oak Hill, Illinois early evening Sunday, June 1, 2025. BNSF 9237 and BNSF 5655 have 51 cars. Note 29 BNSF flat cars on the head end.   Also notable is that late this afternoon, I noticed three loaded ballast hoppers and two rip-rap loaded air-dump cars parked on the east end of the New Long Main in Peoria. I'm thinking a bridge replacement project is planned somewhere along the Peoria Subdivision.    - David P. Jordan

On my way to the downtown library early this afternoon I checked out the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria and noticed an Illinois & Midland RR transfer that had just arrived. I stuck around for signs that it would return south shortly, and it did.  CAPTION: An Illinois & Midland Railroad Powerton Roadswitcher is shown on its return trip from sister Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard early afternoon Saturday, May 17, 2025. Locations are Wesley, Hilliards and Pekin, Illinois. A fourth scene shows a runby of the train's power at Distillery Road in Pekin. IORY 5014 and IMRR 2108 have 43 cars.   I missed BNSF's M-GALPEI Friday afternoon, and assumed that when the crew parked their power on the Creve Coeur Team Track, a relief crew might take it M-PEIGAL west later in the evening. Turns out, M-PEIGAL ran Saurday afternoon. I was at the downtown library when it departed, but since I knew it could not be too far west, searched for and enc...

When I drove by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard after work this afternoon, I noticed BNSF power at the south end. I was to late to see M-GALPEI's arrival, but knew I had a chance to see M-PEIGAL flip back west after leaving the downtown library.   The Komatsu chassis load and empty BNSF flat car were pulled by TZPR Industry 2 on Friday. The non-placarded tank car right behind them might well contain distillers corn oil from BioUrja.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and onto home rails at S. Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois early evening Monday, May 12, 2025. A short time later, the train rolls toward W. Farmington Road. BNSF 5893 and BNSF 6740 have 21 cars.  - David P. Jordan

I left work early and glad that I did. BNSF's M-GALPEI was waiting at S. Darst Street to enter Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property until TPW 2105, running engine lite, got clear. Radio chatter indicated a high-wide load, which is unusual for M-GALPEI since Caterpillar ceased assembling wheel loaders, wheel dozers and soil compactors at the Montgomery (Aurora), Illinois plant in 2019. While I could not see any markings indicating its manufacturer, the electrical transformer riding on that eight-axle Kasgro heavy-duty flat car was probably manufactured by Asea Brown Boveri in St. Louis.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Southern Division at Krause Avenue in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, May 2, 2025. BNSF 4101 and BNSF 5014 have 65 cars. Note the electric transformer load on the head end.   The TP&W local had but five cars to grab from Collier Yard, so it did not take ...

I had just pulled into the downtown library parking lot when I heard the TZPR dispatcher give M-GALPEI instructions into the East Peoria Yard. So I decided to check out the action. When I arrived Sanger Street, I saw a Union Pacific Decatur-bound (via CN) coal train pulling off the Low Line in the distance at Darst Street. Lighting was better across the river so I contemplated shooting video at Hilliards until I noticed BNSF's M-GALPEI waiting at Darst Street for the UP train to clear.    I will take a manifest over a unit train any day. CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) has entered the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, March 21, 2025. BNSF 7441 and BNSF 4111 have 52 cars.   After the BNSF train cleared, I knew a Keokuk Junction Railway local would cross the river and head back to Mapleton. But I wanted to continue my research and returned to the downtown library. I left early, and caug...

On the first weekday of the time change I ended up seeing BNSF's M-GALPEI as well as turn back west as M-PEIGAL!   This afternoon's M-GALPEI was short - just twelve cars - but that happens from time to time, even with the usual two cycles per week. CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) has just entered Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property at Darst Street in Peoria, Illinois on an unseasonably warm mid-afternoon Monday, March 10, 2025. Minutes later, the train crosses the Illinois River on the way to East Peoria. BNSF 5654 and BNSF 6231 have twelve cars.   I left the downtown library this afternoon a little earlier than usual, and found M-PEIGAL doubled up and close to departure at the south end of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. This one had a more typical length. The added bonus was the Komatsu and Caterpillar loads.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg IL) crosses t...

I saw BNSF's M-GALPEI in the East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Wednesday, so cold weather earlier this week seems to have taken operations off-schedule. I received a heads up that BNSF Railway's M-GALPEI may have departed Galesburg sometime Saturday night. I was expecting a possible M-PEIGAL this morning, but when I drove by the south side, it was M-GALPEI entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street.  CAPTION: BNSF train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, January 26, 2025 as it curves toward the Illinois River and East Peoria. BNSF 4351 and BNSF 3837 have 17 cars. After the BNSF train crossed the river, I did as well and found a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad yard job pulling 21 mash (or gluten feed) loads down the Pekin double track toward ADM Grain Co. at Hilliards. It is that time of year when they do this up to twice a day as the upper Mississippi River i...

When I head to the downtown library on Saturday morning, I usually check East Peoria for possible rail movements. This morning, I knew that Iowa Interstate power (513 and 153) would take NS 5281 on PESI later in the day, and decided to check its status. I existed I-474 at Creve Coeur and drove Wesley Road, noticing the yellow signal indication at Wesley East and also toward the Illinois River Bridge. I figured an empty BNSF coal train or loaded BNSF gluten feed train might be lined up. Turns out, it a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local from Pekin.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local, enroute from Pekin to East Peoria, Illinois, rolls along the double track at Hilliards and later at Wesley late-morning Saturday, January 11, 2025. TZPR 1521 and 21 cars pulled toward the bridge so it could back into the East Peoria Yard's south end. The Iowa Interstate units were still resting on the Creve Coeur Team Track, so I headed for the downtown library. I finished up a roll...