Peoria Station

When I left work at 3:00pm Tuesday afternoon, I learned that Union Pacific's MPECL had left Adams Street Yard later than usual, and was reported at Harmon Highway (Rt. 116) on Peoria's southwest side about 30 minutes earlier. I debated whether to try and catch it. I had left my camera in the car just in case.   Given the time it would take to get to the Union Pacific's Peoria Sub due to traffic and construction, I told myself "no" and went home. Minutes later, I learned the train had paused at W. Farmington Road due to an issue with the twelfth car dropping its air and went for it... CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) is shown south and again north of Camp Grove, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, September 29, 2026. NS 7613, UP 5726 and UP 2742 have 88 cars. Slower-than-usual speed may be due to a rough-riding gondola in the block of 35 maintenance-of-way cars on the rear. - David P. Jordan

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

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 ran some errands after work, but ended up hearing static on the Union Pacific Peoria Sub road channel (CH. 77 - 161.265), but could not make out any details. So I immediately made my way to W. Farmington Road. The green signal indication for a northbound prompted me to park. Minutes later, MPECL showed up. I guess it is still being called earlier (noon to 1:00pm) most days, but the train does sometimes run later.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, June 9, 2026. UP 3044 has 50 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 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...

Not sure what is with CSXT units leading local freight trains, but I don't mind. Notably, CSXT 775 was involved in that near-collision April 2 in Bushnell Florida. It was leading the train that scraped the rear of a school bus after the bus driver decided to cross in front of it. She was fired and arrested for her stupidity.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin mainline late-afternoon Tuesday, May 19, 2026. CSXT 775 and CN 3192 have 40 cars. CSX coil steel car is for Hanna Steel. Two FSR gondolas are loaded with scrap metal from KJRY-served Hitchcock Scrap Yard in Canton. Tuesday was one of those rare occasions that Union Pacific's MPECL is called late, and I can see it. I actually stumbled on it accidentally, and by chance got it after missing its departure. Consist is surprisingly short since Friday's train reportedly was made up of just 49 empty plastic pellet covere...

I did not expect to see this one as typical crew call time is much earlier.   I even left home later than usual, but still managed to see a late-running Union Pacific MPECL. I often run by the south side of Peoria enroute to the downtown library in case BNSF's M-GALPEI, the KJRY local, a TZPR local out of Kickapoo Yard and maybe a TP&W EP2 or EPX1 are in the area.    It appears that three corn syrup tank cars in front and one behind the two boxcars are KJRY traffic, obviously from Roquette America's Keokuk, Iowa wet corn mill. The loaded UP coal hopper is strange.   CAPTION:   Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, March 13, 2026. UP 5879 has 28 cars. - 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 returned home Monday evening but still had another day off, so I took advantage of the situation for a little exploring.    I noticed five covered hoppers of various markings (CITX, three SCGX, one AMFX) at the old South Yard. These must be assigned to distillers dried grain service out of BioUrja Renewables LLC.    I also checked the new Ozinga Cement Co. facility at the lower end of the old Peoria Barge Terminal. A covered hopper was spotted under a spout, which appears to enable loading of bulk materials from barge to rail. I'd guess there is an undertrack pit on site to enable rail-to-barge transfer as well. Perhaps this facility is being installed to support the new slag cement mill being built on the Indiana Harbor Belt RR at East Chicago, Indiana? The Tazewell & Peoria RR is the serving carrier, and it will be exciting to find out what line haul carriers will be handling this traffic.    I checked Adams Street Yard where I found a short M...

I took a half-day off work, and decided to check on Union Pacific's Tuesday/Friday MPECL, which has been called as early as 1100 hours lately. Sure enough, when I drove by Adams Street Yard around 1130, the crew was already on board. Minutes later, they called the dispatcher for instructions to go north.    As soon as I noticed MPECL moving, I headed toward Kickapoo Creek Road. The midday November sunlight is actually pretty terrible on north-south oriented rail lines, but Pottstown offers decent lighting due to the curve just south of the crossing.    But then I caught up to BNSF's M-PEIGAL, which was gained speed too quickly to beat to Pottstown, so I opted for Edwards. I only had a minute to spare on that one. Interestingly, 14 of 19 cars on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Industry Job returning to East Peoria from Kickapoo Yard were on this train, including those six covered hoppers.  CAPTION : BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL Manifest, Peoria IL to Galesburg I...

I took a half-day off work and decided to check on Union Pacific's MPECL. It left Adams Street Yard around 1230. Due early poor afternoon lightning at the old Molitor Junction (MP 80) and W. Farmington Road, I opted for video at Pottstown.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) has entered the double track as it rolls by Pottstown, Illinois early afternoon Friday, October 10, 2025. UP 5875 and UP 7225 have 25 cars.   Volume might be up with the fall harvest, but it has been years since I've seen any carrier deliver this many carloads of corn to the present BioUrja Renewables LLC/former ADM distillery in Peoria.   When rail-to-barge grain export operations commenced in 1981, the Chicago & North Western and Toledo, Peoria & Western were granted access to ADM's Riverside Track (ex-Rock Island Belt Line) via Iowa Junction. Both carriers seemed to deliver loads, pull empties or both on most days.   TP&W grain volume de...

I left work this afternoon with some hope that Norfolk Southern's D49 local would still be in East Peoria. Thursday, I noticed a couple strings of cars in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's yard that looked like NS outbound traffic (wire rod loads from Liberty Steel & Wire being one clue). Sure enough, when I drove by the north end of the yard, two NS motors were on the point of a healthy-looking train.    Notable traffic included twelve wire rod loads from Liberty Steel & Wire and 17 plastic pellet loads from the Illinois & Midland RR. The four AEX-marked covered hoppers were the empties.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway Train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown departing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in East Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, August 1, 2025. NS 7034 and NS 6923 have 53 cars (49 loads/4 empties). While waiting for the NS train's departure, I kept hearing radio chatter indicating a BNSF freight was in the yard wa...

I was able to capture Union Pacific's MPECL early this afternoon.    The long cut of tank cars look like what I saw on the Low Line since last Thursday. Friday's train had only four cars, so perhaps they mostly empties for today's run? Basic make-up:   SIX corn syrup empties THREE industrial alcohol (UN 1170) loads TWO steepwater loads ONE denatured alcohol (UN 1987) load ONE industrial alcohol (UN 1170) load ONE plastic pellet empty THREE corn syrup empties ONE corn gluten meal/feed/DDGS? load THREE plastic pellet empties  ONE scrap metal empty ONE beverage alcohol (UN 3065) load THREE corn syrup empties  ONE industrial alcohol (UN 1170) load ONE beverage alcohol (UN 3065) load ONE corn gluten meal/feed/DDGS load? ONE plastic pellet empty TWO beverage alcohol (UN 3065) loads TWENTY-NINE trona (dry sorbent) empties THIRTEEN grain product empties   Origins are Alto Ingredients, BioUrja Renewables, Alter Metal Recycling/Liberty Steel ...

I figured Union Pacific would run MPECL today, despite being a holiday. After checking out Adams Street Yard around 1:00pm, I had doubts, as the train had not been made up! UP 7955 and UP 5854 were parked in the yard with no cars. The former was bad ordered so the latter led today's train.   Not sure why the short train of just four cars. The Low Line had a string of tank cars (or mostly tank cars) and there were covered hoppers in the yard as well. I saw the LPD01 job switching in the yard late Thursday afternoon, so perhaps having a single operational unit was a factor. I could not tell if the other cars had not yet been delivered to TZPR or if they had been received from them. All four that were on today's train came from TZPR (the coal empty came from a connection, either CN or IMRR), and one was a denatured alcohol load.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls along Edelstein Siding near its namesake Illinois village late-afterno...

I took today off from work. Despite the rain, I decided to check on Union Pacific train MPECL. Sure enough, as I drove by Adams Street Yard shortly before 1:00pm, it was just moving toward Peoria Junction.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after leaving Adams Street Yard in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, June 20, 2025. UP 6452 has 46 cars. I got home this afternoon thinking Union Pacific's MPECL was the only local movement I'd record today, but not long after uploading the video, I learned that a TP&W eastbound manifest was cleared to depart East Peoria for Milepost 52 (just west of Fairbury). Possible mechanical issues delayed the train's departure by more than an hour, but I was able to capture its passage at Cruger, Illinois. CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway eastbound, often referred to as MEPEF (handled by the EPX2 crew), rolls by Grainland Cooperative's Cruger...

I learned that Union Pacific's MPECL departed Adams Street Yard a little before 3:00 Friday afternoon, so I took the chance and caught up with it. A possible misunderstanding over a meet with a southbound (which I never saw, but may have been a southbound grain train) at Pioneer (where I stopped and waited, hoping it had not yet ascended the hill) or Edelstein (where radio chatter indicated the train was already past my location).   I may have only caught up to it because the crew had to set out the seventh car, a loaded alcohol tank car, on the old fertilizer spur at Morse. I shot a little video of the train pulling away, and then waited for it to roll by me at the new El Camino station area.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) set out a loaded alcohol tank car on the old fertilizer spur at Morse (near Bradford, Illinois) then pulls away to reconnect with the rest of the train. Later, it rolls by El Camino, future site of a Bartlett Gra...

As usual, I saw something on my way to the downtown library this afternoon after work.    I'm glad I took I-474 instead of I-74 because I came across a three locomotive/two-car Keokuk Junction Railway local waiting at Iowa Junction for traffic to clear before heading on to East Peoria. First, BNSF's M-PEIGAL as just pulling onto home rails at S. Darst Street when I drove by. After catching it at W. Farmington Road a short time later, I returned to Peoria's southside to find an empty Union Pacific Decatur coal train pulling through Adams Street Yard.   The signal at W. Farmington Road was green for a northbound UP, but I don't believe it was the coal empties. A coal empty out of Crescent or a grain empty out of South Pekin are more likely. I ended up going to the downtown library, but should have stayed at W. Farmington Road as not only the Decatur train but also MPECL departed before evening.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-PEIGAL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Ga...

After catching LPD01 on Monday afternoon, I decided to leave work two hours early on Tuesday to catch MPECL. As usual, my plan does not always unfold as I hoped, but I did catch the train, finally, at Camp Grove.    I left work at 1:00pm, and drove directly to Adams Street Yard to confirm that it was gone, which it was. So I headed up I-474, Route 6, US 150, Willow Knolls Drive and finally Brauer Road and waited a few minutes, hoping to hear MPECL growling up Pioneer Hill.    While I did hear sounds I thought could be MPECL, I was smart enough to look north to see the rear end fading in the distance. I could not catch it until Speer, and by then it was too late to set up for video. So Camp Grove was the next spot I tried, and succeeded.    On my way back to Peoria, I caught radio chatter between the dispatcher and train crew. She asked them if they were at Milepost 61. They told her they were at Milepost 47. She had informed that that a vehicle was hi...