Peoria Station

I learned that two end cab switchers were on an East Peoria-Powerton turn, and knew I needed to capture it somewhere. I was coming from the downtown Peoria library so I barely got to my spot in time. We see the usual dry sorbent loads for NRG Energy at Powerton and zinc oxide loads for CPKC at Springfield mixed with a few liquid feed, plastic and slag empties. CAPTION: Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Industry 4" job rolls across N. 2nd Street in Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, May 1, 2026 with transfer business for the Illinois & Midland Railroad at Powerton. TZPR 1352 and TZPR 1351 have 27 cars.   - David P. Jordan

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 heard the dispatcher give it permission to head north on the Peoria Subdivision, so when it took awhile to catch up to it, I figured it had to be short.    It was.    Kind of a neat one though. Behind the ES44AC were two empty covered hoppers and five loaded tank cars, all placarded as UN 3065, or "alcoholic beverage." I'll dub this one the "Vodka Special." Don't know if the five cars came from BioUrja in Peoria or Alto Pekin LLC or Alto ICP in Pekin.   I'm curious about their destination. Typically, they are consigned to a distillery that is resuming operations after a maintenance shutdown or to a liquor blending and packaging facility. Although the cars are likely to be handled all the way to Silvis, I suspect they will moving back east on manifest CRBI (Cedar Rapids IA to Blue Island IL) to a Chicago connection.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Peoria Subdivision through Mossville, Ro...

I was able to set up at W. Farmington Road just minutes before this loaded, Powerton-bound coal train rolled by.  CAPTION: A Union Pacific coal train rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, February 9, 2025. UP 5613 and UP 2610 have 135 loads for NRG Energy's Powerton Station on the Illinois & Midland RR. UP 6284 is DPU.   While lingering on the east side of the river, I heard chatter indicating a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local was moving on the Peoria side. So I checked it out and found this empty potash train heading toward Bridge Junction. A loaded potash train arrived Friday evening, and this was probably the one sitting along Wesley Road today.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local pulls a train of potash empties at Sanger Street in Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, February 9, 2025. Train is enroute from Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC south of Bartonville to the TZPR Pekin Main at Grove. TZPR 1352 and IMRR 43 have...

I would have stayed home this afternoon, but got a heads up that the southbound signal at Edelstein was green. I had hopes for an early MCLPE, but alas it was a Powerton-bound coal train. I should be happy, because those have perhaps four years left.  CAPTION: A southbound Union Pacific coal train rolls by W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Wednesday, October 2, 2024. UP 5523 and UP 5562 have 135 loads for the Illinois & Midland Railroad at Crescent for delivery to NRG Energy's Powerton Station. UP 5572 is DPU.   - David P. Jordan