Peoria Station

I had a heads up that Canadian National's L557 local was about to, or already had. left East Peoria, and decided to take Rt. 98 and then a left on Rt. 29. This was a good decision because the train had entered Pekin just ahead of me.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway train L557 (Local, E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL) rolls enters home rails at IC Junction in downtown Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, April 16, 2026. Steel coil and lumber loads, for Hanna Steel and Amerhart, respectively were "turned" at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard rather than being set out at Pekin (perhaps L556's crew was short on time?). CN 3192 has 37 cars.   I normally don't post UP Joliet/Springfield Sub action here, but something stood out with a possible local connection.    There were nine RISX covered hoppers on today's MBNAS (in groups of six and three). All empties. Those markings are familiar to me because similar RISX-marked cars are assig...

I just came across a publication at my local library called Choose Greater PEORIA Illinois , produced by livability dot com. On page 23, a community profile lists "transportation assets," which include two items which caught my eye- Five Class 1 railroads for hauling cargo Six short line railroads Both are incorrect. Greater Peoria, a designation that based on the magazine's other content matches the five-county official metropolitan area, is served by four Class Is, one Regional and four shortlines.  American common-carrier railroads are designated as Class I, Class II ("Regional") and Class III ("Shortlines"). These are broken down using annual revenue by the then-Interstate Commerce Commission critieria introduced in 1992 - $504,803,294 minimum for Class Is and $40,384,263 minimum for Class IIs. Carriers with annual revenue below the Class II minimum standard are designated as Class IIIs.  The Class Is are BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, No...

I went to Bloomington this afternoon to catch the A&S twins (2205 and 2204) on Union Pacific's MBNAS. It took the crew awhile to build its rather lengthy (81 cars) train. As soon as it cleared B-N Target, the signal indication changed to green for Norfolk Southern Train D36. I hsd not bothered to capture any video or stills of MBNAS prior to D36's passage, so I drove down I-55 to Atlanta. The train raced by me just minutes later.    Train make up included three [probably loaded] potash covered hoppers and three empty denatured alcohol tank cars for the Bloomer Line at Gibson City, ten autoracks loaded with Rivian vehicles, 27 cars from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (eleven corn germ/grain product, nine corn syrup/sorbitol and one scrap metal load) and ten empty gondolas moving to/from storage.  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Train D36 (Local, Normal IL to Decatur IL) crosses W. Washington Street in Bloomington, Illinois' west side early evening Thursday, Septembe...

I exited I-74 this morning onto E. Washington Street to find two locomotives and a tank car had backed out of the TP&W's East Peoria Yard. It could only mean that another run to Morton was imminent! I'm glad I happened upon this movement because it marked the first time I'd seen it use six-axle power. The only other time it is known to have happened was on March 2, 2023 when MQT dropped two tank cars for Fort Transfer. I don't believe Santa Fe ever used six-axle power on its Pekin District.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran "Morton Job" Sunday morning, November 19, 2023. TPW 5015 and MQT 3407 rolled down Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District to Crandall and then the Morton Industrial Spur to deliver a lone tank car to Fort Transfer Company. Scenes are at Farmdale, Crandall and Morton, with final scenes showing power leaving engine lite.  - David P. Jordan

The horn woke me up this morning, but the crew had already delivered three tank cars and leaving engine lite before I could dress and head out to investigate. Fort Transfer Company hasn't received liquid herbicide since March 2022. The seven tank cars delivered this year have probably contained de-icer or dust control chemicals. At there is more activity in 2023 than in 2022!  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway actually delivered three tank cars to Fort Transfer Company in Morton, Illinois Saturday morning, November 11, 2023. After doing so, TPW 5008 is shown at Crandall Junction, switching from the Morton Industrial Spur to Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District for the trip back to East Peoria. None of the tank cars (GATX 37385, UTLX 681632 and UTLX 224856) display a haz-mat placard, so they must contain a de-icer chemical. David P. Jordan

No sooner did a get home from work that I checked railfan social media and learned that not only was Norfolk Souther local D49 still at East Peoria, but that a geometry train had turned around at East Peoria and was heading east (timetable south). I didn't know where it was when I left, so I headed to Goodfield and waited.  I didn't wait long.  CAPTION: A Norfolk Southern Geometry Train is shown late-afternoon Monday, August 7, 2023 after turning at East Peoria. NS 9755 has NS 99 ("Belford," a former DL&W car) and NS 34. The train was re-crewed at Good Yard in Normal and ran to Bement. I figured I'd have time to backtrack west for D49, so I set up at N. Main Street just outside Morton and waited, and waited and waited. As distant, faint horn blasts were heard, and eventually growling from a quartet of EMD standard cabs as it struggled to pull its 94-car train up hill, I realized the 55 grain empties brought into town for loading at ADM's Hilliards elevato...

I took today off, and contemplated how to spend it. As events unfolded Thursday, I decided to stay in the area...well almost. First, I checked Good Yard in Normal for any sign of Norfolk Southern local D49. Lately, it seems this train is spending more days of the week pulling loads and spotting empties at Rivian Automotive Inc's adjacent ramp. This means that the East Peoria run is put off until later. But not today. When I arrived, I found D36 made up and parked on the Rivian ramp "balloon" track. No power was in sight. Then, my scanner picked up radio chatter. Moments later, I saw inbound train D32 stopped across College Avenue with NS 3228 and NS 3410 and about 15 cars. I quckly assumed that D49's crew had to pull it in, as D32 usually arrives well before sunrise. Activity died off as soon as the train pulled into and stopped in the yard, so I headed back to Peoria.  As I exited I-74 onto East Washington Street, I caught the tail end of a train which looked suspici...

I had my second encounter this year with Norfolk Southern's D49 local. Both encounters were completely unexpected. On Tuesdays, I normally take I-474 so I can check on Union Pacific's MPECL. Instead, I took I-74 into East Peoria and filled my tank at the Sunoco station on E. Camp Street because it was 22 cents cheaper than in Morton or Peoria. No sooner did I leave the gas station, I heard a horn... CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 rolls along the TP&W's Peoria Sub in East Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Shown on their return trip to Good Yard in Normal, NS 3410 and NS 7014 have 23 cars. I had hoped to see the Iowa Interstate haul those four ex-Amtrak (nee Santa Fe) hi-level cars out of town. I was aware that an IAIS crew delivered a potash train to TZPR early this afternoon, so I hoped for a departure well after 3:00. Turns out, PESI departure before 3:00, but a social media post alerted me to its location, and I calculated that I...

The Keokuk Junction Railway local was reported at Bartonville at 5:00 this afternoon. When I left the downtown library, I decided to check it out, and found it after 6:00 having just finished making a set out at Collier Yard. The crew received permission from TZPR to make the run to East Peoria, noting a restriction on handling empty cars due to a wind advisory in effect until 7:30. Of course, they wouldn't leave East Peoria with the mostly (or all) empty train.  CEFX 2014 and CEFX 2022 have 24 cars. The 5th through 7th cars are loaded ALAB-marked covered hoppers, which I hope contain corn germ consigned to ADM's West Plant in Decatur. I understand that earlier this year, corn germ was being trucked from Keokuk! I had hoped this was a temporary situation due to unknown (to me) issues. Volume is something like 900 or so carloads per year, so that would be a huge blow to KJRY to lose this business.  Also of note, the 9th and 10th cars are probably loaded with organic grain shipp...

Two hours, 24 minutes in length - It literally took all day, New Year's Eve, to merge the video files, save the video and then upload to YouTube. The audio is a little inconsistent for the first hour, and I'm sure I'll need to clarify some information in the comments, but... Peoria, Illinois and its suburbs boast nine common carrier railroads, heavy industry and an exciting variety of facilities and operations sure to please visitors. But some train operations are unpredictable, and the rail lines confusing for those unfamiliar with the territory. Hopefully, maps, scenes and narration will help you navigate this exciting and historical railroad town! Excerpts of videos already posted on my channel, mostly in 2021, are used to describe the current railscene.   - David P. Jordan

Just before leaving work at 3:00 Friday afternoon, I learned that the TP&W was going to make a run to Morton. It is always exciting to catch a train where you live (I'm a few blocks from the tracks), but this occasion was even more exciting because it was the first time since July 7 that the TP&W came into town to deliver loads or pull empties at Fort Transfer Company's bulk liquids facility west of Jefferson Street. (I live here, and check every day, and had not seen any tank cars there until today.) I went home, grabbed my camera and headed to Norfolk Southern's Bloomington District, waiting at the N. Main Street crossing. Minutes after my arrival, at 3:18, I heard the NS dispatcher give TPW 5009 permission to run from Farmdale (where TP&W and NS connect) to Crandall Siding. The four-car train showed up 17 minutes later. Next, the TP&W crew pulled across the Tennessee Avenue crossing and shoved into Crandall Siding far enough to clear the connection switch...

  Norfolk Southern's Sunday extra local, probably D47, arrives and departs East Peoria, Illinois Sunday mid-afternoon and early evening, respectively, September 13, 2020. NS 5315 and NS 6964 led 28 cars into the Tazewell & Peoria RR's East Peoria Yard. Later, NS 6964 and NS 5315 are shown at Farmdale with 45 cars. Norfolk Southern Railway's weekday E. Peoria (IL) turn, D49, rolls under TP&W's famed Farmdale Trestle on its return to leg to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois at mid-day Thursday, September 17, 2020. NS 6964 and NS 6948 have 38 cars. Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 rolls through Deer Creek, Illinois at mid-day Friday, September 18, 2020 on its return trip to Good Yard in Normal. NS 7032 and NS 6976 have 34 cars. Note the empty autorack tucked behind three Komatsu truck chassis loads.  - David P. Jordan

Early Sunday afternoon, I found a Norfolk Southern freight train in the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard readying for departure back to Good Yard in Normal. The Komatsu truck chassis and four Caterpillar tractor loads were a nice treat! Komatsu loads have appear regularly on weekday local (D49) in recent weeks. I saw three on July 2's train, and two on July 9. Notably absent are Caterpillar tractor loads. Norfolk Southern handles these out of East Peoria on occasion, but I rarely catch them. Until Sunday, July 12. Extra local D47 had four loads - three D11s and a D9. This traffic is for export via three ports - Baltimore, MD (Dundalk Marine Terminal), Portsmouth, VA (Portsmouth Marine Terminal) and Savannah, GA (Ocean Terminal - Georgia Ports Authority). As states reopen and economic activity returns, truck rates have risen. So it is logical to assume that Caterpillar has begun to shift some export shipments back to rail. Increased orders are also a likely...

I caught Norfolk Southern local D49 in both directions on Christmas Eve 2019. Around noon, the westbound train was led by NS 3375 (a SD40-2) and NS 5126 (a GP38-2) led 29 cars out of the train's Good Yard (Normal, Illinois) home for the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard. I caught D49 at the Harding Road crossing near Morton and again off Veterans Road in the Farmdale area. Four stills in the video above show the train's activities in East Peoria, including a scene at Wesley after setting out NS 5126 on the Creve Coeur Team Track. The eastbound train, led by solitary NS 3375, had 13 cars, all loads from Liberty Steel & Wire Co. (formerly Keystone Steel & Wire), is shown rolling under the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's famous Farmdale Trestle, and again at the Harding Road crossing. Despite Christmas Eve being recognized as a holiday by many businesses, railroads can operate like it was a normal. This was demonstrated by Tuesday...

Dodge Ram trucks have been arriving Normal, Illinois by rail in recent days.  Sunday morning, I shot Norfolk Southern Train D32 bringing 42 autoracks into Good Yard Sunday. Sources say these were loaded with Dodge Ram pickups for unloading at the adjacent Rivian Automotive facility. The trucks will have some work done before sale. More came in on Monday. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) assembles newer models of these trucks at Sterling Heights, Michigan. Served by Conrail Shared Assets Organization (CSAO), a joint CSX-Norfolk Southern property, this plant might be the origin for trucks arriving Normal this week. Of course, "classic" Rams are assembled at Warren, Michigan and Saltillo, Mexico. Anyway, good for Norfolk Southern to grab this [albeit temporary] business.  - David P. Jordan

Liberty Steel USA plans to increase production at its Bartonville plant. The former Keystone Steel & Wire Co, whose parent Liberty Steel acquired recently for $320 million, has operated a steel mill here since 1917, with some of the adjacent wire-making facilities dating back to 1901. Keystone has made significant investments in recent decades, including a new rod mill in 1988 and existing electric arc furnace (EAF) in 2000.  In this article posted Tuesday evening by WEEK TV-25, executive chairman, Sanjeev Gupta, revealed during a visit Monday that the plant presently produces 600,000 tons a year, but that round-the-clock operations would allow it to produce up to 1.1 million tons. Gupta's company wants to increase steel production to five million tons by the end of 2020.  Production expansion appears definite, and would require 100 new workers. The Bartonville steel mill and related facilities employed as many as 1,300 in 2002 but that number has probably sl...

The weather on this final day of 2018 should have kept me indoors, but I found some local train action instead. First, I caught Norfolk Southern's local D49 arriving the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria (IL) Yard early this afternoon. NS 3375 & NS 3221 have 49 cars (my second encounter in two months that the train's car count and symbol were coincidentally the same). The nine coil steel loads are mostly likely to be interchanged to Iowa Interstate. The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad ran a transfer to the TP&W's East Peoria Yard shortly after the NS pulled in. TZPR 1520 delivered 23 cars to the TP&W then returned engine lite. This unit is an ex-Apalachicola & Northern SW-1500. Next, I had a dilemma. Canadian National's Peoria Local was in town, and had been given permission to depart so I waited briefly at Wesley Road. The train stopped, and moments later, I heard the dispatcher give D49 permission to depart. I chose...

Last year, Chenoa, Illinois-based Prairie Central Cooperative began construction on a new elevator and rail loop. The new facility (see above), being built between Meadows and Chenoa, will be capable of loading 100-car (or more) grain trains when it is completed later in 2018. Grain processors abound in Central Illinois, but the region produces far more than is needed locally, so a large volume is exported to other regions, and other nations. Presently, Prairie Central Coop's three TP&W-served elevators at Meadows, Weston and Fairbury individually ship corn to Peoria (ADM) and soybeans to Gilman (Incobrasa) but co-load a unit train for the southeast, usually routed to CSX at Lafayette, Indiana. The new elevator will probably load unit trains for both southeast and southwest markets.  Another elevator expansion appears to be in the works. Grainland Coop's Cruger facility is reportedly planning to extend its track east toward Eureka so it can built unit trains o...

Business at Hitchcock Scrap Yard Inc's Canton property has been picking up a bit.  After an apparent lull from February activity, more regular operations have been noted in recent weeks. In fact, twice since mid-May the Keokuk Junction Railway (KJRY) has spotted a couple gondolas at a time here. Another car shown above arrived Wednesday.  Those prior cars carried markings (OMNX) used by OmniSource Inc., a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based metal recycler owned by Steel Dynamics Inc. While most observers have assumed Hitchcock would load scrap metal here and ship it to in Keokuk (Amsted Rail Griffin Wheel Div.) and perhaps Bartonville (Alter Metal Recycling/Keystone Steel & Wire), it appears all traffic is inbound, reportedly junk from auto parts plants. Loads are coming from Norfolk Southern. It is good to see a new rail user in Canton (the only one actually) and new business on the Keokuk Junction Railway. Hopefully, the relationship will be long and generate a substan...

This afternoon, I caught Iowa Interstate train PESI (Peoria, IL to Silvis, IL) departing Peoria. Video taken at San Koty, Illinois. GP38-2 703 leads 46 cars. I'm glad I got this one because of its variety. So many of these are made up of 90 percent empty covered hoppers and perhaps a few tank cars. But this one, while heavy with covered hoppers, has several types - grain, feed and potash empties - as well as tank cars, gondolas and coil care car. Note three coil steel loads. Based on past observations, these were shipped from Nucor Steel Corp's Crawfordsville, Indiana mini-mill and are bound for Reppert Rigging & Hauling at Altoona, Iowa. Routing is NS-Peoria-IAIS*. Reppert hauls steel coils from Altoona west to Osmundson Manufacturing Co's disc blade plant in Perry, Iowa. * The actual routing involves four railroads. CSX switches Nucor cars for Norfolk Southern while interchange with the Iowa Interstate takes place at the Tazewell & Peoria R...