Peoria Station

I came across this Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local waiting by BioUrja Renewables LLC's plant for the bridge to come down, which happened shortly. Train had four corn syrup empties (probably from PMP Fermentation Products, though those usually have ADMX markings), two other empty tank cars (possibly buffer cars), a beverage alcohol load, two denatured alcohol placarded tank cars which appear empty (second one has a home shop decal), a corn syrup tank car that appears to be loaded, and two truck chassis loads from Komatsu.   CAPTION: The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Industry 1" job diverges toward Bridge Junction in Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Friday, July 31, 2026. IMRR 43 has 12 cars, including two Komatsu truck chassis loads for the East Peoria Yard. A good substitute for missing Union Pacific's MPECL Friday afternoon. I have been working a lot of overtime lately, so I have less time for these encounters. I assume BNSF is still trying to run its G...

I went to the Decatur Train Fair today. Shortly after my arrival, I was able to capture Canadian National Railway's daily manifest leaving for Memphis, Tennessee. Even better, the consist include two or three cars (and maybe more) that came off L557 from East Peoria!    Car 23 - UTLX 63090 is an empty tank car, and last contained sodium hydroxide solution (UN 1824). It was pulled from PMP Fermentation Products in Peoria.    Car 24 - TZPR 321848 is a loaded gondola, containing scrap metal. It was pulled from Alter Metal Recycling, probably the Clarke Street facility (Alter also operates a yard for Liberty Steel & Wire).    Car 71 - CNA 415800 is an empty boxcar. I haven't seen boxcars at Amerhart Ltd's Pekin warehouse for awhile, so I'm thinking this car could have last contained zinc ingots. If so, it was pulled from Liberty Steel & Wire Co. at Bartonville. The zinc boxcars ten to be hi-cubes, however. (CN's Peoria and Gilman Subs, which co...

I was in town for another reason, but happened across this TZPR local. It was waiting by BioUrja for boat traffic. The bridge was lowered and it moved toward the junction only to pause for a red signal. It had to wait on IMRR 43 coming up from Pekin engine lite. Finally, IMRR 43 came to the bridge, reversed into the West Lead and IMRR 2108 finished its trip to East Peoria.    The first two tank cars, pulled from PMP Fermentation Products, were loaded. The second one was very likely a liquid sodium gluconate load. The first perhaps the same, but the more dilapidated appearance makes me wonder if PMP uses it to ship wastewater on occasion. Two empty flat cars and four flat cars loaded with Komatsu truck chasses.    CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local crosses the Illinois River after working the Uptown Sub, mid-afternoon Saturday, May 23, 2026. IMRR 2108 has 12 cars. - David P. Jordan

Driving eastbound on Interstate 74 just before the bridge, I just happened to see the SW-10 and a few flat cars, so I exited onto Riverfront Drive and on the Bob Michel Bridge back across the river. Grant Street had too much snow, so I opted to wait at Alexander Avenue while the crew spotted two or three empty flat cars into Komatsu and pulled two truck chassis loads.   After pulling across Alexander Avenue, the crew left the train on the main and ladder track in the North Limit Yard, used the pocket to runaround the train and then pulled back south across Alexander Avenue. My hands were hurting (despite wearing gloves), so I decided to warm them up instead of sticking around to shoot switching operations at PMP Fermentation Products.    This will be the train that switches Viridis Chemical between BioUrja Renewables LLC and the West Yard, if and when rail facilities are built.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local pulls northbound across Alexander ...

When I crossed the river on I-74 this afternoon, I glanced north (as I usually do) to find a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switcher working at PMP Fermentation Products. So I turned right onto NE Adams and made my way to the RiverPlex parking lot.  The crew was just finishing up their work, having just shoved corn syrup loads (and maybe a sodium hydroxide solution tank car) into PMP's spur. After coupling six corn syrup empties to three other cars (a tank car, probably used as a buffer and two Komatsu chassis loads), they left for the West Yard, dropped the train and then ran engine lite across the river. TZPR 1351 paused at Bridge Junction for maintenance-of-way to clear.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job leaves PMP Fermentation Products for the West Yard in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, October 3, 2025. TZPR 1351 dropped its nine cars at the West Yard and crossed the river engine lite. After TZPR 1351 cleared, ADMX 932 dragged 15 TP&...

Friday was my birthday so I took a vacation day and spent the day looking for action that I would not normally see.    The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Industry 2 job soon became the focus of my attention, as evidenced by 32 minutes of footage! CAPTION: The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's "Industry 2" Job works the Uptown Division between Bridge Junction and the North Limit Yard in Peoria, Illinois on May 9, 2025. TZPR 1352 left East Peoria with 18 cars - four empty flats for Komatsu America Corp. plant, six corn syrup loads, a sodium gluconate empty and sodium hydroxide solution load for PMP Fermentation Products, two empty alcohol and three possible distillers corn oil empties (or buffer cars) for BioUrja Renewables LLC. A tank car between the last two cars for PMP appears to have used as a buffer. Train pulled one chassis load and an empty BNSF flat car from Komatsu and five corn syrup empties from PMP. Last scene shows the train across the river after sw...

I saw this as I drove down the Cedar Street Bridge this afternoon. I fact, it was already moving by the time I was heading down SW Washington Street. The train pulled up to Bridge Junction and then radio'ed the dispatcher for permission to cross the river into East Peoria.   The tank car on the head end was loaded. It was placed ahead of four empty corn syrup tank cars and one empty sodium hydroxide solution (UN 1824) tank car. Given the absence of a haz-mat placard and its position ahead of cars pulled from PMP Fermentation Products, I'd say it might contain sodium gluconate or perhaps some wastewater sold as liquid feed. Two empty tank cars and two industrial alcohol (UN 1170) were pulled from BioUrja Renewables LLC's Alcohol Tracks.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local rolls toward Bridge Junction in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Tuesday, May 6, 2025. After a brief wait for a barge, East Peoria-bound TZPR 1351 drags ten cars (three loads, seven empties)...

The Iowa Interstate ran PESI too early for me to capture. It was reportedly nearing the North Limit Yard around 1400 hours. When I swung by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Creve Coeur diesel shop, Canadian National's L557 was just getting ready to leave the Creve Coeur Team Track with CN 5726 and CN 2541, which will probably be "turned" before coupling to its train. I did not stick around as it will likely be dark before departure.    I did see a TZPR Industry Job at the West Yard as I drove the Cedar Street Bridge in Peoria. No sooner did I pull into Leland Street did the crew ask for instructions to East Peoria. The first five cars are empty corn syrup tanks from PMP Fermentation Products. Behind that is an empty sodium hydroxide solution tank car (UN 1824). The seventh car, clearly loaded based on pressed truck coil springs, doesn't look like typical cars used to handle S-45/sodium gluconate. But that may be what it contains. A Komatsu truck chassis load...

I had to work today so I missed a meet between two Iowa Interstate trains. A northbound, PEDAV, was handled by a TZPR crew from Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC and handed off to the Iowa Interstate crew at the North Limit Yard. A manifest, SIPE, was coming out of Silvis.  I believe they met at the siding south of Henry.    I did get SIPE. Today's train included a Norfolk Southern geep moving out of Des Moines to Decatur for its 92-day inspection. I'm surprised IAIS 712 wasn't set out at Bureau Junction. Perhaps the next PESI set it out there? It will definitely run sometime on Sunday.    Today's train had potash and mash and/or feed pellet loads and empty gondolas and tank cars. A block of covered hoppers on the head end ahead of the potash cars appeared empty.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls into Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, February 15, 2025. Three scenes on Tazewell & Peoria Railroad proper...

When I drove the Cedar Street Extension in East Peoria, I saw the unmistakable KJRY power coupled to an outbound train. I also noticed the Iowa Interstate's PESI waiting for departure. The KJRY train was quickly given permission to depart for Iowa Junction. The Iowa Interstate train was given permission to depart when the KJRY passed.    I was hoping to catch the Iowa Interstate train, but as it turned out, a TZPR local with IORY 5013 had Komatsu high wide load(s) and the PESI could not pass it. I found this train switching PMP Fermentation Products, but darkness fell, and temperatures dropped. I decided to leave. At least I got the KJRY train.  CAPTION: The Keokuk Junction Railway's East Peoria Turn is shown crossing the Illinois River after departing the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Friday, January 24, 2025. Moments later, the whole train is shown at Sanger Street. LTEX 3010, PREX 2003 and LTEX 3836 have 41 cars, all empties. -...

Run-through IAIS power on P&PU/TZPR dates to the late-1980s. In fact, a first, vague memory of IAIS power was in downtown Peoria in 1989. I saw a geep on the riverfront line from one of the intersections at SW Washington Street. I probably knew about the IAIS already due to the June 1989 "Regionals in Review" TRAINS article. CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad crew runs a train of potash empties through Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Saturday, December 28, 2024. Train came out of Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC south of Bartonville and was handed off to the Iowa Interstate Railroad at the North Limit Yard. Shown between S. Darst Street and Krause Avenue, IAIS 707 and IAIS 718 have 105 cars.    The usual Friday run of MPECL was annulled, probably due to crew issues. It seems that either the LPD01 local crew or MPECL's crew assisted with CGMBV's attack up Pioneer Hill. After that, an empty grain from for TP&W moved from Edelstein to the Low Line and park...

I was waiting for the green light at N. Morton Ave. and Jackson Street in Morton this afternoon when I heard the Iowa Interstate dispatcher confirm that a southbound had cleared its track warrant from Bureau Junction to Peoria. I was heading for downtown Peoria anyway, so it was pretty convenient to check on this train. After crossing the river, I went to the RiverPlex parking lot and waited. It didn't take but a few minutes to hear the train blowing for the Caroline, Spring and Morton Street crossings.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad train DAVPE (Davenport IA to Peoria IL) rolls by the PMP Fermentation Products Inc. plant in downtown Peoria, Illinois while running on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Uptown Division mid-afternoon Wednesday, December 27, 2023. IAIS 511, IAIS 712 and IAIS 718 have potash loads for TZPR-served Mosaic Crop Nutrition.    - David P. Jordan

Two years and five months have past since I've caught the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad switching PMP Fermentation Products in downtown Peoria. So when I was crossing the river at midday this morning, and glanced at the action to my right, I hurried to a safe spot to record it.  TZPR 1351 was just finishing up shoving seven loads (probably all corn syrup, except one possibly a sodium hydroxide solution tank car) into the plant after pulling five corn syrup empties and one empty sodium hydroxide solution tank car and returning to East Peoria.  That latter car, CAOX 300307, was seen on last Saturday's CN L556 local. A second car with the same contents, GATX 229403, was on the same CN local, and might well have been delivered today. PMP has been receiving this product by rail since May 2022.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad "Industry Job" or extra spots seven loads at PMP Fermentation Products' Peoria, Illinois plant midday Saturday, November 25, 2023. Wh...

CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad "Industry Job" rolls along S. Water Street in downtown Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, November 15, 2022. TZPR 1351 has five empty corn syrup tank cars pulled from PMP Fermentation Products, and two truck chassis loads from the Komatsu plant. I passed on Union Pacific's MPECL today. The EOT was flashing but with no movement or radio chatter by 4:00pm, I left the Adams Street Yard area. But when I arrived downtown, I heard a locomotive horn and came across this!  Hopefully, in the not-too-distant-future, locals like this working the Uptown Division (ex-Rock Island) will be handling steel to and scrap metal from O'Brien Steel Service Co. I've seen nothing new on plans to restore rail access and obtain service from the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, but I assume that the project is still a go.  O'Brien Steel does a lot of work for Caterpillar and Komatsu, and for its Rohn Products subsidiary as well. So steel p...

This morning's BNSF manifest was re-crewed and moved from Pottstown to the New Long early this afternoon. I wish I'd stayed to see it, but assumed it would sit most of the day. I did, however, catch another TZPR detour.  I saw this Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local moving through the Illinois & Midland RR's Powerton Yard in late afternoon. Scenes are at downtown Pekin (by the old C&IM depot) and Hilliards. TZPR 1351 and TZPR 1521 have 23 cars from BioUrja Renewables and PMP Fermentation Products in Peoria. The two covered hoppers may be buffer cars.  The CRGX-marked tank car, denoting Cargill Inc. ownership, was empty. There were no haz-mat placards. Several alcohol tank cars were also empty. I don't know if the Cargill car arrived on the Iowa Interstate earlier and is being forwarded to a connecting line (yesterday's CN local had some), or is bound for a local industry, such as for loading at Cargill Oil Storage c/o of Gavilon at Creve Coeur, etc.  - Dav...