Peoria Station

The Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Illinois River Bridge was involved in an incident Monday evening. The Peoria Journal Star posted an article Tuesday. You can read that  here .  The structure itself opened in 1911 (replacing a bridge built in 1872), but the bascule leaf needed replacement for improved safety of commercial navigation. The present lift bridge was installed in 1984.  It is believed that the bridgetender lowered the structure too soon, and ripped off the towboat's pilot.  The writer failed to interpret the railroad spokesman's remarks regarding the bridge's ownership, so I'll do it for him. About 8:20 p.m., the towboat approached what is commonly known as the PPU (Peoria and Pekin Union Railway) Bridge. Near the foot of the bridge, a bridge-tending building carries a logo for the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, owned by Connecticut-based railroad-holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Michael Williams, spokesperson for Genesee ...

As it turns out, I had sufficient material for far more than I expected. This will be the second of a three-part documentary, which covers more of the Central Illinois Railroad Co's Peoria Division than Pioneer. You've already seen the video, but most of the stills you haven't. Looking for feedback. Part 3 will be posted when I have time to create it. - David P. Jordan

Mid-afternoon Friday, January 5, 2018, I caught the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (TZPR) switching Allied Iron & Steel Co. in Peoria.  Owned by A. Miller & Co. , 1612 SW Adams Street, Allied Iron & Steel Co.  purchases junked autos, scrap metal and tin. Its auto shredder produces steel scrap ready for processing at steel mills and foundries. Allied Iron & Steel opened at the Foot of W. Clarke Street in 1965. Back then, it was served by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) with a spur off of its mainline (now BNSF's Peoria Subdivision, it is seen in the background). Also served by the CB&Q, A. Miller & Co. regularly shipped junk by rail from its uptown facility down to Allied for further processing.  Successor Burlington Northern abolished its last Peoria-based switch engine in 1983 and handed over the Allied Iron & Steel business to the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway (P&PU), which built the spur track...