Peoria Station

Early Sunday afternoon, I learned that the TP&W was handling a grain extra out of Chenoa for Union Pacific at Peoria. This was the second train in as many days, one had been pulled from Grainland Farmers' Cruger elevator on Saturday. I did not see it, but understand it was also delivered to Union Pacific at Adams Street Yard. Apparently, the two carriers have decided to shift their interchange point for grain trains from Crescent/Powerton near Pekin or the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track mainline to Adams Street Yard/Low Line in Peoria. Saturday's Cruger train is reportedly bound for Mexico via Eagle Pass, Texas, and Sunday's Chenoa train is probably going to Mexico as well.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran this grain extra from Prairie Central Coop's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop Sunday afternoon, October 4, 2026. UP 5731, UP 8785 and UP 5640 were on the point of 115 loads. Train is shown at Cruger, Washington, Ea...

I learned only later this afternoon that the NS grain train TP&W delivered to Greenfield on Thursday evening was loaded and heading west. I waited until it was closer, and first encountered it just east of Washington. I assume TP&W left it on the Nickel Plate for a Norfolk Southern crew, which I would have expect to show up quickly if they weren't already there.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway pulled the loaded Norfolk Southern grain train westbound from Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop Thursday afternoon, October 2, 2025. Scenes include a power runby at Washington (newly-painted bridge over Peoria Street), the entire train at Ernest Street, and another power runby at N. Main Street in East Peoria. NS 4870, NS 1154 and NS 9871 have 85 cars. - David P. Jordan

When I exited I-74 in East Peoria mid-afternoon, I was already hearing radio chatter on the Norfolk Southern frequency. I wasn't sure if D49 had just departed and was moving on home rails or...   Turns out, Norfolk Southern had brought three motors and 85 grain empties to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's *Nickel Plate Subdivision for interchange to the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. The TP&W crew boarded, turned the power, ran through the East Peoria Yard and coupled to the other end. Minutes later, with dispatcher's permission, the train left for Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa) rail loop.  * Probably still legally owned by Norfolk Southern but controlled by the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad.     I believe this is the first time since early-June 2018 that TP&W has interchanged a grain train with Norfolk Southern at East Peoria. I did not see that last one, but caught one both ways on August 26-27, 2017.  CAPTION: A To...

Just before leaving work this afternoon, I learned that the Union Pacific-TP&W grain MTs that I missed Thursday afternoon was loaded at Chenoa and headed west. I caught it between Cruger and Washington, in Washington and again (the whole train) at Ernest Street.  CAPTION: A Union Pacific grain train loaded on the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway at Prairie Central Co-Operative's Greenfield (Chenoa), Illinois rail loop is shown just west of Cruger, in Washington and at Ernest Street late-afternoon Friday, March 7, 2025. UP 5908, UP 2563 and UP 8124 were on the point.   - David P. Jordan

I was already up north moments from my parked car when I heard the horn, either at Alta Road or Ridgeview Road (Pioneer) further south. W. Farmington Road seemed like the best place to get this one, and it arrived barely a minute after I parked.  CAPTION: A Union Pacific coal train is shown at W. Farmington Road near Peoria, Illinois early afternoon Sunday, December 29, 2024. UP 5886 and UP 8618 have 135 loads with UP 6256 as DPU. Later, the train rolls by Cilco Lane at Sommer, shortly before entering Crescent Junction at the Illinois & Midland Railroad's Crescent Yard at Powerton. I kind of expected this one to be in the area today, after being loaded at Prairie Central Co-Operative's Greenfield (Chenoa) rail loop. A TP&W crew took it all the way to Pekin on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroads double track where a UP crew waited.  CAPTION: A Union Pacific grain train rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's double track main in Pekin, Illinois early-a...

After work, I checked Adams Street Yard for Union Pacific's MPECL. It was there, but it did not appear that the crew was aboard. I did notice a BNSF grain train holding short of Darst Street. Lights were on, and radio chatter indicated that TP&W's EP-X (East Peoria Extra Switcher) crew was aboard and ready to cross the river and head east.  CAPTION: A TP&W EP-X (East Peoria Extra) crew runs a BNSF grain train onto the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad for the trip cross the river and on east to Prairie Central Co-Op's Chenoa for loading. CP 9776, BNSF 5545 and BNSF 4315 have 115 cars. BNSF 7756 is DPU.   As soon as the grain train cleared my position, MPECL's crew was receiving successive track warrants from Peoria Junction to Pottstown, Pottstown to Pioneer and Pioneer to Milepost 3 at Nelson.  CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road shortly after departing Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, Se...

I learned that Union Pacific brought an empty grain train up to South Pekin last night. Another crew delivered it to the Illinois & Midland Railroad's Powerton Yard this morning, after pulling it across the Illinois River Bridge and backing through the Crescent Connection. Destination: Prairie Central Cooperative's Greenfield (Chenoa) rail loop on the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway.  Later in the afternoon, I learned that a TP&W crew had already brought the train through East Peoria via the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin double track and was already by Washington. So I left the downtown library, made a brief stop home and headed east. I found the UP-TP&W grain train crossing N. Main Street in Eureka about 1700 hours.  Lighting was poor, but I made the best of it.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew forwards east a train of grain empties received from Union Pacific at Powerton, Illinois Saturday afternoon, May 18, 2024. Scenes a...

When it crossed the UP at Chenoa, it had well over 100 cars, perhaps half Incobrasa Industries covered hoppers.  The head end 33 cars taken west consisted of eight limestone loads, three tank cars (possibly corn oil loads) and eight DDGS loads from The Andersons' Clymers, Indiana ethanol plant, and 14 zinc oxide loads from WSP's Clymers, Indiana plant.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) tied up east of Chenoa, Illinois by Saturday PM/Sunday AM March 3, 2024. So a crew out of East Peoria ran engine lite to fetch it. Unfortunately, locomotive issues forced them to pull the first 33 cars and leave the rest by the Prairie Central Coop rail loop at Greenfield. The shortened train is shown at Meadows, Gridley and El Paso. The train stalled just east of Secor, so the power was cut off and run to East Peoria. IORY 5007, IMRR 2108, MQT 3407, IORY 5014 and TPW 2070 were on the point.   David P. Jordan

This afternoon, I learned that a TP&W westbound freight was switching Incobrasa Industries' soybean crushing and biodiesel plant at Gilman. I wondered if this was the Indiana Local or the East Peoria-bound road freight? The latter's eastbound counterpart ran Monday afternoon, so it would make sense that the westbound was running on Wednesday. Based on social media updates, I learned that it was indeed the westbound road freight. I hopped into my car and took off, meeting the train at Chenoa.  Today's train had 15 limestone loads for East Peoria Materials/Rogers Group, 50 grain empties, 15 grain loads (pulled from Crescent City), only 14 manifest (note the two wire rod loads...scrap for Liberty Steel & Wire?) with ten more grain loads (possibly pulled from LaHogue?) bringing up the rear.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's westbound road freight, M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) crawls through Chenoa, Illinois to cross the Union Paci...

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...