Peoria Station

Labor Day 2022 was a little overcast and rainy, so I didn't go up to Princeville to see BNSF switch Seneca Foods Corp's cannery. My previous encounter with this action had been on Labor Day 2017. I knew there was a chance to see it again on this holiday, but figured it would be raining. I don't know how many raindrops fell, but BNSF did switch Seneca Foods that day. I didn't see it, but learned about it later.  Fast forward to Labor Day 2023. Although BNSF switched Seneca Foods early evening Friday (I was close at Edelstein, but found out too late, the third time this year on a Friday such as happened), I wondered if there would be a repeat on Monday. Initially, I planned to stay home. But in late-afternoon, I just decided to chance it. I'm glad I did because I arrived the crossing just east of the cannery and started shooting stills of the boxcars at the plant... ...and then the eastbound local pulled up. I believe many (if not all) of these pumpkin loads are going...

A cloud bank killed good lighting, but at least I bagged this train!  BNSF Railway's H-IHBGAL the only pair of daily manifests running on the Chillicothe Subdivision east of the Cameron Connection, just southwest of Galesburg. A pair of locals, L-CHI104 and L-CHI105, work most weekdays between Galesburg and Willow Springs. On weekends, M-GALCHI and M-CHIGAL perform 104/105's work. All other movements are intermodal trains, with a few vehicle trains and  sprinkling of grain trains.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway train H-IHBGAL (High Priority Manifest Indiana Harbor Belt to Galesburg IL) rolls by N. Rice Road just east of Princeville, Illinois early-afternoon Sunday, March 26, 2023. BNSF 608, BNSF 1118 and CP 2304 have 84 cars. - David P. Jordan

After church this morning, I went up to Princeville to check out some new track construction by the Seneca Foods cannery (More on that below). This was the last of three eastbound intermodal trains that I saw on the way up there, or while in town.  A contractor has torn out the switch and short stub end siding just west of the S. Walnut Street crossing, and track connecting to the siding on Seneca Foods property. A new siding is being built with panel track a little further south. Seneca Foods seemed to increase boxcar loading of pumpkin last late-summer/early-fall, so perhaps track capacity is being increased to sustain higher volume from that customer. The siding was in poor shape, so rebuilding/re-configuration was needed anyway.  CAPTION: An eastbound BNSF intermodal train rolls through Princeville, Illinois midday Sunday, March 19, 2023. BNSF 7552, BNSF 737, BNSF 6782, BNSF 7635 and BNSF 7409 have 107 cars.   - David P. Jordan

If you wish to see a train, stay trackside somewhere along BNSF Railway's Chillicothe Subdivision.  It is that time of year that the Christmas merchandise rush requires extra sections of many of the regularly scheduled trains. I parked at a country road crossing (Milepost 141.55) just east of Princeville late Sunday morning and captured five train movements in an hour. I just missed a westbound autorack train. Train information as follows: - EB w/BNSF 7949-984 and 106 platforms - EB w/BNSF 7671-4334-7125-3835 and 69 platforms - WB w/BNSF 4425 & NS 7558-2511-8860 and 101 platforms - EB w/BNSF 7863-6399-8036-6043 and 85 platforms - EB w/ BNSF 5246-1114 & NS 9898-2584-8125 and 73 cars The last train was H-GALNSI (High Priority Manifest, Galesburg IL to Norfolk Southern Interchange), which BNSF will hand off to Norfolk Southern at Streator, Illinois. There, the train becomes Train 10R for Elkhart, Indiana.  - David P. Jordan