Peoria Station

This morning, I learned that the Iowa Interstate was running an SIPE and PESI today, with the former already enroute. So I waited until it was closer to my area and was able to intercept after it had gone through Chillicothe. Short train, but with a little variety, including empty dry bulk fertilizer cars for TZPR (or TP&W) and a scrap metal load that is presumably consigned to Liberty Steel & Wire Co. CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) is shown late-morning to early-afternoon Saturday, May 24, 2025. Scenes are at Mossville and San Koty on the Peoria Sub, then at the North Limit Yard, Alexander Street and South Street on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Uptown Division. IAIS 150 and IAIS 151 have 33 cars.   After getting back into Peoria, radio chatter indicated that BNSF's M-PEIGAL was building a train in the East Peoria Yard, and that it and TZPR's Lead 2 had to look out for the Iowa Interstate train. Sure enough...

The East Peoria Yard looked pretty full at mid-day, so Tthe Tazewell & Peoria Railroad is probably clearing it out. Otherwise, Iowa Interstate's PESI or BUSW jobs would have moved these cars through downtown Peoria. Weather was freezing and I arrived my location with no time to put on my gloves. Video was shot in 4k, so it is sharp! All appear to be empty grain mash cars pulled from the ADM facilities on Wesley Road in Creve Coeur. (The three local Genesee & Wyoming Inc. shortlines - Illinois & Midland RR, Tazewell & Peoria RR and Toledo, Peoria & Western Rwy. - have a locomotive sharing agreement, thus the TP&W GP38-2 is being used on a Tazewell & Peoria RR train.) CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local rolls by Morton Street in downtown Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Saturday, January 13, 2024 enroute to the North Limit Yard with grain mash empties for the Iowa Interstate Railroad. TPW 2056 has 59 cars.   - David P. Jordan

Crossing renewal in downtown Pekin this week apparently caused Canadian National to suspend interchange with the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad until today.  Normally, L556 runs out of Decatur on Monday and Thursday (sometimes not arriving East Peoria until after midnight) and L557 runs out of East Peoria on Tuesday and Thursday. L556 also makes Mount Pulaski or Pekin turns on Fridays and Saturdays.  But today, L556 operated all the way to East Peoria, though one crew tied up short of Christmas Tree Road at South Pekin. A new crew called this afternoon had plenty of work. Darkness fell so I didn't stick around to watch the train head back south but it appears two units will be left here for an empty feed train and the other unit will handle the local business. Not sure which one will actually run tonight.  CAPTION: Canadian National Railway local L556 (Decatur IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown approaching IC Junction at Pekin, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, November 18, 20...

Something about cloud banks or overcast and Iowa Interstate trains! At least it wasn't raining... Big train today, and likely the first in three days. I saw a Tazewell & Peoria RR crew switching those six steel coil loads Monday afternoon and wondered if they were going to shove them into the rear of the waiting PESI! They had just come in on Norfolk Southern local D49. The four incobrasa cars must have been bad-ordered on TZPR, repaired and are now moving to destination for loading. Grain alcohol shipments seemed to have increased in recent months. CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and across Persimmon Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, August 3, 2023. IAIS 501 has NS 5823 and 124 cars. Most cars are distillers' grain ("mash") empties, as usual, but steel coil and alcohol loads, Incobrasa covered hoppers and a high-sided gondola offer some variety.   Rather tha...

I caught Union Pacific's MPECL this afternoon like I usually do. When it's fairly predictable, why not? Today's train was pretty heavy for a single unit. I hope it didn't stall on Pioneer Hill. CAPTION: Union Pacific train MPECL (Manifest, Peoria IL to Clinton IA) rolls by W. Farmington Road late-afternoon Friday, July 14, 2023. UP 5358 has 66 cars.   Yesterday, Norfolk Southern brought dropped a grain shuttle on Main No. 2 of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Pekin double track at Wesley.  NS 9922 and NS 2717 tied up on the Creve Coeur Team Track. Today, a TZPR Lead Job is switching 25 of 50 cars into ADM Grain Co's Hilliards elevator on Wesley Road. When the other 25 get loaded and the train is combined, it should depart for Decatur in a few days. David P. Jordan

I saw a report late this morning that BNSF's M-GALPEI had left Galesburg with BNSF 5488 and NS 9775 on the point, hoping it would take just enough time to deliver to TZPR in East Peoria, couple to (and build?) M-PEIGAL and be running as I drove over the SW. Adams Street Viaduct at 3:30 this afternoon.  (It has happened like that before, why not again?) Anyway, I didn't get my wish, but did come across a TP&W local on the Union Pacific's ex-PTCo line, stopped short of Iowa Junction. The crew radio'd the TZPR dispatcher and moved as soon as the conductor lined the switch. A BNSF coal train would follow it across the river. After that, the TZPR job would get its chance.  Actually, I was lured there by radio chatter mentioning TZPR 1351 switching at Illinois Street. I was too late for that, but did notice a BNSF boxcar spotted inside the south end of Liberty Steel & Wire Co's Wire Mill. Incidentally, as the TP&W local (EP1) prepared to enter TZPR trackage, 1...

Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) is shown at four locations late morning Sunday, July 31, 2022.   IAIS 508-153-152 have 157 cars (149 loads, eight empties).  There were three alcohol empties, one non-haz-mat tank car and two gondolas, leaving the other two empties to be covered hoppers. Lots of distillers' mash and corn for Peoria! I waited by the Chillicothe Depot and then shot video at Rome before I headed to church. Later, I caught up with it just leaving the North Limit Yard after settng out 63 cars, leaving 94 for East Peoria. Scenes are at Rome, and then downtown Peoria, the West Yard and Bridge Junction on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad. Lastly, we return to Rome to see the whole train. - David P. Jordan

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