Peoria Station

I noticed Iowa Interstate's PESI as I crossed the river on Interstate 74, so I did not have to drive far out of town to catch up to it.    Notably, the first 17 cars are empty and the next 26 are loads. Both blocks are ADM owned/leased. At least 25 of the latter one (not sure on the GBRX car) might be from Decatur via CN. I'm guessing that ADM is sending corn screenings to Cedar Rapids "dry grind" but I can't confirm. Can't think of another reason to send loads from Decatur to IAIS via Peoria, as loads routed IAIS-Peoria-CN/NS seem to be corn germ and corn meal for Decatur.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at Grant Street in Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Saturday, May 30, 2026. Later, early-evening, the train is on home rails at San Koty, a few miles out of Peoria. IAIS 516 and IAIS 150 have 46 cars. Tonight's run was made up of 25 soybean loads (not sure if f...

A number of TP&W manifests of late have had short consists when departing East Peoria. Days of operations still seem to vary, but short consists either mean more frequent runs or a lull in business. That lull, if a factor, is probably seasonal.    I learned of the train's departure from East Peoria around midday Saturday. It was a short consist, and eleven of the cars and one locomotive (IORY 3492) were on that transfer I caught Friday afternoon. But I decided to chase starting at Washington. After that, I cured an empty stomach and caught up to the train again at Secor. I usually bid adieu at El Paso, but knew pickups were planned at both Gridley and Meadows. These may be the first times I've seen TP&W pickup eastbound soybean loads at these local elevators that are consigned to Incobrasa Industries in Gilman.    I included video of the Gridley pickup. I stayed at Chenoa to watch a southbound Union Pacific intermodal train and Amtrak's San Antonio-bound ...

I caught this at Ernest Street, just southwest of Washington, with sufficient lighting. Then I shot the power crossing the recently-painted bridge over Peoria Road in Washington.    Consist was mostly typical: 15 TP&W grain empties, 20 Incobrasa grain empties, five empty covered hoppers (one AEX-marked car suggests these are DDGS empties heading for The Andersons in Clymers, Indiana), two ethyl alcohol (UN 1170) and one beverage alcohol (UN 3065) loads, two boxcars containing bagged salt and 11 more empty covered hoppers (possibly DDGS empties for The Andersons as well).  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran this eastbound Manifest train, sometimes called "M-EPEF," or Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL), late-afternoon Saturday, December 6, 2025. The entire train is shown at Ernest Street, just southwest of Washington, Illinois, and later, a brief runby in town. IORY 3472 and HESR 2107 have 56 cars.   - David P. Jordan

It is always good to catch a long TP&W freight on the East End mainline.    Minutes after a notice on a local Facebook group that a TP&W eastbound freight was approaching Washington, I left the house and drove to Cruger. Watching its passage, I noticed that the two locomotives on Saturday evening's transfer to the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad - TPW 5009 and IORY 5007 - were on this train. I did not stick around for it due to darkness, but I assumed they would return with eastbound traffic.    Today's train has a decent variety of rolling stock -    1 tank car (soybean oil empty) 9 tank cars (nitrogen fertilizer solution loads) 1 tank car (denatured alcohol load) 2 tank car (industrial alcohol loads) 12 covered hoppers (phosphate empties) 2 tank cars (sorbitol loads) 1 tank car (corn syrup empty) 1 tank car (methylamine anhydrous empty) 1 tank car (dimethylamine anhydrous empty) 5 covered hoppers (phosphate empties) 25 covered hoppe...

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...

Minutes after arriving home from work, I got a heads up that a TP&W eastbound received permission from East Peoria to Milepost 30, which is just west of LaHogue. So I decided to head to Washington, where I had just a few minutes to spare before it arrived.  The EP2X crew was in charge of today's decent-sized train.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway's eastbound M-Train rolls through Washington, Illinois late-afternoon Friday, June 13, 2025. TPW 5010, HESR 2107, TPW 3443 and TPW 3440 have 88 cars. - David P. Jordan

While at work, I learned that a TP&W westbound was on the move, so I hoped to see it after work. I was able to capture it at Cruger and at Ernest Street just southwest of Washington. Unlike recent encounters, today's was a long train.  CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway westbound road freight, sometimes called "M-EFEP" (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL), rolls by the first Union Pacific-bound grain train to be loaded at Grainland Co-Op's Cruger, Illinois elevator late-afternoon Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Later, the train is seen at Ernest Street just southwest of Washington. IORY 5013, HESR 2107 and RCPE 3481 have 95 cars (the first seven were pulled from Piper City).   I was hoping to capture Iowa Interstate's next PESI. As I hoped, the two iron oxide loads that were on Sunday's TP&W westbound into East Peoria were on it. Look for the 71st and 72nd cars in the video.   A dozen scrap metal loads on the rear are also notable.   ...

I caught another TP&W westbound freight on Sunday!   Athough short, the train had an ecclectic mix of power and rolling stock...and probably new business. The two GBRX gondolas on the head end were laden with the same gray, granular commodity as the BNSF steel hopper mid-train. I can only deduct that these were from the Waelz Sustainable Products plant in Clymers, Indiana.   Since 2022, zinc oxide has been moving from WSP in RISX covered hoppers to Union Pacific at Peoria (via TZPR for awhile now). Iron oxide, another by-product of recycling EAF bag dust from steel mills, has some uses as pigments for paints, coatings and inks, as well as in iron and steel production. It can also be used by the concrete industry.    Note also that there were four RISX covered hoppers on today's train. While most of these zinc oxide loads go to UP, some of have been recently seen as routed TPW-TZPR-IMRR-Springfield-CPKC.    The DOWX tank car, containing a non-haz...

This is a typical occurence on Sundays. I neither get it every Sunday nor do I get a heads up every Sunday either, so I can't be sure it happens every Sunday, but it seems to do so.    The short consist is odd, but the nitrogen fertilizer solution shipping season must be slacking off, and interchange with CSX must have light, save for the usual Incobrasa traffic (which would not go west of Gilman). The 13 Incobrasa empties on today's train might be for the KJRY. Four nitrogen empties and one empty salt boxcar are for BNSF at Peoria.  CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown Sunday afternoon, March 30, 2025. Locations are El Paso, just west of Secor (and again alongside US 24), Eureka, Cruger, Washington (and again at Ernest Street) and East Peoria. CFE 3316 and MQT 3407 have a short 18 cars (all empties). - David P. Jordan

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

Another Sunday, another TP&W westbound. I don't know if this is just for the winter, but I like it and hope it continues indefinitely.  CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) rolls by four locations - west of Secor, Illinois at Cruger, in Washington and at Ernest Street - early afternoon Sunday, February 23, 2025. RCPE 3481, IORY 3472 and CFE 3316 have 38 cars.   - David P. Jordan

After seeing SIPE Saturday afternoon, I figured would run PESI this morning, so I managed to catch it once before the Peoria Train Fair. Looks like 35 DDGS and/or gluten feed pellet empties, and five scrap metal loads.    CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls by the E. Linnet Street crossing off Rt. 29 in Peoria Heights, Illinois late-morning Sunday, February 16, 2025. IAIS 712 and IAIS 151 have 40 cars.  A TP&W westbound was seen near Piper City late this morning, so after an hour or so at the Peoria Train Fair, I decided to head east to intercept. I found it just west of El Paso and shot video in five locations between there and Ernest Street.   Today's train has a decent mix, including 12 limestone loads on the head end. A 15-car block of corn could have been pulled from La Hogue. I noticed a few nitrogen fertilizer solution empties. This traffic, with loads originating at Wever, Iowa, may have been reduced afte...

I saw BNSF's M-GALPEI in the East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Wednesday, so cold weather earlier this week seems to have taken operations off-schedule. I received a heads up that BNSF Railway's M-GALPEI may have departed Galesburg sometime Saturday night. I was expecting a possible M-PEIGAL this morning, but when I drove by the south side, it was M-GALPEI entering the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at S. Darst Street.  CAPTION: BNSF train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) rolls along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois late-morning Sunday, January 26, 2025 as it curves toward the Illinois River and East Peoria. BNSF 4351 and BNSF 3837 have 17 cars. After the BNSF train crossed the river, I did as well and found a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad yard job pulling 21 mash (or gluten feed) loads down the Pekin double track toward ADM Grain Co. at Hilliards. It is that time of year when they do this up to twice a day as the upper Mississippi River i...

My motto is still intact - If you get a chance to see a TP&W manifest, take it!   I learned that a westbound was by Chatsworth at 12:44 this afternoon, so I decided to head east and intercept. As soon as I turned left onto a north-south road on Gridley's west edge, the flashers activated and the gates lowered. Today's train was unusually short - 15 corn loads for Peoria or Pekin processors, and a plastic empty. Perhaps they needed the power here for the next eastbound? CAPTION:   Toledo, Peoria & Western train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) rolls through and near several towns Sunday afternoon, December 15, 2024. Locations at west of Gridley, at El Paso, Secor, west of Secor, Cruger, Washington and Ernest Street, just southwest of Washington. TPW 5010, TPW 5008 and TPW 3441 have 16 cars.    - David P. Jordan

After work, I was able to capture a short TP&W eastbound manifest leave the East Peoria Yard. After getting it a second time at Ernest Street near Washington, I decided it would be too dark to follow any further.  CAPTION:  Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL) departs the East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Friday, December 6, 2024. TPW 3440, TPW 5008 and TPW 5010 have 30 cars. Later, it rolls across Ernest Street before climbing into Washington. :   - David P. Jordan

Another day, another monster Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway road freight!  A summary of the train's monster consist shows the variety of traffic moving westbound on the TP&W these days -  eleven covered hoppers CORN eight hoppers LIMESTONE two covered hoppers ORGANIC GRAIN two covered hoppers LOADS ???? four gondolas L/C wire rod one cenerbeam flat LUMBER two covered hoppers DDGS two covered hoppers ZINC OXIDE two tank cars L/C nitrogen eight tank cars HOME SHOP five covered hoppers L/C soybeans two covered hoppers SOYBEAN MEAL? two covered hoppers ZINC OXIDE nine covered hoppers DDGS? 54 covered hoppers L/C soybeans three covered hoppers ZINC OXIDE one tank car L/C amines (UN 2735) two covered hoppers L/C grain or dry fertilizer 13 tank cars L/C nitrogen (last one HOME SHOP) CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EFEP (Manifest, Effner IL to E. Peoria IL) is shown early- to mid-afternoon Saturday, March 16, 2024 at Fairbury, Chenoa, Gridley, El Paso,...

I kept my rule this afternoon: If I can catch a TP&W road freight, do it!  Comparing Tuesday's M-EFEP and today's M-EPEF, ten cars were on both trains! Seven PMRX hoppers arrived Tuesday with crushed limestone consigned to East Peoria Materials/The Rogers Group. All seven were on today's eastbound. Three CRDX covered hoppers behind the limestone empties were also on both trains, but empty both ways. They must have been pulled as empties somewhere, hauled west and then "turned" at East Peoria for some reason.  CAPTION: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway train M-EPEF (Manifest, E. Peoria IL to Effner IL) rolls by Ernest Street on the southwest edge of Washington, Illinois late-afternoon Thursday, March 14, 2024. HESR 3485, TPW 2105, TPW 5015, TPW 5010 and TPW 3443 have 144 cars. At Cruger, the train set out the block of 26 Incobrasa Industries covered hoppers for loading at Grainland Cooperative, reducing length to 118 cars as it rolled by N. Main Street in E...

After locomotive issues forced a retreat late-Sunday afternoon, TP&W tried again Monday.  I caught it at Washington, but decided a power runby at the Route 8 overpass would do so I had to time to capture the train again a few miles west at Ernest Street. I missed it crossing the Farmdale Trestle but managed to capture it entering yard limits, cutting off the eight crushed limestone loads on the head end and spot them at The Rogers Group/East Peoria Materials quarry! The other cars are for interchange via the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad, including three tank cars (probably containing corn oil), eight DDGS loads for the Illinois & Midland, and 14 zinc oxide loads for Union Pacific.  CAPTION: An East Peoria Switcher crew went east engine lite Monday to fetch 33 manifest cars left just east of Secor late Sunday afternoon. Scenes are at the Route 8 underpass in Washington, nearby Ernest Street (whole train) and the approach to the East Peoria Yard, where the crew cuts o...

After church, I checked the progress of industry track and siding realignment in Princeville. The contractor must have been working (if at all) on the west end, as there has been no progress by the road crossing for the past month or so. I happened to be there when an eastbound stack train roared by... CAPTION: An eastbound BNSF Railway stack train roars by Princeville, Illinois early afternoon Sunday, May 21, 2023. BNSF 6772, BNSF 4635 and BNSF 6946 were on the point. BNSF 6812 and BNSF 4988 were DPUs. Shortly after shooting the BNSF stack train, I learned that a TP&W-BNSF grain shuttle had departed Cruger for East Peoria. I made it to Ernest Street in Washington with just a few minutes to spare! CAPTION: A Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway crew drags a BNSF grain shuttle by Ernest Street in Washington, Illinois early afternoon Sunday, May 21, 2023. BNSF 7032, FXE 4088 and BNSF 3705 were on the point. Train was loaded by Grainland Coop at Cruger.  - David P. Jordan