Peoria Station

I went to Deer Creek and waited, then chased to Carlock and Yuton. Five Caterpillar D9 tractor loads were worth the chase. Four OZIX (Ozinga) 2-bay covered hoppers were loaded, but based on their appearance on a D49 in July 2025 (before Ozinga's Peoria transfer dock was built) they might contain granulated slag from Harsco's Powerton plant (they are with EQUX plastic cars and other slag loads that most certainly came from IMRR).  CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL turn) is shown at Deer Creek, Illinois on its return leg from East Peoria to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois mid-afternoon Monday, May 11, 2026. Later, it rolls through Carlock and pauses at Yuton so the conductor can line the switch into the make up track at Good Yard. NS 6968 and NS 6923 have 50 cars. Note five Caterpillar D9 track-type tractor loads.   M-PEIGAL will have 2? locomotives picked up from the Creve Coeur Team Track.  CAPTION: BNSF Railway M-GALPEI (Manifest,...

After work, I learned that Norfolk Southern's D49 local had already left East Peoria. I decided to go after it, catching just before Carlock. I knew I could not set up in time there, but exited I-74 (due to construction) onto US 150 (waiting on the train in town) and just barely beating it to Yuton, where it had slowed before pausing for the conductor to line the switch into the "make up" track and into Good Yard's Track 5.    This was a good one. Three Caterpillar tractor loads (one D10 and two D11s), four coiled wire rod loads, a plastic load (from IMRR), an alcohol load and the usual ADM traffic from the Iowa Interstate. Two empty coil steel cars from IAIS, and a scrap metal empty. Two probable steel billet empties (also from IAIS), brought up the rear. CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway Train D49 (Normal IL to E. Peoria IL Turn) is shown slowing at Yuton, Illinois as it approaches its home terminal, Good Yard, in Normal late-afternoon Wednesday, April 22, 2026...

After work, I was able to capture Norfolk Southerns D49 local on its way back to Good Yard. The train's consist was nothing unusual, but loads and empties are pretty identifiable.   The first five cars were loaded covered hoppers, two with ADMX markings. These contained some kind of grain product. Since ADM no longer operates its Peoria distillery (sold to BioUrja Renewables LLC in late-2021), these must have been received from the Iowa Interstate Railroad (from Cedar Rapids) or Union Pacific (Clinton).   The two NS gondolas were empty, and are probably in steel billet service. Recently, Norfolk Southern began delivering these to the Iowa Interstate (via TZPR). They reportedly originate down south for the Gerdau AmeriSteel mini-mill at Wilton, Iowa.    Sixteen more covered hoppers, many with ADMX markings, indicate a block of grain product loads from a connecting line, probably Iowa Interstate.    Then we have a single two-bay covered hopper. I beli...

Armed with the knowledge that Norfolk Southern train D49 had already departed the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad some 30 minutes prior, I left work and high-tailed it down I-74 which gave me just a few minutes to spare. I knew I couldn't get to the crossing into time, I parked on the overpass. Later, I shot a runby as it entered Good Yard.  So now I caught NS 5199 on Saturday's Iowa Interstate SIPE and on today's Norfolk Southern local! CAPTION: Norfolk Southern Railway train D49, rolls under Rivian Motorway at Yuton, Illinois as it nears the end of its run from East Peoria mid-afternoon Monday, January 29, 2024. Shortly, the train is shown entering Good Yard in Normal. NS 6343 and NS 6406 have high-hood NS 5199 and 19 cars.   David P. Jordan

I took today off, and contemplated how to spend it. As events unfolded Thursday, I decided to stay in the area...well almost. First, I checked Good Yard in Normal for any sign of Norfolk Southern local D49. Lately, it seems this train is spending more days of the week pulling loads and spotting empties at Rivian Automotive Inc's adjacent ramp. This means that the East Peoria run is put off until later. But not today. When I arrived, I found D36 made up and parked on the Rivian ramp "balloon" track. No power was in sight. Then, my scanner picked up radio chatter. Moments later, I saw inbound train D32 stopped across College Avenue with NS 3228 and NS 3410 and about 15 cars. I quckly assumed that D49's crew had to pull it in, as D32 usually arrives well before sunrise. Activity died off as soon as the train pulled into and stopped in the yard, so I headed back to Peoria.  As I exited I-74 onto East Washington Street, I caught the tail end of a train which looked suspici...

Seven years ago today, I saw a most unusual occurrence (to me at least) with  Norfolk Southern Train D49. I'm replying to the original post I made to the  group but with a link to video I shot of the action. My original comments about this from the PeoriaRails Yahoo! Group on September 15, 2010. I set out early Wednesday morning to see if I could catch Norfolk Southern's  departing D49D train. When I arrived at East Peoria about 6:45am, it had  already left the TZPR yard. So I raced east on I-74 to Bloomington-Normal. A  drive by Good Yard revealed I'd beat the train (as with earlier adventures  with the same train). Where was it? As with most of these adventures, I drove Rt. 150 expecting to  see it roll through Carlock, forcing a quick turn around and then a race  back to a good location offering time to set up my tripod/video. But no D49D  as I drove through Carlock. It hadn't been through Congervill...