Peoria Station

Among the feeble attempts at humorous sloganeering from today’s Journal Star editorial: Peoria: Where we love our train tracks, even with no trains on them. Obviously, a swipe at preserving the Kellar Branch. I don’t have to remind you that this same editorial (along with the Peoria Park District, trail groups and the Peoria City [...]

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NOTE: This blog is non-partisan, but from time to time, politicians of either party may be criticized for anti-rail thinking. Soon-to-be former Peoria Congressman Ray LaHood’s apparent nomination to serve as pres-elect Barack Obama’s Secretary of Transportation clashes with Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s boast last September that, “if we get elected, it will be the most train-friendly [...]

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The December 10 edition of the Peoria Times-Observer carried an article on Recreational Trail Advocates’ latest meeting. It’s not on-line, but highlights are below. The Recreational Trail Advocates met Nov. 3, reviewing where things stand in the effort to create a recreational trail along the Kellar Branch railroad tracks running through North Peoria and Peoria Heights. [...]

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The Keokuk Junction Railway Co., owned by Peoria-based Pioneer Railcorp, operated its first Santa Special on Saturday, December 13. The train made stops at Mapleton, Glasford, Breeds, Canton (East Walnut St. and downtown) and Cuba. Large crowds at Glasford caused the train to arrive late at each of the next stops, finally reaching its last [...]

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Atlantic Southeast Airlines dba Delta Connection operates just one daily roundtrip flight between Peoria and Delta Air Lines’ Atlanta, Georgia hub. I don’t know when service was cut in half – the airline had reduced service from three to two daily roundtrips last January 31 – but I suspect within the past couple of months. [...]

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Late last month, United Parcel Service (UPS) announced it would stop cargo flights to Decatur as part of a cost-cutting plan to consolidate air routes. Currently, UPS has a Boeing 757-200C flying between their Louisville, Kentucky and Rockford, Illinois hubs stop at Decatur Airport weekdays both in early morning and late evening. Flights stop by February 4, [...]

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These classic former passenger locomotives will substitute for reindeer on December 13.   The Keokuk Junction Railway (dba Peoria & Western Railway) will be operating a Santa Train on Saturday, December 13. The train will run from Mapleton to Cuba. The train’s tentative schedule can be found here. – David P. Jordan

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Five railcars are shown being unloaded at the Keen Transport Rail Yard/Team Track in Creve Coeur on December 2, 2008. Just in time for winter, more road salt arrived Peoria on Saturday, November 29. Today, it was being unloaded from railcars (seen above) to trucks waiting to take it to storage facilities. The cars were routed to [...]

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Dear Readers, I’ve been busy lately, but I should have some posts in a few days. Thanks for coming here. – David P. Jordan

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