PEORIA – Today, a Vossloh Track Materials crew began lifting rails from Union Pacific’s Elm Industrial Lead.
The Elm Industrial is all that is left in Illinois of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, whose mainline between Minneapolis and Peoria once hosted first class freight trains. Following the Chicago & North Western’s absorption of the M&StL on November 1, 1960, train service deteriorated and shippers diverted their “through” traffic via Chicago or to other railroads. The Keithsburg – Oskaloosa segment was abandoned in 1971. The Keithsburg – Monmouth, Monmouth – Abingdon and Abingdon – Middle Grove segments were cut in 1974, 1975 and 1976, respectively. The last couple of miles of line into Peoria were abandoned in 1968.
Coal traffic sustained the Peoria – Middle Grove segment, until the last regular train left the Rapatee Mine in 1986. The UNR-Rohn and Welarco Fabrications plants generated some traffic but not enought to sustain the line’s existence. The C&NW began the abandonment process in 1987, only to suspend those plans two years later when potential business in the form of Chicago garbage for the Spoon Ridge Landfill became a possibility.
Although C&NW and successor Union Pacific (which acquired the C&NW in 1995) saw potential in hauling garbage on this line, traffic never materialized, and the line was rail-banked in 1998. The physical connection to the UP mainline, at Molitor Jct., (built in 1964) was removed in spring 2001, as was the BNSF crossing and signals.
In 2008, there emerged the possibility that the Keokuk Junction Railway would acquire the “Elm Industrial Lead” from Union Pacific. But plans didn’t work out, and the shortline withdrew its bid. The UP line, which hasn’t seen a train since the early 1990’s, will likely be converted to a recreational trail in the coming years.
- David P. Jordan
6 responses so far ↓
1
prego man
// Mar 26, 2009 at 6:12 am
What the HELL is going on??? Don’t they know that there MIGHT be a train coming through within the next century? Tearing up rails is not the answer! Let those damned green-heads go walking through a forest somewhere! How the hell will there be any jobs EVER along that line if there ain’t no rail line?!?
Stop the madness!
2
David P. Jordan
// Mar 26, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Prego,
Union Pacific Branchline:
(1) No railroad wants to provide service on a line when…
(2) there are no customers on the line who want service.
Contrast this with the Kellar Branch in which:
(1) A railroad (two actually) wants to provide service on a line when…
(2) there is a customer (and potentially two others) on the line which wants service (and any “alternative” rail service has proven to be incomparable in regards to price, consistency and transit time).
Thanks for reading my blog.
3
prego man
// Mar 29, 2009 at 12:43 pm
David, no matter what, they can’t run trains on a line that ain’t there. Every damend line should be saved, cause they can build a trail anywhere, can’t they? Who knows what trains could deliver on that old line in 50 years? But once it’s a damned trail, nothing can be delivered by train.
4
David P. Jordan
// Mar 29, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Prego.
You may be finally getting it
5
prego man
// Apr 1, 2009 at 6:16 am
Here’s the problem with that line of thinking, David.
Why is it okay for a rail line operator to okay the removal of the the rails, but it’s not okay for the actual owners of a line (Peoria, Peoria Heights) to do the same?
Don’t give me the line about “business being there,” and all that. I think we can accept the fact that we CANNOT rule out business EVER on the Elm Industrial line, right?
But, it’s alright for the U-P to give an okay to tear the rails up there, because…?
6
David P. Jordan
// Apr 1, 2009 at 8:37 am
Prego,
I think you’re assuming that Union Pacific (owner AND operator) didn’t go through the proper abandonment process, but they did. They started it last summer. With no opposition, the Surface Transportation Board set a 180-day period for trail interests and the railroad to negotiate “interim trail use.” The deadline is on or about May 12.
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