Peoria Station

 CIRY engines pull eight tank cars along Lake Street in Peoria Heights on Thursday, April 16, 2009.

PEORIA – During the past two weeks, Central Illinois Railroad Co. (CIRY) received a total of eight tank cars at the south end of the Kellar Branch. Normally, the cars – empty liquified petroleum gas tank cars leased by BP North America – are delivered to CIRY by Union Pacific at Pioneer Jct, located 1.5 miles west of N. Allen Road. Finally, CIRY decided to move the cars into storage at Pioneer Industrial Park, which meant hauling an actual train up the Kellar Branch. Previously, CIRY officials have deemed the 8.5-mile line as unsafe for its crews and equipment. That must have changed.

The site of two locomotives dragging eight large tank cars along the line in 60-degree weather made me recall the irony of militant trail proponent Elaine Hopkins’ goofy speculation following Pioneer Industrial Railway’s “light engine” run up the line on a wintry January 18, 2008:

“One of the railroads fighting for use of the line recently ran an engine over the tracks, reportedly waiting until the ground was frozen solid so the rails would stand up to the use.” - PeoriaStory, January 23, 2008.

Below are more shots of Thursday’s special run.

Peoria Heights. Williams Brothers Construction offices are seen in the background.

Teton Avenue. Residents failed to express any concern about what passed through their neighborhood

Pioneer Parkway. Near the end of the journey. Shortly, the CIRY train crew grabbed nine more cars from the Union Pacific connection and pulled them into the park.

- David P. Jordan