A number of wind turbine components trains have passed through the Peoria area since February 2008, but now a local staging facility has been established. The Toledo Peoria & Western is hosting such a facility at its East Peoria yard. Ten heavy-duty flat cars, carrying two nacelles each, arrived Sunday and were on spot for unloading this morning. This afternoon it appeared workers were preparing their crane for the job. Tower components are expected to arrive soon.
I can’t yet confirm the project for which this staging facility exists, but I know an 88-turbine wind farm has been approved for Minonk in Woodford County. Others are planned for nearby towns of Benson, El Paso and Roanoke. Minneapolis-based Navitas Energy is behind all four projects.
I’ll update this blog as I find out more.
UPDATE: I added the above photo and corrected the number of cars which arrived Sunday: ten, not seven.
- David P. Jordan
6 responses so far ↓
1
Brandon Smith
// May 26, 2009 at 3:32 pm
There were ten cars carrying two nacelles not seven
2
Gene Ellis
// Jun 11, 2009 at 9:58 am
Forgottonia Wind Farm In Early Stages (due North of Macomb, IL)
Thanks for the info on the East Peoria staging area. The TP&W railroad still runs along the south edge of the 134 turbine / 200 MW wind farm proposed below, I believe. Maybe no connection with the staging area you discovered, but . .
The McDonough and Warren County (EcoEnergy, WI) Project:
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x2125487738/Wind-farm-proposal-has-doubled-in-size
My google map of locations of 7 “met towers” discovered so far, in/around the area proposed for the above project:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116347323834947100948.0004688bac79ea3b0ed64&t=h&z=10
Gene
Macomb, IL
3
David P. Jordan
// Jun 11, 2009 at 11:03 am
Hi Gene,
Thanks for the info. One slight correction, though…the Keokuk Junction Railway purchased that TP&W line back in 2005.
The East Peoria staging facility is reportedly handling components for the Rail Splitter Wind Farm. I had heard that tower sections for this project were being supplied by Trinity Structural Towers’ Clinton, Illinois plant, but those arriving East Peoria on BNSF (two trains so far) are built by P. T. Korindo in Indonesia.
4
bob61744
// Jul 12, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Have seen the truck convoys drive thru Sunnyland, then turn Eastbound on US24 at McClugage Road(road by Washington’s Wal-Mart and Menard’s). Near the 24 bypass overpass.
Components are going to wind farm just over Illinois state line, south of US 24, south of Kentland, Indiana
5
David P. Jordan
// Jul 12, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Thanks for the info bob61744,
TP&W must be unloading some wind turbine components in the East Peoria Yard due to lack of space at the Hoosierlift in Indiana. Thought it was for a different project, but your information makes sense.
6
windturbines
// Sep 11, 2009 at 2:36 am
For the large wind turbines, installation and devlivery is a big problem. Especially the devlivery of wind blades, it needs a special truck to delivery.
Leave a Comment