Peoria Station

From an excerpt from the Journal Star’s article regarding Tuesday night’s Peoria City Council meeting: At-large City Councilman Ryan Spain countered by saying that by promoting usage along the Kellar Branch through the city would prove to be a “disruption” of noise and train lights on houses that, for many years, have not had to [...]

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There’s another active branchline railroad in the Peoria area – Toledo Peoria & Western’s Morton Industrial Spur. This 4.9-mile track is a remnant of the Santa Fe’s Pekin District, which was built by predecessor Chicago Pekin & Southwestern in 1872. The line opened on January 6, 1873 between Streator and Pekin (TP&W track was used [...]

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The above photo shows a British Columbia Railway boxcar spotted for unloading at the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad’s Creve Coeur freight house this afternoon. BC Rail is now part of Canadian National, the railroad which handles the majority of lumber bound for Peoria area consignees, including Carver Lumber. This car’s presence at the Creve Coeur facility suggests [...]

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Decatur, Illinois is both a major rail hub and manufacturing center. Several heavy industries generate considerable business for the city’s four railroads. Like Peoria, Quad Cities and Galesburg editions, I will summarize each railroad’s operations, facilities and customers along with a photo. Reference to the thumbnail map below should be helpful. By alphabetical listing lets [...]

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The “Miscellaneous” category is needed to profile two local rail users which do not fit into the previous categories. Here they are: CARGILL INC. (unknown) www.cargill.com Cargill is listed on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad’s current public tariff, effective July 1, 2008. But very little is known about this customer’s current use of rail in [...]

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Local industries engaged in the manufacturing or processing of metal and metal products are quite prominent, with Keystone Steel & Wire being a major employer with some 1300 workers. Due to the weight and quantity of steel and steel products shipped in or out of the area, and where water transportation is not possible, rail [...]

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The manufacture of construction and mining machinery has long been an important part of the Peoria-area economy. Caterpillar and Komatsu both maintain local manufacturing facilities. NOTE: The five area rail-served Caterpillar facilities fall under three different categories – Chemicals and Fertilizer, Machinery and Metals and Metal Products. Two of the facilities are listed here. CATERPILLAR [...]

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Back in 2005, it was first reported that the City of Davenport, Iowa made plans to construct a rail spur from an existing rail line to a new industrial park located on the city’s northwest side. Known as the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center, it attracted the interest of Ferguson Enterprises, but due to lack of rail [...]

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This category is by far the largest with about 28 entries. They range from receivers and shippers of whole grains, grain products and chemicals derived from grain, and also manufacturers of food products. ADM GRAIN CO. 1000 Wesley Road Creve Coeur, IL www.admworld.com ADM’s large Creve Coeur terminal elevator can receive grain by rail or [...]

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The “Energy” category pretty much covers electric generating stations, but also wind energy, thus staging facilities for wind turbine components are included. AMERENCILCO – DUCK CREEK STATION 17751 N. Cilco Road Canton, IL www.ameren.com AmerenCILCO’s Duck Creek Station, built south of Canton in 1976, is served by the BNSF and also the Keokuk Junction Railway. [...]

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