Peoria Station

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. The latter gives the utility company bargaining power when negotiating freight rates since the shortline has connections with multiple railcars which serve coal mines. At present, one 135-car coal train is supposed to show up about every week. BNSF delivers the train, which comes from the Powder River Basin, to the KJRY in Peoria. The KJRY hauls the coal the remaining 30 or so miles to the power plant.

AMERENCILCO – E. D. EDWARDS STATION
7800 S. Cilco Lane
Bartonville, IL
www.ameren.com

AmerenCILCO’s E. D. Edwards Station, built south of Bartonville in 1960, is served by both Toledo Peoria & Western and Union Pacific. All coal presently arrives on the latter. The plant appears to receive at least one 135-car coal train each day. A loop track was opened in early 2004 to allow for more efficient railcar unloading.

DYNEGY MIDWEST GENERATION
15260 Rt. 78
Havana, IL
www.dynegy.com

Dynegy’s Havana Generating Station is served by the Illinois & Midland Railroad and generally receives two loaded unit coal trains per week.

MIDWEST GENERATION LLC
13082 E. Manito Road
Pekin, IL
www.mwgen.com

Midwest Generation’s Powerton Generating Station supplies Chicago area consumers. It’s massive size and capacity requires at least one 135-car coal train per day. The Illinois & Midland Railroad is the serving carrier. A loop track is being built which will not only allow for more efficient railcar unloading, but also room for new emissions control equipment.

SCH TERMINAL CO. INC
17810 Manito Road
Havana, IL
www.sch-ces.com

Southern Coal Handling operates this former Commonwealth Edison barge dock on Havana’s north side. The Illinois & Midland Railroad is the serving carrier. Present business consists of two coal trains each week. Contents are transloaded to barges which are pushed upriver to another Dynegy facility at Hennepin.

TOLEDO PEORIA & WESTERN RAILWAY/BNSF LOGISTICS
1990 E. Washington Street
East Peoria, IL
www.railamerica.com

In late May 2009, TP&W’s East Peoria Yard became a staging facility for wind turbine components bound for a local wind farm and also one in Indiana (due to limited space at the railroad’s Hoosierlift, located just east of I-65 near Remington, Indiana). Tower components arrive by the trainload while nacelles arrive in regular freight trains. With more wind farms planned in central Illinois, TP&W should be handling more of this profitable freight for several years to come.

- David P. Jordan