Peoria Station

As reported earlier, AirTran Airways is pulling out of Moline after January 6, ending quad-weekly nonstops to Orlando and seasonal nonstops to Fort Myers. The good news is that on February 17, Allegiant Air will start twice-weekly nonstop service Orlando-Sanford International Airport. The Quad City Times is reporting this story here. Perhaps this can be construed as [...]

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For those desiring to catch the Monday morning departure from East Peoria of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Blue Unit train, here’s what I know: (1) The train will be loaded as soon as each act finishes their 5:00pm show (which last two hours). It takes about eight hours to load the [...]

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The Journal Star is reporting today that the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria has approved a contract to engineering firm Crawford, Murphy & Tilly to perform a feasibility study for expanded customs facilities to handle international passengers. The reason behind the study is to determine the best location for a site to process a couple [...]

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UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that this flyer neglects to list the times. The show is open from 9:00am to 3:00pm. See this link. UPDATE 2 (Sept. 24): Today’s show was a good one. I got a chance to tour Amtrak’s display train. See photo below. – David P. Jordan

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Bloomington-Normal’s Central Illinois Regional Airport (CIRA) may see reduced service from AirTran Airways as the airline begins merging operations with Southwest Airlines early next year. Why? Because Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that, “Some of AirTran’s less-frequent routes and subsidized routes don’t fit into Southwest’s model.” This will likely end quad-weekly flights from CIRA to Orlando. And [...]

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  BNSF locomotives 8181 and 8211 are in charge of 61-car Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Blue Unit train as Norfolk Southern train crew pulls across N. Main Street in East Peoria. Shortly, the train will back up into TP&W’s yard.  After a weekend of shows at Grand Rapids, Michigan, animals, equipment and [...]

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The most recent movement by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Blue Train – from Kansas City, Missouri to Grand Rapids, Michigan Monday and Tuesday this week – used the following route: Kansas City to McCook (IL) via BNSF McCook (IL) to Elkhart (IN) via Norfolk Southern Elkhart (IN) to Grand Rapids via Grand [...]

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I’ll soon post a detailed report on Canadian National Railways’ “Peoria Local.” Saw it both ways on August 12 when its consist reflected typical traffic (in both directions). Meanwhile, ask any transportation-related questions here. And as always, if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it. – David P. Jordan

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KJRY’s 2010 Santa Train pauses at Glasford for excited children (and their parents) Peoria, Ill.-based Keokuk Junction Railway has operated a Santa Train for each of the past three years, allowing children at Mapleton, Glasford, Breeds, Canton and Cuba a chance to tell Santa Claus what they want for Christmas. The trips, made during the first or [...]

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 Then-Riverland BioFuels LLC facility seen December 13, 2008. The Andersons leases grain elevator (behind white covered grain pile) at left. Dallas, Texas-based Aventine Renewable Energy purchased a shuttered ethanol plant near Canton more than a year ago, but according to the company’s most recent SEC filing, production is set to begin soon: “We expect the [...]

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