NOTE: Peoria Area Rail Users are posted alphabetically by railroad station
A Union Pacific coal train gets spotted July 10, 2010 on Midwest Generation LC’s new Powerton rail loop
Midwest Generation LLC has been operator of the large Powerton Generating Station since 1999, but operations at this site date more than eight decades. Commonwealth Edison opened the first units in 1928. At present, units that went online in 1972 and 1975 each provide 893 MW capacity for a total of 1,786 MW’s.
Due to a requirement to install new emissions control equipment that required removal of existing rail facilities, a new three-mile rail loop was constructed and placed into service in the summer of 2010.
Presently, 135-car Union Pacific coal trains arrive daily at the Illinois & Midland Railroad’s adjacent Crescent Yard. IMRR crews then deliver the coal trains to Midwest Generation.
- David P. Jordan
12 responses so far ↓
1 alex // Dec 31, 2012 at 2:20 pm
On Google, it shows a dead in track coming off of the track that feeds the loop, what is the purpose of that track, for storage? or was it intended to be the orginal track from the yard?
Also, when was the interchange track built, from UP to IMRR?
Doesnt CO2 feed trees and plants? Would that be a good thing?
2 alex // Dec 31, 2012 at 2:23 pm
these powerplants that are supplying chicago and others with power that are being hit hard with these stupid emissions rules, should just stop sending power for a couple days and say, we decided not to sell to you anymore. and make a point.
3 David P. Jordan // Dec 31, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Hi Alex,
There’s a stub track from the rail loop connection that allows “Silvia” (the power plant’s SC15 switching engine) access to Illinois & Midland fueling facilities.
The UP-IMRR connection was built by the C&NW in late 1992 and placed into service in January 1993. Previously, C&NW coal trains had to interchange with C&IM on P&PU’s double track.
Humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants and trees do just the opposite.
4 David P. Jordan // Dec 31, 2012 at 2:42 pm
Utilities should refuse deals that specify how electricity is generated. Such complexities only add cost.
5 Blake Dooley // Jan 1, 2013 at 11:36 am
Do you know what kind of locomotive that power plant uses? I would think it’s a Caterpillar re-built SW10. Am I correct?
6 David P. Jordan // Jan 1, 2013 at 12:15 pm
Hi Blake,
Midwest Generation LLC’s locomotive was a SW-1200 built for Rockdale Sandow & Southern in 1955. It was sold sold to Missouri Pacific in 1964 and became MP 1261. Commonwealth Edison purchased it in 1987. Despite the “SC15″designation subsequently used by Peoria Locomotive Works, I believe the unit was rebuilt by Precision National Corp at Mount Vernon, Illinois. The unit was re-numbed as 001 and given the name “Sylvia.” Unit was Caterpillar re-powered, and still displays the company’s old logo. It was test on the Crab Orchard & Egyptian RR before going to Powerton.
You can see “Sylvia” starting at 11:42 on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMPF1jtui28
7 Blake Dooley // Jan 1, 2013 at 12:56 pm
Alright, thanks. Also I thought that BNSF got the rights to haul coal on the IMRR? Or is Powerton receiving trains from BNSF and UP since they share trackage in the Powder River Basin?
8 David P. Jordan // Jan 1, 2013 at 1:00 pm
BNSF interchanges coal trains to the IMRR at Crescent and IMRR crews handle them to Havana or Kincaid.
UP has the exclusiuve contract for coal going to Midwest Generation LLC’s Powerton Station.
9 Blake Dooley // Jan 1, 2013 at 4:28 pm
I was searching around on the internet and the coal trains around here on the IMRR haul 130+ car trains with 2×1 DPU’s but can barely crest the grades at 10 mph at the most. What’s the average grade on the line? (I tested this in a simulator and it produced the same results on a 2% grade.)
And you mentioned Havana and that reminded me, do they still use the Rail-Barge Facility? If so, how does it operate? Also there aren’t any retarders in the return tracks so I can assume its a bowl track?
10 David P. Jordan // Jan 1, 2013 at 5:06 pm
Don’t know the average grade, but those Kincaid coal trains climb a 1.14 percent grade to the top of Petersburg Hill before decending.
Southern Coal Handling still operates the Havana rail-to-barge facility. Coal goes upriver to Dynegy at Hennepin. A remote control locomotive replaced manned car pushers in 1991, but the place closed in 1995. Since reopening in 2000, I’m not sure if road power is used to spot coal loads or if some kind of automated car pushers are used. Whatever the case, unloaded cars descend onto a kickback track and are accumulated into an empty train.
11 Blake Dooley // Jan 1, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Hmm I figured that the grades were at least 2% at some places. And I think that road power transloads coal because I didnt see an automated pusher anywhere the other day.
12 David P. Jordan // Jan 1, 2013 at 9:51 pm
The nearly 2 percent Petersburg Hill works against northbounds, so I only mentioned the slight grade southbounds must take before descent.
You’re probably correct about road power being used to switch the barge dock. C&IM replaced the car pushers in 1991, so they were probably removed by the time SCH Terminal purchased the operation in 1999.
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