Peoria Station

PEORIA – The Keokuk Junction Railway is again using both of their classic Electro-Motive Division-built FP-7A’s on local freight trains.
Built in 1957, both locomotives served with VIA Rail Canada then the Algoma Central Railway before being sold to KJRY-owner Pioneer Railcorp in 2003. They were restored, repainted, re-lettered for the still-unofficial  ”Peoria & Western Railway” and placed into regular [...]

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Some communities are smarter than others. One is Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In February 2007, the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad presented a plan to the Gov. Jim Doyle called “Rail Restoration 15,” or “RR15.” The plan called for restoring rail service to several Wisconsin communities through three projects, one of which involved rebuilding 11 miles of unused but in-place trackage [...]

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While in the Mapleton area this afternoon I noticed the above sign off Wheeler Road, just a little distance past the Supply Chain Services (SC2) facility.
Mapleton Solution Terminal refers to nearby bulk storage tanks. Olin Mathieson Corp. opened an anti-freeze processing and packaging facility there in December 1957. Eventually acquired by Northern Petrochemical Corp., it manufactured [...]

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Santa will return to several Peoria and Fulton County towns this year. Details appeared in Thursday’s Canton Daily Register. The event will occur on December 5. Stops will be made at Mapleton, Glasford, Breeds, Canton two stops) and Cuba.
Last year’s event, which took place on December 13, proved extremely popular with large crowds at all stops. So much [...]

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This is the second time in about a month at the same location that I’ve seen this happen. The first time, a bicyclist was riding on the other side of the road in the other direction!
- David P. Jordan

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PEORIA – BNSF Railway brought a 54-car train of wind turbine tower sections into the area this afternoon.
Originating at Houston, Texas on September 29, the train worked its way north through east Texas and Arkansas, finally entering the state of Illinois by Friday evening. Despite the rainy weather, I got out and photographed the train [...]

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PEORIA – In Monday’s print edition, the Journal Star screwed up the map that accompanied its Rt. 90-Union Pacific Railroad crossing closure notice. With accurate online maps available, how can this happen in 2009?
Fortunately, the online edition has the error corrected.
- David P. Jordan

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A lot of the news out of Springfield regarding the high-speed rail and increased freight train frequency controversy is starting to sound like a broken record. Those few commenters [to the on-line stories] who make any sense are unable to penetrate the collossal ignorance and extreme selfishness of the majority.
What bothers me is this article in today’s State [...]

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  Understanding the benefits of rail transportation to the Peoria area requires not only familiarity with the firms using railroads but also commodities and products shipped and received. Click here for a list of rail users in the six-county TransPORT region (Fulton, Marshall, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford) and what types of traffic they ship and receive. It’s [...]

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