The Up Peoria Sub starts at Nelson, but how far does it go south? Normally most of the traffic seems to be coal trains and a few small freights, but the other day I saw an auto rack train and wondered where it was coming from. If you look at Maps and streets the line looks like it ends just north of Springfield Il. SO if that’s true, where are all the new autos coming from?
The line does end northeast of Springfield and they use the I&M (former Chicago and Illinois Midland) to reach the line at Springfield (Ridgely Tower). I believe they run a train from Alton and Southern in St. Louis to Proviso, perhaps one also from Little Rock.
The importance of the line is that it gives UP access to the Proviso Yard. Their other two routes from the Southwest coming from St. Louis are the ex GM&O route thru Springfield and the ex C&EI route. Neither of these routes have very good access to Proviso. So, they run trains up to Nelson and then east to Proviso.
Of added importance is the connection at Edelstein which will enable them to take trains off of the BNSF mainline, which they have trackage rights and then go to Nelson and on to Proviso.
Which direction were the auto racks going…north or south?
ed
The auto racks were going north, which lets me assume they are coming from St. Louis. I also then assume that Proviso is the main UP yard near Chicago?
Up until around 2000 that line, former C&NW track, stretched all the way down to Giard Illinois, paralleling UP’s line several miles to the west.
Well, we like to think so, anyway!
UP runs a few trains up the Peoria Sub through S. Pekin. The MPRPB goes through there, some coal does. There is a train that goes to S. Pekin if a I remember correctly. The Stearling grain train goes through there. No NLR Trains pass through S. Pekin. The MNLAS goes to East St. Louis. the QNLCH runs up the old C&EI and Mo-Pac through the middle of Illinois. I’ll find out some others.
Pump
Thanks for the info. Here’s another question When I listen to the dispatcher, trains are always referred to by the lead engine. How do you know the name of the train such as the MNLAS or yje QNLCH?
Thats just it,you dont…Most of the trains around my area that go by eng. #'s are usually locals til they get to a major yard where they may be given a manifest designstion…They also may be 2nd sections of a piticular manifest…Anyone correct me if Im wrong…Danny
What amazes me, as someone born in Pekin, IL, and who grew up in Manito, IL (on the C&IM) is how the freaking Union Pacific now blankets Illinois. Who’d a thunk it…
My uncle had a farm near Green Valley that was next to the C&NW St. Louis line. Didn’t have a lot of trains, but when I saw one it sure beat the C&IM. A Coupla school acquaintences hired out at S. Pekin.
Last time I was “down home”, about three years ago, I watched a coal train come through Manito. Not like the old days. Not at all. It had UP power - DPU power! I started out riding that line behind a 4-4-0 on a C&IM passenger train. And now look at it! Union Pacific through Manito, IL. Who’d a thunk it?
Coal / hopper trains to/from Kincaid and Powerton… There’s also the Clinton to Peoria turn…
UP trains usually announce both the engine number and the alpha designation when they are ready to leave a yard and have called the dispatcher… *Dispatcher, UP 2744, MPRDM at County Line (*Proviso Yard) ready to go west when you can take us. Over.
Does anybody have more info on the Sterling grain trains? Alpha designation? Route? Days of operation? Etc.
CC
The summer of 2000 was not a kind year to the former CNW South Pekin Sub.- the line originally stretched from Nelson to DeCamp, IL- where it got on the Litchfield and Madison for the final stretch to Madison, IL and the St. Louis gateway. (CNW acquired the L&M in 1958) After the line was taken over by UP in 1995 it had a brief resurgance- handling overflow traffic off the Villa Grove Sub and the ex-MP river line across MO. After the UP got the SP it was seen as redundant south of Barr (the CIM interlocker, near Cantrall) and the UP began taking steps to get rights on the CIM Barr to Springfield to get to their newly acquired ex-GMO/SP line. It wasn’t long after that the freights started the rights and the line south of Barr became unused, save for the occasional coal train out of Monterrey Mine by Gillespie. In 1999 the UP began tearing out the line south of Barr interlocking to Girard, where the line crossed over the old GMO- the CNW bridge was removed and a new connector built to access the old CNW so they could still reach Monterrey Mine. South of Monterrey Jct. the line was sold to the NS as far as Decamp- who took over running the Coffeen coal trains in 1996 (the year the new Decamp connector was built)- south of Decamp the line was torn out all the way to Stallings in 2000- where UP kept a tangent for car storage. I have several shots from my hometown of Edwardsville and Decamp shortly after the rails were pulled up- today the line there is a bike trail. The north end of the SI was always the more prosperous of the two halves- even in CNW days there was talk that the line south of Peoria would be sold or abandoned- since traffic was so light south of there.
OK, I will come out of the closet. I would rather stand all day in the rain to catch a C&IM local than watch 20 UP - DPUs from the comfort of a wine bar.
My experience with the C&IM was more on the southern end of the line. But, once, the stars were in allignment, and I was in Taylorville watch NS action and a C&IM local snuck into the back of town.
To this day, that is probably one of the best experiences I have had watching trains.
Gabe
Gabe:
Good to see you have left the closet. The legal world slowing down any? or still busy? I tend to agree with you…the class 1 trains are pretty boring these days.
well, I take that back. I am listening in to Fostoria live this afternoon and seeing how three dispatchers and one tower operator move trains in just about every direction. NS dispatcher just issued a “rising water warning” between Arcadia and Bellevue. Wouldnt want to ride out a wash out.
ed
Ed,
Sadly, I am just using the forum to clear my mind for a minute while I catch my breath. With luck, things should be back to normal by mid-February.
Class one action is interesting. I just think there is something special about a uniquely painted green geep sneaking into the back side of Taylorville with two box cars, an oil tanker, and cabose.
Gabe
Union Pacific’s Peoria Sub starts at Nelson (Milepost 0.0) and ends at I&M Jct. near Barr (Milepost 131.7). Trackage rights on the Illinois & Midland connect the the former C&NW withe the old GM&O at Ridgely (Springfield) where an operational interlocking tower still exists. A pair of manifest trains, MPRPB (Manifest, Proviso, IL to Pine Bluff, AR) and MASPR (Manifest, Alton & Southern to Proviso, IL) ply the line daily. The latter may have an extra section, MASPRX, account heavy motor vehicle and autoframe traffic, and I saw a second section of MPRPB on New Year’s Day. A pair of alternate-day manifests - MCLPE and MPECL - work between Clinton, IA and East Peoria.
Several loaded and empty coal trains also use the line bound for AmerenCILCO power plants at Sommer and two on the Illinois & Midland - Midwest Generation’s Powerton Station and Dominion-Kincaid’s Kincaid Gnerating Station near Sicily. Another coal move runs from the Monterey Mine near Carlinville to the KJRY interchange at Sommer for the final leg to AmerenCILCO’s Duck Creek Station near Canton (a 4.8-mile spur was built in 2005 to link the power plant with the former TP&W to give BNSF some competition).
Grain, urea and potash trains show up as well. Altogether, the busiest section of the line - Nelson to Peoria Jct.) sees at least 7-8 trains per day and probably as many as 10 on average. When the connection to the BNSF at Edelstein is completed, a single pair of stack trains will ply the northernmost 62 miles daily. After two additional passing sidings a