TP&W Schedule

[Notch 8]

If a person wanted to catch a train on the TP&W what days do they run and how often ? Just did the Indiana section and crews have been making improvements while other area's look like they are needing attention. What is used for power ? How much time is required for a train to traverse from end to end ? Where all do they interchange ?

Thanks Mike

[bn13814]

If a person wanted to catch a train on the TP&W what days do they run and how often ? Just did the Indiana section and crews have been making improvements while other area's look like they are needing attention. What is used for power ? How much time is required for a train to traverse from end to end ? Where all do they interchange ?

Thanks Mike

Unfortunately, road freights between East Peoria and Effner run but two (sometimes three) cycles a week, and days and times of operation can vary due to crew availability. One recent pattern is that eastbound freights are called for sometime between 6:30pm and 8:00pm, Mondays and Thursdays. I'd guess similar call times at Effner for the westbound train on Tuesdays and Fridays. Trains sometimes don't make it back to East Peoria before Hours-Of-Service, so the 7:00am East Peoria Yard crew may bring it in. Mainline track speeds are 25mph, with some 10mph restrictions, such as at the flangeless diamond at Chenoa.

Extra locals are called as needed, this time of year especially. Usually in daylight too. They run from East Peoria to Gridley, or Fairbury and back, and maybe a little further.

The aforementioned East Peoria Yard job runs daily. It classifies inbound traffic, and builds outbound trains, works the TZPR interchange and goes to Morton via NS trackage rights to Crandall Jct. There is also a "Collier Turn" during the day that runs from East Peoria to its namesake yard in Bartonville to interchange with Union Pacific, deliver corn loads/pull empties on ADM's River Track and swap traffic with the weekday "Kolbe Local" that works between the Mapleton Industrial Spur and Collier Yard. The Kolbe Local works during the day.

A grain shuttle train is called at 2300 hours to handle grain traffic. If I understand this train's routine, it apparently can go east (perhaps as far as Gilman) to gather grain loads for ADM in Peoria (and maybe Incobrasa in Gilman). Can't confirm though, and this assignment seems to duplicate other movements.

Ballast has been dumped on the TP&W mainline from a point east of Eureka eastward. At least a few grade crossings are being renewed.

New business may be coming TP&W's way. There are plans for access to the new Magnetation plant in Reynolds. TP&W apparently has access to a new fertilizer warehouse (Sagamore) in Logansport. Crop Production Services is building a new fertilizer facility at Webster to replace an existing one at Sheldon. There are reported plans for TP&W's East Peoria Yard to be used as "overflow" when TZPR gets plugged.

TP&W is making use of four GP50s recently (2013) re-numbered and repainted into G&W orange - 5008, 5009, 5010 and 5015. The two Indiana Southern GP40-2s (4040 and 4041), two Indiana & Ohio GP40-2s (4008 and 4011), GP38-2s 3821 and 3878 are in RailAmerica paint (I saw the latter at Kokomo, Indiana on sister CERA on October 12). Central Oregon & Pacific GP38-2s 3815 and 3827 are around, but are often used by sisters IMRR or TZPR. RLK 3874 is also around, but usually on TZPR. Both ex-SP SD45T-2s (9401 and 9495) were sent to Indiana Southern in 2013.

Direct interchanges are made with Union Pacific and Keokuk Junction Railway at Collier Yard in Bartonville (waybills show "Sommer" and "Hollis" respectively). Interchange with sister Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (TZPR) at East Peoria is usually handled with each carrier delivering to the other, returing engine lite, but I've seen TZPR return with cars. Both occur in daylight. TP&W has a direct interchange with Norfolk Southern, but this is rarely used. The old interchange yard may be used (by NS) for car storage, so any physical exchange takes place on the "West Main" at the west end of the yard (NS delivered a block of steel pipe loads to TP&W this way back in May).

Other interchanges are with Union Pacific at Chenoa (gluten feed off the KJRY enroute to Prairie Creek Grain at Wilmington), the Bloomer Shippers Connecting Railroad ("Bloomer Line") at Chatsworth (rarely-used, at least one unit phosphate train was delivered here last year, IIRC), Canadian National at Gilman, CSXT/Union Pacific at Watseka, KB&S at Webster, CSXT at Reynolds and with NS and Winamac Southern (WSRY) at Logansport. WSRY provides TP&W with haulage (flat per car rate) between Logansport and Kokomo to connect with sister Central Railroad of Indianapolis (CERA) at the latter.

TP&W's TZPR connection at East Peoria provides connections with BNSF, Canadian National, Illinois & Midland, Iowa Interstate and Norfolk Southern.

[railohio]

And the ever-present rumor of the TP&W becoming a Chicago bypass seems more credible this month with track work ongoing at the NS connection in Logansport.

[CSX_CO]

And the ever-present rumor of the TP&W becoming a Chicago bypass seems more credible this month with track work ongoing at the NS connection in Logansport.

Why would they get another carrier involved, on crappy track no less, when they could run via the Kankakee Line to Streator, or interchange to the BNSF at KC?

Practice Safe CSX

[bn13814]

And the ever-present rumor of the TP&W becoming a Chicago bypass seems more credible this month with track work ongoing at the NS connection in Logansport.

I don't think TP&W will be used as a Chicago bypass again unless NS obtains trackage rights between East Peoria and Logansport, and funds track upgrades to 40mph (an ownership stake, a la KCS Transcontinental Subdivision, would likely be part of such a deal). RailAmerica in its last few years, and G&W in the past two, have eliminated most of the slow orders, but current speeds of 25mph limit its potential for now.

The reasons for upgrading the NS connection at Logansport may be due to:

(1) Talk of an oil train loading terminal at the intersection of an Enbridge pipeline and the TP&W near Gridley, Illinois. Oil trains would be delivered to NS at Logansport daily.

(2) TP&W is supposed to eventually have access to Magnetation's Reynolds, Indiana plant (a contractor was reported to have started earth work in late summer, but has apparently stopped for now). AK Steel, 49.9% owner of the Reynolds facility, has fluxed iron ore pellets shipped via CSXT to its blast furnaces at Middletown, Ohio and Ashland, KY. But AK Steel recently purchased Severstal's Dearborn, Michigan steel mill for $700 million. If AK wants Reynolds to supply this third facility, then a TP&W-Logansport-NS routing would be fastest.

If I were to choose, I'd say the former is the reason for the Logansport upgrade, but the latter (just speculation on my part) does seem possible.

[CSX_CO]

(2) TP&W is supposed to eventually have access to Magnetation's Reynolds, Indiana plant (a contractor was reported to have started earth work in late summer, but has apparently stopped for now). AK Steel, 49.9% owner of the Reynolds facility, has fluxed iron ore pellets shipped via CSXT to its blast furnaces at Middletown, Ohio and Ashland, KY. But AK Steel recently purchased Severstal's Dearborn, Michigan steel mill for $700 million. If AK wants Reynolds to supply this third facility, then a TP&W-Logansport-NS routing would be fastest.

If I were to choose, I'd say the former is the reason for the Logansport upgrade, but the latter (just speculation on my part) does seem possible.

From what I've read/heard is that CSX has a contract for all the outbound pellet moves from the facility for a period of like 10 or 15 years. Given all of NS's problems in the region, CSX via Indy to Toledo and on to Detroit could be just as cost and time competitive.

Practice Safe CSX

[Standard Railfan]

From what I've read/heard is that CSX has a contract for all the outbound pellet moves from the facility for a period of like 10 or 15 years. Given all of NS's problems in the region, CSX via Indy to Toledo and on to Detroit could be just as cost and time competitive.

Practice Safe CSX

There is little or no reason to ship pellets via rail to Dearborn as the mill is readily accessed by boat.

[railohio]

There is when the pellet plant is not located on a large body of water.

[AARR]

bn13184 - That is an awesome run down of TP&W's operations. Thanks for taking the time to post it!

[redside20]

I concur, great synopsis on TP&W goings-on in Illinois..and in Indiana.

[Notch 8]

I noticed in Indiana that some of the Stations are still standing, Is this the case in Illinois as well ? Is there any welded rail on this system ?
Why did the Santa Fe agreement not work out ? What was the issue with Conrail in Logansport ? I did not know CR went to Logansport..
Be interesting to see NS and BNSF change trains in Logansport, What all is interchanged in Logansport ?

Thanks for the replies,

Mike

[bn13814]

I noticed in Indiana that some of the Stations are still standing, Is this the case in Illinois as well ? Is there any welded rail on this system ?
Why did the Santa Fe agreement not work out ? What was the issue with Conrail in Logansport ? I did not know CR went to Logansport..
Be interesting to see NS and BNSF change trains in Logansport, What all is interchanged in Logansport ?

Thanks for the replies,

Mike

Long story:

TP&W had been a sick railroad for much of its existence. From 1893 until 1926, TP&W was under joint control of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. Since both carriers served much of the same territory as TP&W, the little east-west line was relegated to local traffic. The company entered receivership in 1917, in which it apparently remained (save for federal management from December 28, 1917 thru February 29, 1920) until purchased by New York City businessman George P. McNear in June 1926.

McNear took possession in November 1926. He immediately took steps to rehabilitate the TP&W and modernize it. Since the CB&Q had caused some of TP&W's past troubles, McNear cut his connection to Burlington, Iowa (giving up trackage rights between that city and Lomax) and instead constructed a connection with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe's Kansas City - Chicago Air Line at Lomax. He also got rid of the TP&W's remaining passenger service (caboose accommodations continued until the late 1970s).

Having a connection with the Santa Fe on the west and with the Pennsylvania RR on the east (at Effner), McNear promoted TP&W as a bridge line in which shippers could route their traffic away from Chicago terminal congestion. To handle the influx of business, TP&W built its East Peoria classification yard in 1928. At the same time, it also sold its ownership stake in the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway and sold its Peoria yard tracks, roundhouse and shop facilities to that carrier. It also shifted its trains off the P&PU and instead gained trackage rights on the CB&Q and Peoria Terminal Co. to connect its Western and Eastern Divisions.

TP&W opened a 22-car reefer icing station at East Peoria Yard in 1930, and three years later, opened a cattle water, rest and feed facility east of the yard. The railroad was profitable during the Great Depression.

Unfortunately, McNear and the unions did not get a long. There was a long strike in 1929-1930. Another strike in 1942 led to federal management during the Second World War. TP&W was returned to McNear on October 1, 1945 and the unions struck the company again. Service ceased. Each time there was an attempt to move freight, strikers blocked access or harassed train crews. One day in February 1946, armed guards were assigned to a train running from East Peoria to Gridley where a confrontation led to a gunfight and two dead strikers. The guards were acquitted, and the railroad remained shut down. Negotiations to resume service in late 1946 went nowhere, though by this time federal courts were ruling against union interference.

On March 10, 1947, George P. McNear was shot and killed near his home in Peoria. This crime has never been solved. Management hired J. Russel Coulter of the Frisco to serve as president, effective May 1, 1947. His first task was to restore full service, which the TP&W did in June of that year. The carrier even dieselized by early 1950. Bridge traffic had returned, and the carrier was profitable again.

McNear had purchased real estate in the Peoria area for future mainline re-alignments that never occurred, but these and subsequent land acquisition during the 1950s led to establishment of industrial parks in East Peoria (east and west of main yard) and in the Mapleton area. Historically, TP&W enjoyed little online business other than agricultural traffic. This would soon change.

UARCO opened a printing facility at Watseka in 1951. A spur was built to serve United Electric Coal Co's, Cuba Mine in 1954 (also served by CB&Q) and a coal rail-to-barge loadout was built at Warsaw (across from Keokuk, Iowa) in 1957. An industrial development agreement was signed with the Chicago & North Western in 1957, and a connection between the two carriers was constructed at Sommer (south of Bartonville) in March 1957. Central Illinois Light Co., whose R. S. Wallace Station was served by TP&W in East Peoria, announced in 1957 that it would be a new power plant at Sommer, which opened in 1960. Other industries came to Mapleton in the late 1950s and through the 1960s. Mostly warehouses bought up railroad-owned land in East Peoria from the late 1950s through the 1960s.

TP&W's prosperity was noticed by other carriers. In 1955, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Pennsylvania Railroad announced a deal to jointly control the TP&W. The Rock Island and Nickel Plate, also major connections, demanded to be included in the sale, but were rejected. Another carrier, the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, attempted a hostile takeover, but failed (M&StL persisted after ICC rejection in 1957; the case went to the US Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of AT&SF-PRR in December 1959).

The Santa Fe and Pennsy gained control of the TP&W in early 1960 but kept local management in place. The Pennsy even equalized its freight tariffs at Effner with Chicago and St. Louis to encourage shippers to use the TP&W routing for either bridge traffic or interline traffic with just TP&W and PRR (this likely came at the expense of the PRR's own E. Peoria - Terre Haute route).

TP&W and Santa Fe joined Trailer Train Corp. in 1960, and the former opened a piggyback facility at East Peoria in 1961 (or 1962). This facility was enlarged in 1968 to handle ocean containers, which TP&W handled with both Santa Fe and Pennsylvania/Penn Central.

New on-line industry made up for the loss of traditional traffic sources such as meat, perishables and livestock. This was mostly true for the loss of traffic which resulted from the C&NW-M&StL mergers and the Norfolk & Western's preference for the Kansas City gateway after absorbing the Nickel Plate (and Wabash) in 1964. But as the Sixties turned to the Seventies, TP&W's fortunes began to decline again. The Illinois River Bridge had been closed due to damage from errant barges in 1948 and 1962, each time forcing detours over the P&PU. Then on February 12, 1970, barges knocked out one through truss span and a pier of the bridge, permanently taking it out of service. Although TP&W secured trackage rights on P&PU, this loss permanently increased its costs.

Two cataclysmic events occurred on June 21, 1970. First, a derailment involving tank cars carrying liquefied petroleum gas destroyed much of Crescent City, Illinois. Second, half-owner Penn Central (successor the Pennsylvania Railroad, which merged with the New York Central in 1968) filed for Chapter 77 of the bankruptcy code.

In early 1974, a government plant to "solve" the nation's railroad problem called for abandonment of parts of the TP&W. While the federal government couldn't enforce its recommendations, plans to merge six bankrupt northeastern railroads into Consolidated Rail Corp (Conrail) called for abandonment of unwanted branchlines that threatened to close TP&W's eastern gateway at Effner.

Eventually, Penn Central's Kenneth - Effner branch was offered for sale to TP&W. But TP&W demanded that an agreement be made to guarantee continued maintenance of existing rates, routes and service. A private agreement between TP&W and Conrail was made on December 9, 1975. This paved the way for TP&W to purchase the Effner Branch the same day Conrail began operations - April 1, 1976. TP&W began interchanging traffic with Conrail at Logansport, Indiana that day.

Conrail could care less about the TP&W, and did everything in its power to encourage shippers to cut out the Illinois bridge line from their routings. This was generally unsuccessful, though TP&W did experience a noticeable decline in traffic during the late 1970s. One Conrail move in particular was to surcharge empty ocean containers. This simply shifted joint TP&W-Conrail COFC traffic to competitor Norfolk & Western.

In July 1979, Santa Fe acquired Penn Central's half-ownership of the TP&W. In December that year, it filed for legal control with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Several railroads opposed the move, especially Conrail, which demanded that its December 1975 agreement with TP&W be abrogated. When the ICC approved Santa Fe's application in December 1980, it did in fact abrogate the TP&W-Conrail agreement.

Although the Santa Fe had every intention of maintaining TP&W as a bridge line (in fact, traffic would've increased), Conrail had other plans. With the agreement guaranteeing rates, routes and service levels no longer in effect, and new pricing freedoms brought about by the passage of the Staggers Rail Act in October 1980, Conrail announced in June 1981 that it was cancelling joint rates with TP&W.

This had the effect of diverting Santa Fe-TP&W-Conrail bridge traffic via Streator, thus cutting TP&W out of a large amount of east-west traffic. Not only that, it reduced or eliminated TP&W's line haul on local traffic that was interlined with Conrail. TP&W handled 66,042 carloads in 1980, but only 41,328 in 1981.

TP&W cut train service and reduced its workforce, but also reduced tariff rates in order to retain traffic that might otherwise have been "de-marketed" by interline connections. Contracts with CILCO (coal), ADM (a new customer) and increased TOFC business with the opening of the Hoosierlift near Remington, Indiana could not stem losses, so parent Santa Fe absorbed the little line at the end of 1983.

As you know, TP&W was reborn in February 1989, but conditions had changed and the shortline was never able to recreate its golden age of the 1950s and 1960s.

As for other topics, TP&W began installing sections of welded rail in the 1950s. I believe long segments were laid in the 1960s and/or 1970s, as much of the line in Illinois is welded today. The El Paso station stands, but has been turned and moved somewhat from its original position. Few others, if any, still exist. The Chenoa station was razed about three years ago.

TP&W-NS Logansport interchange seems to consist of sorbitol shipped from Ingredion (former Corn Products) in Mapleton, Illinois. Not sure there is much else. TP&W and WSRY exchange some liquid fertilizer and TP&W and sister CERA (via WSRY haulage) do the same.