BNSF's "Peavine" hosts quite a handful of trains, including manifest freights, unit grain and ore trains, stack trains, vehicle trains, the occasional baretable, and locals. Approximately 20 to 30 trains utilize the Peavine in a 24 hour timeframe. More often than not, eastbounds
outnumber westbounds, which is good because the best photo spots require eastbounds. Here is what you are most likely to see on a daily basis:
Canadian National uses trackage rights between East Dubuque and Peoria and Centralia to close the gap between their lines and bypass Chicago. These grain trains are not "scheduled", so they can run at anytime. Eastbound sybmols are G-EDUPEI1-xx and G-EDUCEI1-xx while westbounds are
X-PEIEDU1-xx and X-CEIEDU1-xx. The BNSF also runs a number of grain trains up and down the Peavine, many of which going to the CN at East Dubuque. Again, these are not "scheduled" and can run at anytime. Eastbounds are G-EDUxxx1-xx while westbounds are X-xxxEDU1-xx. The BNSF handles unit feed
and ethanol trains to and from the Iowa Interstate which are interchanged in Rock Island. These are also not "scheduled". Eastbounds are loaded and are the G-RCISMR1-xx (feed) and G-GALWAT1-xx (ethanol) while empty westbounds are X-SMRRCI1-xx and X-WATRCI1-xx. The feed and ethanol trains get on
or off the Peavine at Barstow and come up or go down to Galesburg. The BNSF also runs unit trains of John Deere combines out of East Moline. These 40-50 car trains run as needed and generally leave East Moline in the late morning and leave Barstow by mid-afternoon.
The Peavine also hosts two locals, both originate at Barstow. The R-CHI4251-xx local usually departs Barstow by early afternoon and switches Tyson Foods at Joslin before continuing on to Thompson and Savanna if needed. 425 runs with one or two small 4-axle units. Barstow also originates the R-CHI4271-xx job which runs through
the Quad Cities to Alcoa in Bettendorf, IA. Three shifts utilize the same 1 or 2 4-axle geep consist to get the work done needed in the Quad Cities. The 427 job goes on-duty in the morning and is relieved by the 428 job in the afternoon. A 429 job goes on-duty during the night. See the
QC Industrial page for details on the QC local. There used to be a third local into Barstow, from Galesburg, but it has since been replaced by the M-GALNSI/M-NSIGAL pair of freights. These road freights make Barstow
pickups and setouts on their way by, usually tying up the mainline in the process! Times vary for these two trains as I haven't been able to shoot the train twice in the same time period yet!
