Peoria, IL: P&PU Coaling Tower, Roundhouses and Freight House

Roundhouse: (Satellite)

Freight House: (Satellite, the post office reused the land.)

I'm sure R.C. Bell saw a steam locomotive, but I see the bottom of a coaling tower.

Roger Holmes posted
Illinois Central 2-8-2 #2140 at Peoria. Taken by R.C. Bell on August 19, 1946.
[The comments indicate the roundhouse in the background is P&PU (Peoria & Pekin Union, now operated by Tazwell & Peoria (TZPR)). The comments also indicate the locomotive in the background, 157, is NKP.]

At first I was surprised to see the IC in the Peoria area. Then I realized it was the former Peoria, Decatur & Evansville branch of the IC. Actually, IC went to just Pekin where it connected to the terminal railroads in the area.

Edward Wayne Bridges posted
P&PU ROUNDHOUSE PEORIA ILLINOIS 1950s 2112 IS A MIKADO.
Dustin Holschuh Wow nickel plate and gm&o !!!!
David Jordan Edward Wayne Bridges I'd have to guess the date for this photo was 1954. A friend of mine recently uncovered an IC Peoria District timebook for the years 1951-1954 showing the last steam on mainline trains taking place May 13, 1954. IC No. 2131 handled 291 back to Mattoon on that date. On all subsequent dates, IC GP9s did the honors on both 291 and 292, and presumably 275 and 276 as well. As you probably already know, the NKP dieselized its Peoria Division in 1953 with GP7s, then "re-dieselized" the division with RS-3s in 1954. So at the very least, the final months of IC Peoria District steam operations (on road trains) and the first months of NKP RS-3 operations overlap in your photo.
David Jordan I should also note that IC kept a small steam locomotive at Pekin for switching until February 13, 1956.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

I found a couple of roundhouses in and below the wye for the P&PU Bridge over Illinois River. You can see the coaling tower on the service leads for the upper roundhouse.

Below in the satellite image you can still see an outline of the roundhouse because of the treeline. Greenbrier Castings use the former stalls as a radial storage yard.

Satellite

Edward Wayne Bridges posted
TURNING THE POWER OF GM&O 233 P&PU PEORIA ILLINOIS 1954
Jordan Popp Never thought I'd see two cab units getting "turned"
David Jordan Jordan Popp Maybe they were serviced at the roundhouse?
Brian Daniel LaKemper Also possible one unit had an issue and was restricted from leading a consist.

While writing some notes about a CB&Q grain elevator, I was confused as to who owned the roundhouse was in the wye, so I asked.

Dennis DeBruler posted
Real experts, I noticed that there were three roundhouses along the lower riverfront. Which railroad owned which roundhouse? (Rock Island's [roundhouse] was further northeast.) Thanks.

David Jordan: Both by Bridge Junction belonged to P&PU, and the one above the Cedar Street Bridge belonged to CB&Q.

For more detail, the main roundhouse at Bridge Junction was known as Roundhouse No. 1, and had 37 stalls. An 85-ft. turntable was installed in 1913 (presumably, the original dates to the early 1880s). Roundhouse No. 2 was the one closed to Sanger Street and the river. It was abandoned c. 1940. P&PU had a third roundhouse in Peoria - Union Roundhouse - located near Persimmon Street. Another roundhouse was built at Wesley, probably when a small yard opened there in 1892.

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Freight House

Ross Brocksmith posted two images with the comment:

P&PU Freight House

Ft Of State Street

Bldg At Left Burned 6-6-72

Bldg At Right Burned 5-31-71

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This is generally the area of Peoria’s current main post office.

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Image Source/Credit: 

Ernest Grassel Collection

Only seen in-person in the Local History Collection

Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library

#peoriapubliclibrary  #peorialocalhistory  #ernestgrasselcollection

From Grassel’s volumes titled TRANSPORTATION

Richard Fiedler shared

1

2

Dennis DeBruler commented on Richard's share
The buildings would have been the two long, skinny rectangles south of Union Station.
1950/50 Peoria East Quad @ 24,000