Peoria & Western

Company History: In 2005 Pioneer Railcorp’s Keokuk Junction Railway wanted to acquire the 76 mile former Toledo Peoria & Western line between LaHarpe and Peoria, Illinois. However, control of the line was contested in court by A&K Railroad Materials. Pioneer established the Peoria & Western to operate the line until the issue could be resolved. P&W became the home of Pioneer’s famous F units, often running in matched sets. Around 2011, the case with A&K was finally resolved and the P&W was merged into the Keokuk Junction Railway.

Successor/Parent History: The Keokuk Junction (reporting marks: KJRY) launched in 1981 to take over operation of some former Rock Island terminal trackage in Keokuk, Iowa. In 1986, they bought 34 miles of former Toledo Peoria & Western line from Keokuk, over the Mississippi River, to LaHarpe, Illinois. Ten years later, KJRY’s parent company was purchased by the Pioneer Railcorp family of shortlines. In 2005, they tripled in size with the acquisition of 76 miles of line from LaHarpe to Peoria from the resurrected TP&W. There was a conflict with A&K Railroad Materials over who actually had control of the line. While court proceedings ensued, KJRY established the Peoria & Western Railway to operate the line. The conflict was resolved around 2011 and the PWRR was merged into the KJRY. In 2011, they added another 12 miles between LaHarpe and Lomax plus trackage rights to Fort Madison, Iowa. In total, KJRY operates 142 miles of line. The line has been home to Pioneer’s fleet of FP9’s for their last few years and they are used in regular freight service until their retirement in 2019. Disaster struck the KJRY in 2013 when their bridge over the Spoon River near Seville collapsed under a train. The locomotives made it across but six tank cars were dumped into the river. The bridge, which was built in 1890, has since been replaced.

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