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I didn't know that KJRY had connections other than LaHarpe/Lomax... my bad. BNfan, if there is so much future business on the "West End", then why does TP&W want to get rid of line and scrap it?? Probably lack of foresight. Bad luck might have played a role as well. Santa Fe largely killed ff the West End's local business but the reborn TP&W successfully brought back some business by 1991. On-line business and the KJRY interchange at LaHarpe even led TP&W to operate a pair of extra East Peoria - Fort Madison trains as needed (3-4 days per week) in 1995-1996. These extra trains also protected intermodal traffic if ATSF connections were delayed for some reason. The reasons for the West End's demise are: (1) BNSF merger - the combination of ATSF and BN reduced the importance of the West End as a through route as most carload traffic (what little remained) was diverted via Galesburg. I remember some Caterpillar tractors and some other traffic as late as 1999. (2) The reborn TP&W grew its intermodal business significantly from 1989, handling traffic for both ATSF and BN. Caterpillar, Diamond Star Motors/Mitsubishi and Subaru-Isuzu were the major intermodal customers. The BN interchange was at Bushnell and provided BN with haulage services between there and the Indiana Hub Center (Hoosierlift) at Remington, IN. In 1990, TP&W briefly operated a separate pair of daily intermodal trains for BN. The BNSF merger caused the Bushnell traffic to be routed via Galesburg. Most intermodal traffic, however, continued to be interchanged at Fort Madison. Business grew heavier after BNSF closed its Galesburg Hub Center on June 30, 1997. Traffic previously handled there shifted to East Peoria. Despite the railroad's success at growing intermodal traffic, it was marginally profitable. Most Subaru-Isuzu traffic was lost by the late 1990's. The biggest problem in all of this was that TP&W didn't maintain the 40mph speeds. In many places along the line, 25mph restrictions and even 10mph slow orders were common. (3) Carload traffic on the West End took a hit with the Conrail Transaction of June 1, 1999. The Keokuk Junction Railway once had a haulage agreement with TP&W to market Keokuk traffic through the Peoria Gateway. Conrail and Norfolk Southern were the important connections. The haulage agreement probably disappeared after Pioneer Railcorp purchased KJRY on March 13, 1996. With the Conrail Transaction, NS service to Peoria became sporadic with cars accumulating for up to a week before they were moved. Most eastbound corn syrup traffic from Keokuk was diverted through Chicago. Anthracite coal shipments to two KJRY customers (switched by BNSF) in Keokuk were lost as well, one to poor NS service in 1999 and the other to bankruptcy and closure of the other in 2001. Shortly after RailAmerica purchased TP&W in September 1999 it requested state and/or Federal funds for rehabilitating the West End but gov't officials determined that this was not worth their while and refused aid. TP&W then began negotiations with BNSF about shifting its intermodal interchange to Galesburg. At the same time, TP&W entered into negotiations to seel the West End to Pioneer Railcorp's KJRY. The former effort succeeded and intermodal traffic was handled by TP&W's Galesburg Job from February 2001. The latter effort failed and TP&W sold the track (not the real estate) to A & K Railroad Materials in December 2000. For one year, TP&W operated the line under contract with A & K after which A & K assumed operation under the name "SF&L Railway" (Santa Fe & Lamy). A & K wanted to scrap the line (they raised rates that succeeded in killing off most business) and nearly succeeded before the STB ordered TP&W to buy the line back. From 2000 until present day, KJRY and TP&W have battled over this line. Ironically, TP&W wants to keep the Hollis - Canton segment because of significant new business yet wanted to abandon the entire line as recently as winter 2004! The STB agreed with KJRY's arguments to operate the line and ordered TP&W to sell the Hollis to LaHarpe line to them for a reasonable price. During this time (2000-2004), some significant changes have occurred. Norfolk Southern since about April 2003, has returned to a predictable schedule regarding its service to Peoria (D49D, a switch job based at Good yard in Normal, Illinois makes an East Peoria turn on weeknights). Also, new source of traffic in the vicinity of Canton, Illinois have emerged - Central Illinois Energy Co-Op and a movement of coal waste to an abandoned coal mine. KJRY has the support of many customers on its own lines as well as presently dormant West End customers (grain elevators and a construction firm). TP&W seemed to be conflicted between the West End's local traffic and intermodal traffic. Good service to local customers would cause delays to intermodal traffic. Prioritizing intermodal traffic would neglect local traffic. Neither source of traffic by itself justified the line's maintenance. Track conditions deteriorated and business was lost through no fault of TP&W. Neglect, sale to a questionable operator and spite (or arrogance about not getting their way) with KJRY nearly did in the West End but traffic is there. Also, if I remember correctly, the intermodal that used the "West End" actually ran through all the way to Kansas City using BNSF crews between FT. Madsion/KC. Under Delaware Otsego control, the TP&W's intermodal trains ran between Remington, Indiana and Argentine, KS. At times, the westbound train originated at East Peoria. GP20 mechanical problems caused ths run-through arrangment to cease briefly until leased NYSW power arrived. The run-through arrangement was dropped again but when the interchange shifted to Galesburg, the run-through arrangement returned, but crews as well as power was changed. When joint BNSF-TP&W intermodal service ended in late January 2004, the run-through arrangement ceased. DPJ
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