I just received a copy of this e-mail from City Manager Randy Oliver this morning:
Dear Mayor and Council:
We just received a call that both Pioneer and Central Illinois Rail were attempting to access the Kellar Branch line this morning. One of the Rail Carriers wants the other [arrested] for trespass. We advised the Officer responding that neither Carrier had authority to operate from the City of Peoria, however, both derived any authority from the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Consequently, neither should be charged with trespass and the STB would need to resolve the issue.
We just wanted you to be aware of the situation.
Randy
Meanwhile, Central Illinois Railroad has filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board to hold their previous decision in abeyance “so that the parties can resolve issues relating to the rehabilitation of a deteriorated and out of service rail line and Peoria can determine which carrier should operate over its railroad line.” The city’s railroad attorney thinks this petition has no chance of being granted. Pioneer is expected to respond on Friday.
In other Kellar Branch news, the Village of Peoria Heights passed the resolution that the City of Peoria recently tabled. They are also asking for $79,200 a year in rent according to the Journal Star.
UPDATE: Pioneer Railcorp president Mike Carr has written to the City Manager to explain the confrontation that happened today on the Kellar Branch:
Dear Randy:
My apologies for getting you involved in a situation outside of your normal work responsibility. I would like to explain to you what happened as follows:
As you know, it is our position that the STB has told us we can operate the line, and also directed both parties to work out an operating agreement. It is our position, that each company has equal rights to operate the line. I have tried, without success, since the STB ruling, to talk with Jack Stolarczyk about allowing us to inspect the line via hi rail. Stoalrczyk has ignored all of my calls. On the advice of our STB attorney in Washington DC that we have an equal right to occupy the railroad while we are working out an operating agreement, we took the necessary and required Federal Railroad Administration safety procedures, to afford protection to both our employees and CRY employees, and started our inspection this morning, via hi rail truck, starting on Adams street.
Apparently, Stolarczyk was planning to hi rail the line at the same time (?) with someone from the Park District (? according to the police) starting at Pioneer Park. Upon his arrival at Pioneer Park, he encountered our employee who was providing flag man protection to our employee hi railing the line. Stolarczyk went ballistic and called the police, even though I was able to get a cell phone handed to him and I tried to explain to him it is not a police issue (at this point I was in my car headed to the office). After Stolarczyk unceremoniously hung up on me, he committed a serious and flagrant FRA safety violation by ignoring our flag man, who told Stolarczyk that our employees were headed that way hi railing the railroad, and Stolarczyk proceeded to “charge” down the rail line with the intention of “meeting” our employee. This is a complete disregard for personal safety, and in my opinion speaks volume of Mr. Stolarczyk’s character. I hope I am mistaken with the fact that he had a Park District employee in the hi rail truck with him, because if there was a park district employee with him, Stolarczyk placed him in potential serious harm and had no regard for the Park Districts employees safety or well being. I instructed our employees to stop hi railing at the nearest crossing and to be prepared to leave the line upon visually seeing Stolarczyk headed towards them. When Stolarczyk approached, in violation of FRA regulations, we ceded the line out of respect for safety.
We intend to bring this issue up with the FRA.
Finally, I want to assure you that I had no idea that Stolarczyk had planned to inspect the line with the Park District this morning or we would have performed our inspection at a later time. Taken the wrong way, I can see where someone can turn this into Pioneer was obstructing CRY’s attempt to reach a deal for shared usage. It was purely coincidence, and you can strap me to a lie detector test if you like.
If you have any further concerns or questions please feel free to contact me via phone […].
Thanks.
Mike Carr
Where are the cameras when you need them? Knowing Mike Carr as I do I believe every single word of what he says. He is the consumate gentleman.
SD you said where were the cameras; I say if I would have known in advance of this being done today I would have been there. I was along the Kellar both Monday and Tuesday and looked at the weather this morning and thought I would stay home today. Pioneer needs to make a hot phone call to someone interested to make sure one of us is there to take those fotos and preserve these moments.
Boy… ain’t choo-choos just grand?
I wonder what is WBCI’s involvement regarding their upcoming trail-side condos in the heights?
Yeah prego, there has never been a confrontation on a trail before either.
Ain’t trails grand?
What or who is WBCI?
SD/Mr Ed, I too would be there in a heartbeat with a camera if I knew what was going on. Any chance Pioneer would have footage of this? If not, they’d better learn their lesson and make sure someone has a camera on board from here on out until this gets settled.
WBCI stands for “Williams Brothers Consutruction, Inc.” They are the ones planning to build condos(??) withing the old Pabst property.
Prego: “choo-choos” went out in the 1950s. Trains use diesel engines now — you know, like Caterpillar uses.
For those who know me they know that I am always early and never late. Sure enough it happened again. Yesterday I had a couple of hours too kill so I went exploring in my car along the Kellar. No I didn’t trespass. But I observed it from many different angles and for long stretches. Of course I was a day early and missed all the fun this morning. We need to write a book on this story as it unfolds.
There are approximately 75 HazMAt cars that CIRY is storing on the Western Connection. They mentioned this in their recent filing to STB. This is not good for the “neighbors”, and something that PIRY would not do. CIRY is basically using the RR as a parking lot, possibly to handle storage cars from operations they have been kicked out of. How do they expect to use the Western Connection for the purpose that the city built it if it is used as a parking lot? These HazMat cars have not been sanitized and could potentially be dangerous.
“How do they expect to use the Western Connection for the purpose that the city built it if it is used as a parking lot?”
I’m a little slow sometimes, but does this have anything to do with why they changed their tune regarding using the Kellar?
You listen to YOUR trains, C.J., and I’ll listen to MINE, thank you very much.
It has to do with them bringing the cars they are parking on the Western Connection down through the Kellar and sending them on using the cheaper route instead of the western connection
The western connection/spur is being used for railcar storage since it’s otherwise useless – no industry in Growth Cell Two.
CIRY, despite contradictory statements in its STB filings, has realized that the Kellar Branch and the interchange with the Tazewell & Peoria RR near the river is the only viable way to service customers at Pioneer Park.
Funny, Pioneer Railcorp knew that a decade ago 🙂
Those storage cars are no longer out by Radnor Road. CIRY has moved them to the track at the end of Chanute and on the CARVER LUMBER SPUR. I wonder how many more Pioneer spurs they plan to back with storage cars. I saw no sign of where the CIRY engine is parked today. More stuff for the STB to mull over.
Around noon today, the engine was parked on the track that crosses Summer St, just off of Pioneer Parkway.
If the park district is in any way involved in this then Bonnie Noble needs to be called on the carpet.
I was wondering who the two companies are that people keep saying is using the rail. I thought the rail has not been used for a couple years. I think a bigger question would be is why the city is supporting a carrier outside the Peoria area?
David wrote: “I was wondering who the two companies are that people keep saying is using the rail.”
Service on most of the Kellar Branch ended in August 2005 when Pioneer Railcorp’s subsidiary, Pioneer Industrial Railway (PIRY) was forced to end its operation of the line. The City wanted to remove most of the track to make way for a trail and Pioneer wouldn’t cooperate. Service on the line ended for political, not economical reasons.
David wrote: “I thought the rail has not been used for a couple years.”
That’s correct. Service will resume in the near future.
David wrote: “I think a bigger question would be is why the city is supporting a carrier outside the Peoria area?”
Pioneer wouldn’t cooperate with the City’s plans to destroy the Kellar Branch so they were replaced by a D. O. T. Rail Service’s “Central Illinois Railroad.”
The STB has restored Pioneer’s operating rights on the line. Hence, the current conflict.
The other shoe dropped today with the announcement of proposed re-development of the former Cohen warehouse. I’m sure they won’t want tracks running thru the middle of the thing.
Vonster,
The track runs along the northeast quadrant of the Cohen’s warehouse, not through it. PH should just accept the track will be there for a long time.
One of the potential tenants for the redevelopment plan in the Heights prefers having a historic trolley linking to the riverfront.
C.J., as soon as he comes up with the $1.5 million it would cost to do the trolley, just to start it up, maybe the Heights and Peoria might listen.
A historic trolley for 1.5 million seems like a much better deal than a trail for 29 million. Put on a caboose that is a bike rack and we will have something unique to Peoria and the downtown will be linked to the trail out north through the Heights shopping district. Speaking of cabooses, or is that cabeese,what ever happened to them? I remember excitedly waiting to see if there was on on the end of a train when I was younger.
“Cabeese” were used to protect the rear of the train and house the conductor’s office. Modernization has relegated most cabooses to the scrap yard, though some are still needed in local service.
Locally, sister shortlines Illinois & Midland and Tazewell & Peoria share a caboose; TP&W uses one when it makes its twice-weekly trips to Morton; and Pioneer Railcorp’s Keokuk Junction Railway sometimes uses one on locals coming out of Keokuk.
I don’t know where the $1.5 million dollar figure for an historic trolley came up but that is erroneous. I have researched it and we could do it for far less. Also, we planned on doing it “green”, with lithium ion batteries, solar and wind power. No cantenary lines or third rail. I would be complete with air conditioning for summer and heating for the winter and a handicapped lift for the disabled and strollers. There would be bike racks on the trolley or could be put on a small tow car in the back. The idea is not dead, just on hold.
Dave,
The tracks run between the former Cohen warehouse and the proposed WBCI condos to the north. Taken as a whole, the tracks bisect the project.
I guess Peoria Heights is just gonna have to live with it.
after they finish gutting Peoria of jobs, I wonder who is going to buy these condos? Peoria Heights will never be Daytona Beach, even if the local politicians proclaim it the “Daytona Beach of the Midwest”.
Yeah, if the tracks ever go, those jobs will sure be “gutted.” Which jobs? Has Carver laid off anyone? Are they threatening to close? Have a half dozen great, union wage paying companies located on the Kellar in the past, say, 5-10 years?
What a joke. What a bunch of malarkey. The funny thing is I’m afraid that some of you folks are actually beginning to believe that spin.
And, that’s scary.
Oh, and SD, check out the costs of a good trolley. Contact Gomaco (or something like that)… a good one runs around $800,000.00. And that’s just for one.
Next up, check into the perameters as to what needs to be done to the tracks and the crossings to make them “safe” for passengers. At least $500,000.00. AT LEAST. The jump from tracks good enough to go 10 MPH with freight to tracks good enough to go 10 MPH with PASSENGERS is HUGE. Check it out.
I know you won’t… but it does me good to present the facts now and then. Even though you will ignore them.
BeanCounter, your $29 million is for the trail and the rail going together. Even with that money spent, it’s not a smart thing to do.
Check in to my response to SD while you’re at it.
It can be done if the public is behind it; if the feds are behind it; and the state tourism is behind it. Because a good trolley system would have to have all three and then some.
Problem is, none of the three have stepped up so far. Till C.J., SD, and you hit the lottery, looks like we’re just gonna have freight going through, huh?
Prego — You might want to get copies of the Peoria Heights meeting and the County Board meeting where Sharon Deckard made her trolley presentation. Not only has she been in contact with Gomaco, she had a representative from the company with her when she made her Heights presentation. And the track upgrade she negotiated with Pioneer. All with private money.
Why is it that public (taxpayer) funding of the trail is okay, but private funding of the rail line is so distasteful to you? How about the RTA or private developers putting up the $29 million for a trail next to the rail line? If it’s the economic boon everyone says it is, they should get a return on that investment rather quickly, shouldn’t they?
I recall reading Globe Energy wants to expand to 600 people, with the average salary 40-50K. That’s off the top of my head so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. They are interested in rail service.
Provide some stability with the rails and there’s potential for development of well-paying light manufacturing and warehousing jobs near Pioneer Park. While Carver hasn’t had mass layoffs their increased costs from the lack of the Kellar Branch have hit employees’ wallets.
Thank you CJ for the remarks about the trolley and GOMACO. I have been doing business with this company for more than 20 years. Also with Vintage Trolleys and numerous others and those that have developed the battery powered trolley. We have researched the exact cost for the trolley, track upgrade to run it at 40 mph and the revenue it will bring in. We have also researched the station stops and their costs and a car barn for the trolley to park in and be recharged and maintenance run. We have also researched the jobs that it will bring and the money to fund those jobs. We have done the whole business plan. We are not throwing numbers out willy nilly. We have facts to back them up.
I know metro rail projects are usually big boondoggles but I was so impressed with St Louis’…
A great many metro rail projects have to start from scratch, buying the land, laying the track, buying the equipment and managing the line. With the Kellar more than 50%of the work is done. The ROW is there, the track is there and can be upgraded. We don’t have to go back to the drawing board and start from ground zero. We have advantages that other areas don’t have and it will save us big bucks. We also have a freight railroad with all the maintenance equipment willing to work with us.
Newsflash: Williams Brothers has decided NOT to build the apartment complex next to the rails, on the old Pabst property.
Could it be related to the STB decision regarding Pioneer? Even in the slightest?
The rail might have just caused the loss of a number of jobs which would have been created and/or supplemented by the 5 million dollar apartment complex.
Thanks, STB.
Prego,
Get real…you can’t lose something you never had in the first place!
Anyway, apartment complexes create TEMPORARY construction jobs, a landlord and a couple of maintenance personnel. These precious THREE jobs will be created in the area regardless, because having a place to live is a NECESSITY.
Williams Brothers Construction should go ahead and build the complex. For as many people that wouldn’t want to live next to a railroad track, there will be just as many who would.
Gee whiz, David… if you can run with the threat of a trail keeping Globe from putting those “600 great jobs” into place by now, certainly I can run with the Williams Brothers scenario, don’t you think?
Ka-ching.
Now is the time for Peoria Heights to put renewed efforts to put a factory on the old Pabst site. With the future of the Kellar Branch ensured and the vacant land available try again now to land a nice sized plant that would employ many with good wages and benefits. Don’t let this opportunity drift down the road. Your economic future is now.
Prego,
Williams Brothers Construction can go ahead and build these apartments with a track nearby. It didn’t prevent them from building their own office complex just a few feet from the tracks.
Amazing the different standards applied to Peoria’s riverfront where high-priced loft apartments are available at 401 Water St., recreation abounds (walking path and RiverPlex) and even condominiums and a museum are planned, yet all of these are within feet of a railroad which sees several movements each day, including a 100-car coal train each week.
You don’t suppose the decision not to build had anything to do with the current credit/real estate crunch? No,the STB is too easy a scapegoat.
As for jobs, how many real jobs have been created in the City of Peoria lately? I don’t mean fast food joints; or new chain stores that sell junk/poison made in China and put old local stores out of business; or temporary highway jobs that scarf up tax money, and tie up traffic, etc. I mean jobs that pay a living wage and put NEW money into the community. How many?