TP&W Historical Society

05/04/2026

The Honeggers Feed Mill was one of many industries served by the Toledo, Peoria & Western. Located on the west side of Fairbury, the mill opened on August 3, 1950, and remained in use until 1989. For those vintage automobile fans out there - what types of cars can you see in the parking lot?

Photographer unknown, Thomas Dyrek collection.

03/27/2026

Calling all modelers, railfans, and geography enthusiasts! We just digitized a collection of TP&W track charts from 1980 in our archives. They are now available for public viewing at the following link:

Explore this photo album by TP&W Historical Society on Flickr!

03/08/2026

Time to go for a spin!

This photograph from 1915 shows the Toledo, Peoria & Western's small roundhouse and turntable at Effner, located on the Illinois/Indiana state line. Prior to 1976, this was the eastern end of the TP&W (beyond Effner, the trackage was owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad). As such, the need for a locomotive terminal and turning facility was needed, so TP&W equipment and crews could return west. This facility was removed by the 1940s.

Photographer unknown, Thomas Dyrek collection.

02/24/2026

Awhile back, TP&WHS member John Stell generously donated a collection of photographs of TP&W employees in the 1950s. This photo from 1954 shows dispatcher Kaywin R. Burroughs (1930-2007) at the office in East Peoria. We'll be sharing more photos out of this collection in the future, so stay tuned!

Photographer unknown; John Stell Collection, TP&WHS Archives.

02/12/2026

Happy birthday to the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. On this day in 1849, the earliest predecessor to the TP&W, the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad, was chartered. In 1860, the railroad was reorganized as the Logansport, Peoria & Burlington. In 1864, it was reorganized again as the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw. Finally, in 1879, it became the Toledo, Peoria & Western, though additional reorganizations that kept the name continued into the 20th Century.

02/09/2026

The Toledo, Peoria & Western employed a number of skilled shop workers to maintain the railroad's fleet of locomotives and rolling stock. The company's main shop facility was located in East Peoria, where this photograph of partially-disassembled ALCO C424 diesel locomotive No. 800 was taken about 1980. Did you or someone you know work at the TP&W's shop? Let us know in the comments!

Unknown photographer, Thomas Dyrek collection.

02/02/2026

The Toledo, Peoria & Western's Maintenance-of-Way department was tasked with keeping the railroad's tracks and property in good condition. The team had a fleet of railcars to carry around their tools and other equipment, as well as providing bunk space for overnight stays at a jobsite. This car was a member of that fleet. It was acquired secondhand from the Milwaukee Road, who had previously used it as a branch line combine car (half coach seating, half baggage section). Our friends at the Wheels O' Time Museum in Dunlap, Illinois were able to obtain it from the TP&W upon its retirement. Today, you can visit and tour the car at their museum.

Unknown photographer, Thomas Dyrek collection.

01/30/2026

Hi friends! We are back after a nearly three-year hiatus due to issues with Facebook. Unfortunately, we have lost access to our original page, so this new page will serve as the official TP&W Historical Society's Facebook profile. Stay tuned for posts about the history of our favorite railroad.

For our first post on the new page, here is a photograph of a freight train crossing over Route 24 at Washington about 1940. The bridge is still in place, and was recently repainted by the town.

Photograph from the Clark-Paxson Family Collection, TP&WHS archives.