The Toledo Peoria and Western Railway, Serving the Midwest

The reborn Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway operates the original line owned by the classic Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway which was merged into the Santa Fe in 1983. The TP&W dates back to the mid-19th century and operated as an independent carrier for nearly 100 years before disappearing into the ATSF. In an interesting twist of fate (similar to the likes of reborn systems like the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway) the Toledo, Peoria and Western name was resurrected when the original TP&W route was sold by the Santa Fe and purchased by a private company. Today the railroad is part of the RailAmerica family of shortlines and connects with every major North American Class I system save for the Canadian Pacific, seeing several thousand of carloads of traffic annually.

The original Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway dates back to 1887 when it was created through the merger of the Peoria & Warsaw Railway and the Logansport, Peoria & Burlington Railroad, which stretched from Effner, Indiana to Warsaw, Illinois. In later years when the TP&W became a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania (later Penn Central) and Santa Fe its reached extended as far west as Fort Madison (via ATSF) and as far east as Logansport (via PC). At its largest length the TP&W stretched nearly 230 miles on a straight shot between Fort Madison and Logansport with short branches to Keokuk and Warsaw, Illinois.

While the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway did serve farms and agricultural areas located in Illinois and Indiana a significant portion of its traffic came from its strategic bridge routing connecting with several eastern and western systems including the New York Central; Chicago & Eastern Illinois; Pennsylvania; Norfolk & Western; Gulf, Mobile & Ohio; Santa Fe; Rock Island; Chicago & Illinois Midland; Milwaukee Road; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Chicago & North Western; Louisville & Nashville; Illinois Central; and several other smaller systems.

After the bankruptcy of the Penn Central in 1970 and subsequent takeover by the Santa Fe in 1979 the TP&W became part of the ATSF in late 1983. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, distinctively known as the Santa Fe, likely is not only this country’s but also the world’s most recognized and famous railroad. It has had its own movie, song, and numerous model trains and other purchasable gifts created in its honor. The railroad’s renowned Warbonnet livery has been made in several variations ranging from the more popular silver and red with yellow trim to the blue and yellow. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, albeit no longer an operating company, is truly a railroad whose name is as common as that of Coca Cola or General Electric.

What led the Santa Fe, however, to becoming an industrial icon was the introduction of the Chief passenger train in late 1926, and then the Super Chief ten years later. In the late 1930s its legendary Warbonnet paint scheme was born, applied to the new streamlined Super Chief led by Electro-Motive’s new EA streamlined passenger diesels (the new motive power was something the Santa Fe was very quick to embrace), and it was an instant hit.

By the late 1980s, however, the Santa Fe was looking to rid itself of the former TP&W lines (which stretched to Logansport after the TP&W had purchased the former PRR line following the PC collapse) and sold the entire original main line in February of 1989 to the Delaware Otsego Corporation, which resurrected the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway name. While the TP&W became part of RailAmerica in September of 1999 it remains an independent shortline railroad today seeing over 60,000 annual carloads including auto parts, coal, steel and chemical traffic.

While the original TP&W’s branches connecting Keokuk and Warsaw Indiana are no longer operated by the new system (although they are still in place, served by the Keokuk Junction Railway, a shortline itself which has been operating for over 150 years), including the trackage rights to Fort Madison, it still operates between Peoria and Logansport. For a complete system map of the current TP&W please click here. So if you are ever in Indiana and Illinois be sure and check out the Toledo, Peoria & Western, a railroad whose roots date back over 150 years.