This high wide train was on display from 8 A.M. to 11 A.M. just north of the old CRI&P station on the riverfront in Peoria, IL. Caterpillar was opening its new Caterpillar Visitors Center on Saturday Oct. 20, 2012. Also opened for the first time was the Peoria Riverfront Museum which is just south of the Cat building.

Joe's photo shows the train backing south on the Tazwell & Peoria Railroad (ex-P&PU) at South St. in Peoria, IL. The caboose is Illinois & Midlad 273 (ex-C&IM). EMDX 1201, painted in Caterpillar colors, was manufactured and assembled in Canada, one of the last before Progress Rail moved EMD to Muncie, IN. The serial number is 20116604A-005 dated 05-2012.

Caterpillar first showed this locomotive at the mining show in Las Vegus, NV. After the show, it was wrapped and moved mostly at night to Decatur, IL. Early Monday morning, Oct. 15, 2012, it was ran unwrapped lite from Decatur to E. Peoria, IL. arriving about 3 A.M. The TZPR kept it in a locked shed under guard until its public debut on Sat. At 5:30 P.M. EMDX 1201 lead three NS units, 8406, 9797 & 6597, on a 95 car empty coal train, NS 403, east out of E. Peoria, IL. At noon on that Sat., the Iowa Interstate had brought those 95 empties to the TZPR on the north side of Peoria. That was the reason for the short display time of the Cat equipment.

Ed Johnson
Peoria, IL.