"Peoria & Western" (Keokuk Junction Railway) 1752, an EMD FP9 locomotive in yellow and black, at Mapleton, Peoria County, Illinois.
(Nate Beal, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
KEOKUK JUNCTION RAILWAY (KJRY)
The Keokuk Junction Railway Co. (reporting mark KJRY), is a Class III railroad in the U.S. states of Illinois and Iowa. It was formerly a subsidiary of Pioneer Railcorp, but now operates as a subsidiary of Patriot Rail Company.
History
The present company was incorporated in 1980 as the Keokuk Northern Real Estate Co., formed in May 1980 to purchase 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P) yard trackage in Keokuk, Iowa. In September 1981, the KJRY obtained the trackage, and they quickly commenced operations. In 1986, the KJRY purchased 28 miles (45 km) of trackage between Keokuk and La Harpe, Illinois, from the Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF), formerly owned by the Toledo, Peoria and Western (TP&W). The KJRY began serving a corn-processing plant in Keokuk owned by Roquette America, which became the railway's primary source of income.
In 1995, when the Santa Fe merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) to create BNSF, the KJRY requested trackage rights over BNSF to interchange with Norfolk Southern (NS) in Hannibal, Missouri, and the Southern Pacific (SP) in West Quincy, Missouri, but they were denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). In March 1996, the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the ICC's successor, approved Pioneer Railcorp's purchase of 66.62% of the KJRY's shares from majority shareholder John Warfield, making the KJRY their subsidiary.
The KJRY subsequently expanded their operations with additional trackage acquisitions; in February 2005, they purchased the TP&W's 76-mile (122 km) western section between La Harpe to Peoria, Illinois; in December 2011, the KJRY purchased 12.1 miles (19.5 km) of trackage between La Harpe and Lomax, Illinois, and they were granted trackage rights between Lomax and Fort Madison, Iowa. On July 31, 2019, Brookhaven Rail Partners acquired Pioneer Railcorp, gaining ownership of the KJRY in the process.
Keokuk Junction Rwy. WB Freight - Dec. 5, 2016
The Keokuk Junction Railway ran its usual westbound freight from Mapleton, Illinois on Monday December 5, 2016. Adding to the excitement was the return (for the first time in a year) of the Peoria, IL-based shortline's world-famous A-B-A set leading the 55-car train. Locations are Reed City Road (W. of Mapleton), Breeds Road (just E. of Breeds), Canton, between Canton and Cuba, Smithfield and the Spoon River Bridge.
Chasing the Final Run of the Keokuk Junction Railway F Units
A chase of the Final run of the F units on the Keokuk Junction between Mapleton and La Harpe. The new owners of Pioneer Rail want more reliable power so the F's will be placed into storage with an uncertain future. Also the crew was very friendly and even stopped the train for a few minutes on the Seville bridge for a photo shoot.
Connections
- BNSF — Keokuk, Iowa, Bushnell, Illinois, and Peoria, Illinois
- Canadian National Railway — Peoria, Illinois
- Illinois and Midland Railroad — Peoria, Illinois
- Iowa Interstate Railroad — Peoria, Illinois
- Norfolk Southern Railway — Peoria, Illinois
- Pioneer Industrial Railway — Peoria, Illinois
- Tazewell and Peoria Railroad — Peoria, Illinois
- Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway — Hollis, Illinois
- Union Pacific Railroad — Fort Madison, Iowa and Peoria, Illinois
Overview
Headquarters: Peoria County, Illinois; Keokuk, Iowa
Reporting mark: KJRY
Locale: Central and western Illinois; Keokuk, Iowa
Dates of operation: May 1980 (current company)–present
Technical
Track gauge: Standard gauge
Length: 126 miles (203 km) operated, plus additional 15.5 miles (24.9 km) trackage rights
Other
Website: patriotrail.com/rail/keokuk-junction-railway-co-kjry/
