W Neal,
Sorry I missed the start of this. The P&E yahoo group has been getting quieter over the last few years but there is still lots of information there. What most now consider the P&E was at one time the western section. The line at one time went into Ohio. The Peoria & Eastern until the very end terminated at Peoria Union Station. There were shops, a round house, and rail-yards in Champaign, Illinois. I believe there was a shop of some kind in Pekin Illinois near the bridge. There are two remaining stations I have seen. One in Tremont, and one in Urbana, Illinois. Both survived because they were re-purposed. A quick description of the route south out of Peoria would follow Illinois route 29 to Pekin. There the route turned East and followed Illinois Route 9 to Bloomington. Southeast from there the rails pretty much follow US 150 to Danville. There is still to my understanding a very high bridge near Danville. From Danville the route is parallel to Interstae 74 all the way to Indianapolis.
Most of the GP7s were freight only. 5625 was the primary diesel passenger puller with 5624 as secondary. Having said this there were exceptions as regular NYC GP7s and F7s were photographed in Peoria. P&E survived into the Penn Central era and there are pictures with both PC and P&E markings on the GPs. Always remember on the P&E GP7 long hood forward. Sorry I don't know a thing about the small switchers.
Many types of steam engines were used, both home road and NYC. P&E steam engines usually had two digits and had New York Central System on the tenders. There were also regular NYC steamers used on the P&E including some of the aerodynanic ones. On the yahoo group there is mention of a very large steamer being tried with unfortunate results. It collapsed a bridge under its weight between Pekin and Bloomington, Illinois. It could have been the bridge over the Mackinaw River but this was before my time. I vaguely remember a picture of an older hopper that had Big Four painted on the side. My wife's great grandfather was an engineer on the P&E during the steam era in the Champaign and Danville, Illinois area.
Modeling the road. My past effort was to get close. Since the NYC is not normally on my layout except as freight cars I took the inexpensive route. I picked up an Atlas-Kato under-size GP7, NYC 5601. I picked up the old Rivarossi heavyweight baggage car, a Model Power combine, a MP heavyweight coach, and a MP observation car. Closer to a Corn Belt than a Peorian. I did not make the decals but I hear white is hard to print. I guess black ink on white paper is easier. Someday.....
Now having said that there is now a better way. The Bachmann GP7 is a New York Central System and I know one of the better companies makes an RPO that would be very good. Sorry my brain is just blank but I want to say Microtrains did the RPO. I also heard rumblings on this site that a P&E coach with the proper 4 wheel trucks might be coming. I have a wood caboose that closely matches a NYC prototype to go with my Kato New York Central System steamer. No the heavy Mikado is not prototypically correct for the P&E but it works for me.
I suggest you visit the P&E yahoo group and the Peoria Rails yahoo group. Ask for David Jordan.
All for now, I hope the attachment works
Bobster
