Ontario Southland Railway


The Ontario Southland Railway Inc. is an independently held short line operator. The company was founded in 1992 to purchase 17 miles of track from Canadian Pacific, which travels from Tillsonburg to Ingersoll, Ontario. In 2009, a second line was added, as 32 miles of CP track from Woodstock to St. Thomas, Ontario were integrated into the system. Additionally, Ontario Southland operates the Guelph Junction Railway on behalf of the city of Guelph, Ontario, which is the owner of that railway. In 2015, Ontario Southland began leasing the ex-Canadian National Cayuga Subdivision between St. Thomas and Delhi, Ontario, which had been abandoned by its former shortline operator the St. Thomas and Eastern Railway in 2013.

Operations

Tillsonburg Operations

OSR's Tillsonburg Division operates on the remaining of the ex-Canadian Pacific Port Burwell Subdivision between Ingersoll and Tillsonburg, Ontario. Customers served include Future Transfer, Cedar Crest Wood Products, Kissner Group, Johnson Controls, International Beams, and Wellmaster. Traffic destined for Growmark Inc. in Delhi, Ontario, as well as Cargill and Norfolk Co-Op in Courtland, Ontario is also handled.

St. Thomas Operations

On December 14, 2009, the OSR began leasing the St. Thomas Subdivision from Canadian Pacific consisting of of track from Woodstock to St. Thomas, Ontario. Customers served include Ontario Refrigerated Services, Auto Warehousing Company, Agrium, Belmont Farm Supply, Sylvite, Messenger Freight Services, and Factor Gas Liquids. Interchange with CN at St. Thomas and with CP at Woodstock.

Guelph Junction Railway Operations

The Guelph Junction Railway division operates of the ex-Canadian Pacific Goderich Subdivision between Guelph Junction near Campbellville and Guelph's northwest industrial park. The city is the owner of the railway but OSR provides the freight movement services with connections with both major railways and provides common use track for rail to transloading for its customers.

CAMI Automotive Operations

OSR does all switching at the CAMI Automotive plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. Approximately 100 multis are switched in and out of the facility each day.

Cayuga Subdivision

In November 2015, the OSR and Canadian National Railways announced that the OSR would be overtaking operation of CN's abandoned Cayuga subdivision from St. Thomas to Tillsonburg and further on to Delhi, Ontario, once necessary track maintenance was completed, in order to service a windmill turbine factory which had opened east of Tillsonburg. Other customers served include two grain elevators in Courtland, Ontario, an ethanol plant in Aylmer, Ontario and a fertilizer plant in Delhi.

Locomotive Roster

NumberBuilderModelSerialBuild DateRemarks
51EMDNW257031947-12Nee TH&B 51
52EMDSW9A1511951-02Nee C&O 5242
175EMDGP9225761956-11Nee C&O 6193
180MLWRS-18u824501958-04Ex-CP 1860, née CP RS18 8769
181MLWRS-18u824581958-05Ex-CP 1861, née CP RS18 8777
182MLWRS-18u822581958-04Ex-QGRY 1801, ex-CP 1801, née CP RS18 8764
183MLWRS-18M3497-021968-05Nee INCX 208-3
184MLWRS-18M3497-031968-08Nee INCX 208-4
378EMDGP7140081951-03Nee SOO 378
383EMDGP7164811952-07Nee SOO 378
500ALCOS-6818191956-11Ex-VWL 29, née SP 1073
501MLWS-13825481959-01Ex-GWWD 501, ex-BCOL 501, ex-BCOL 1001, née PGE 1001
502MLWS-13825491959-01Ex-VWL 827, ex-BCOL 502, ex-BCOL 1002, née PGE 1002
503MLWRS-23825811959-09Nee CP 8029
504MLWRS-23832861960-08Nee CP 8044
505MLWRS-23825731959-09Nee CP 8021
506MLWRS-23824761959-08Nee CP 8013
507MLWRS-23832901960-08Ex-Spruce Falls 109, ex-DEVCO 201, née SL 201
641MLWM-420WM6068-021973-09Nee BCOL 641
644MLWM-420WM6068-051973-09Nee BCOL 644, Sold to Sartigan Railway in Quebec.
646MLWM-420WM6068-071973-10Nee BCOL 646
647MLWM-420WM6068-081973-10Nee BCOL 647, Sold to Sartigan Railway in Quebec.
1116MLWRS-18u816211957-06Ex-CP 1116, ex-CP 1802, née CP RS18 8746
1210EMDSW1200RSuA14921958-08Ex-CP 1210, née CP SW1200RS 8112
1244EMDSW1200RSuA18971960-07Ex-CP 1244, née CP SW1200RS 8151
1245EMDSW1200RSuA19091960-09Ex-CP 1245, née CP SW1200RS 8163
1249EMDSW1200RSuA19141960-09Ex-CP 1249, née CP SW1200RS 8168
1400EMDFP9ARMA13991958-07Ex-RLK 1400, ex-VIA 6303, ex-VIA FP9A 6539, née CN 6539
1401EMDFP9ARMA11951957-03Ex-RLK 1401, ex-VIA 6312, ex-VIA FP9A 6523, née CN 6523
1620EMDGP9uA11151957-02Ex-CP 1620, née CP GP9 8659
6508EMDFP9ARMA6381954-12Ex-WSJR 6508, ex-TTSL 6305, ex-VIA 6305, ex-VIA FP9A 6508, née CN 6508
8235EMDGP9uA14741958-03Ex-JLCX 8235, ex-CP 8235, née CP GP9 8822