Tillsonburg-Ingersoll

OSR 500 ALCO S6 (ex SP 1240) southbound at Charles Street in Ingersoll, 1999. Peter's Trains

OSR also operates and maintains on a lease basis from the CPR, the remainder of its Port Burwell Subdivision, 18 miles between Ingersoll and Tillsonburg, Ontario. Originally built in 1895 as the Tillsonburg, Lake Erie & Pacific 33 miles from Port Burwell to Ingersoll, it was leased October 6, 1904 to the CPR for 999 years. It was near abandonment due to declining traffic when OSR took over its operation February 26, 1999.

The line originally operated on a unique "every 5 days" schedule. Monday and Friday on the first week, and Wednesday only on the second week. This was to accommodate a cycle of assigned freight shipments that arrived every 5 days! This later changed to twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays).

More recently the line has operated five days a week serving industries in Tillsonburg and Mount Elgin as well as interchange with another shortline, St.Thomas & Eastern, (Trillium Rail), operating a portion of the former CNR Cayuga Subdivision between St.Thomas and Delhi. Much STER traffic arrives via the CPR and thus is handled by OSR. Total traffic was only about 800 cars per year but, has increased considerably. It is now handled by one 2-man crew operating five days a week.

Customers in Tillsonburg include TDS (Total Distribution Systems) Group (formerly Livingston), auto parts, wooden crates etc. Johnson Controls, (formerly Hoover) foam auto seats; Nu-Gro, Vigoro brand fertilizers, and Cargill in Mount Elgin.

Update: Salford shop finally opened October 25, 2004 (see Gallery below) at which time operations were relocated there from leased facilities in Tillsonburg although some equipment remains stored there. Track work has been ongoing for some time now using second-hand CN track machines to install thousands of new and used ties. The main work over the entire line is nearing completion as 2006 comes to and end. Investing for the future.

Traffic continues to increase requiring five day a week operation. The acquisition in November 2003 of Nu-Gro Corp.'s former Pursell Vigoro Canada ice melter business by Kissner Group (Preston, est. 1878) has expanded this seasonal traffic to many times the volume previously handled. Loads all arrive from Saskatchewan via CN and ST&E. This plant is on the old CASO connecting track in Tillsonburg. One tiny remnant of a once great railway.

Wellmaster Pipe & Supply, Inc. an old local business in Tillsonburg has become a new customer shipping small diameter pipe for the Alberta oil industry. Much of this traffic is currently (late 2006) being shipped CN via STER due to a shortage of CP bulkhead flats.

Future Transfer on the St.Thomas & Eastern in Tillsonburg continues to receive CP traffic via OSR including for a new customer, Safety-Kleen Systems Inc. which is moving loads both in and outbound. They have a fleet of 300 tank cars to move waste liquid product for recycling. Note: In 1984 Safety-Kleen acquired controlling interest in Breslube Enterprises Ltd, Breslau, ON, a major Canadian re-refiner of used automotive oil.

Tillsonburg-Ingersoll Gallery

Other operations

Babcock and Wilcox

Petro Canada

W. G. Thompson & Sons

Gallery OSR Locomotives

Gallery OSR Rolling Stock

History

NOTE: Follow these links for a more detailed history of the Guelph and Tillsonburg lines along with photos of the CPR era.

CPR employee time table 1959 Goderich Subdivision Port Burwell Subdivision

Back to: Ontario Southland Part 1

SPECIAL THANKS go to Jeffrey Willsie, President, Ontario Southland Railway for assistance with this article; as well as OSR staff Gregory Steele, Bruce Mercer and Dave Hooten for photographs and information. Thanks also to Brian Switzer, as well as Gordon Strathdee and others for permission to use their photos including the many new recent additions from David Young.

Ontario Southland Railway Official Web Site