Petro-Canada Inc.

Lots of power at PetroCan, Clarkson! April 22, 1998, stored 52 and 51, plus in-service 183-501.
Bruce Mercer

Commencing in April 1994, Ontario Southland took over switching from CP and CN of the Petro Canada plant in Clarkson, (Mississauga) Ontario, located on the Canadian National Oakville Subdivision, a Joint Section also used by Canadian Pacific. Once the site of a British American Oil (B-A) refinery (built 1943), later Gulf Oil, and finally, Petro Canada. It now produces only lubricants, including motor oil, transmission fluid, industrial grease, wax etc.

Operations began using former TH&B 51, an upgraded NW2 retired by the CPR November 11, 1988. In recognition of its historical significance it was first kept for a proposed railway museum in Toronto and later for a proposed tourist railway on a portion of the abandoned TH&B branch between Brantford and Waterford; neither project came about. It was finally purchased in 1992 and later restored to authentic TH&B paint scheme complete with TH&B lettering.

The plant has 18 tracks and is switched on two shifts a day with two, two-man crews assisted by an additional split shift man. Normally, 15 loads are shipped daily via CN and 15 by CP for an annual total of 7000 cars! The heavy tankcars, sharpe curves in the plant and a steep grade leaving the plant to the CNR yard requires two units in M.U. After ex TH&B 51 some MLW units were used. Two EMD GP7's were acquired in 1999. These 1500 HP units were the last of many GP7's on the SOO Line, 378 and 383. Early in 2002 a GP9 (ex C&O 6193) was acquired from the former contractor at CPR's Vaughan Intermodal Facility.

OSR 183_501 Clarkson Oct.3,97 Bruce Mercer	OSRX 6193 GP9 (ex CSX) re# 175; with 378.Clarkson, 3-19-02 Bruce Mercer	OSRX 378-383, Clarkson, 9-28-01 Note new OSR logo. Bruce Mercer	OSRX 434462 ex CP Rail caboose used as lunch room at Clarkson 10-03 Joe Dennis
183 RS-18 switching Petro-Can March 1998 Brian D. Switzer	378 (ex SOO 378) GP7 under repair August 2000 Tillsonburg. BDS	378 to become 150 October 2000 Brian D. Switzer	383 (ex SOO 383) GP7 to become 151; 505 RS23 (ex CP 8021) Clarkson, 10-6-00 Bruce Mercer

Note: 378 and 383 retained these historic numbers in a change of policy.

M420 646 trails 383 switching on May 2, 2006 Joe Dennis

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