Old Time Trains

OBRY 1000 southbound with usual biweekly freight passing site of former CPR Brampton station.
June 2006 Dan Dell'Unto

CANDO, based in Brandon, Manitoba, began business in 1978 dismantling trackage. It also does track maintenance for large industries as well as contract switching and has branched out into Ontario.
It has expanded into operating shortline railways in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.

First noticed in Ontario when it dismantled the CNR Beachburg Subdivision which ran through Algonquin Provincial Park. This line between Pembroke and North Bay, Ontario was built by the Canadian Northern Railway and opened on November 23,1915. Canadian National ended operations November 24, 1995 and abandoned the line April 18,1996 after a failed attempt to create a joint operation across Northern Ontario with Canadian Pacific whereby the later's line being abandoned.

One of two units used on CANDO work trains was a GP9 originally built for the Quebec North Shore & Labrador as their number 157. It was later one of five units bought in 1981 by Metro Canada Ltd. of Kingston for a still-born commuter train operation between Vancouver and Coquitlam, British Columbia. These units were stored for some time at the CPR's John Street shop before going to the ONR at North Bay and eventually sold off to Andrew Merrilees Ltd. (Dealer). Acquired in August 2001, it became CCGX 1000, later going to Barrie-Collingwood Ry. and eventually wound up operating on the Orangeville-Brampton Ry.

Note: When QNS&L disposed of most of their GP's beginning in 1970, many went to a new leasing outfit (said to be some CPR officials) named Canadian Bellequip Ltd. which in turn leased them to the C.P.R. A few months later they were all sold to Precision National Corp. a U.S. locomotive leasing company.

CCGX 1004 and 1005 (ex CP 1209 nee 8118 and ex 1207 nee 8121 acq. 2004) SW1200RS
East Edmonton April 4, 2008 Tim Stevens

1004 (ex CP 1209 nee 8118) Acq. 2004 GMD A1498 9/58 East Edmonton 7/27/2010 Steve Arnot

KoSa Canada

Formerly Celanese Canada Inc.

A large chemical factory in Millhaven, Ontario near Kingston, on CN Millhaven Spur. (link)
It is a contract switching operation with a 260 car yard.

78 an SW8m ex-Lehigh Valley 271 still with Andrew Merrilees Ltd. logo on cab.
Switching Celanese on December 21, 1997 Eric Gagnon

1002 (sold 1/10) National Research Council, Uplands, Ottawa 1/27/2010 Ian McCord

KoSa Canada, Two switchers are used here: CCGX 1002 and CCGX 1003 an SW1200 ex-PRR 7921.
April 30, 2004 Chris Blaschuk

Ontario Hydro's Lennox Generating Station at Bath, Ont. in early 1998 became a contract operation handling unit oil trains. Photos wanted

Remote control SW1200 (nee Missouri Pacific 1110) in St.Thomas yard,
displayed during Iron Horse Festival, August 1999. Peter's Trains

Formet Industries, a Magna International plant opened in 1998 in St.Thomas, Ontario makes truck frames, including those for GM in Oshawa which are delivered by a dedicated, scheduled CPR train ("frame train") operating 6 days a week. Prior to its opening it was estimated that 11,500 loads would be shipped annually to 6 GM plants, 70% via CN. This facility with its 140 car yard is another contract switching operation of CANDO.

CCGX 1000 Pride of Barrie & Collingwood still lettered for Barrie-Collingwood Ry.
Shown at Snelgrove on OBRY, March 2000. Snowplow pilot from its QNS&L days comes in handy!
Bryan Passifiume

This new shortline began January 26,1998 following acquisition of the CNR's trackage between Barrie and Collingwood by the Town of Collingwood and the City of Barrie seeking to preserve rail service to their industries. It included 31 miles of track between the two points as well as 5 small spurs in and around Barrie where the largest amount of freight is handled. Customers include, in Collingwood; Pilkington Libbey-Owens-Ford (automobile glass), Canadian Mist (distillers) and Nacan (starch). In Barrie, Tarpin Lumber, Bemis Manufacturing (fomerly Moldex) and Comet Chemicals. Closing of the Molson brewery soon after the takeover by CANDO cost them 25% of their traffic.

Due to the abandonment of the CNR between Orillia and Toronto, the line was isolated from the CNR system and a new interchange with the CPR's MacTier Sub. (Mile 58.0) was established at Utopia, Mile 7.5 Meaford Spur.

CCGX 1001 GP9
(ex B & O 6594)
Barrie, September 1998. Gordon Strathdee

CCGX 1001 BCRY Spirit of Collingwood.

Mile 12 Meaford Sub.

Another new Ontario shortline was created through municipal efforts by the Town of Orangeville and key industries to preserve freight service through the Orangeville Railway Development Corp. a body of the Town of Orangeville and Orangeville-Brampton Access Group for industries, came together to create the Orangeville-Brampton Ry. which in turn was contracted to CANDO for operation under their Barrie-Collingwood Railway.

Customers include OBRAG members Clorox of Canada (Glad brand garbage bags) 35.6%, Poly One Canada (Geon) 33.4 %, and Symplastics Ltd.5.5%, Performance packaging 4.4%, all handling plastic pellets, Holmes Agro in Fraxa 3.3%, and Vulsay Industries in Brampton, blending and packaging of liquids, 17.8%. Non-members include Brampton Brick in Brampton. Note: Traffic figures (see above %) are as of August 2001.

Orangeville Industrial spurs in the north end have always been owned by the Town, one 3,130 feet long since November 1, 1964, to serve Greening-Donald Wire, United Extrusions and Carlew Chemicals; and one since May 1,1979 to serve Martin Brower (Mc.Donald's), and Canada Wire. This latter plant became a truck trailer manufacturer, Manac, that does not use rail. An extention served Johnson Controls.

OBRY consists of 34 miles of the former CPR Owen Sound Subdivision (originally Orangeville Sub.) between mile 2.4 (near Streetsville) and Orangeville, Mile 36.7. The sale finally took place September 29, 2000 after six years of determined effort by Orangeville and incredible patience on the part of Canadian Pacific's St.Lawrence & Hudson subsidiary which existed at that time.

This shortline in Manitoba consists of the former CNR Pine Falls Sub. 67.5 miles between Winnipeg and Pine Falls as well as the former CNR Carman Sub. 50.5 miles between Winnipeg and Graysville. It is owned and operated by CANDO effective May 2, 1999 (Pine Falls) and June 6, 1999 (Carman). Running rights over CNR trackage is utilized to get between the two Subdivisions.

Traffic on the Carman Subdivision includes grain, fertilizer and lumber. Pine Falls Sub. customers includes Pine Falls Paper in Pine Falls, Manitoba Hydro in East Selkirk (100 car unit coal trains off BN), Agrico (grain) in Libau and Griffin Wheel in Winnipeg. Two upgraded GP9's and 15 employees handle about 10,000 carloads annually.

Another branch line Central Manitoba is trying to acquire is the CPR Winnipeg Beach Sub. running 58 miles from Winnipeg through Selkirk (Mile 21.0) and Winnipeg Beach (M. 47.1 to Gimli at mile 56.5. Customers include Mandak Metal and other steel industries in Selkirk, and a distillery in Gimli. It has been delayed by legal matters concerning existing labour agreements.

The latest happenings were announced in December 2002 with CANDO buying or leasing 32 acres of the CPR North Transcona Yard. Here they will relocate their operation from the CNR Symington Yard, building a shop and office (13,000 square feet, $75,000). A 1000 foot connecting track has been built between the CN Pine Falls Sub. and CPR Keewatin Sub. at Norcran. CEMR will take control of a short track between the mainline and North Transcona. A transload centre will also be built here. CEMR now serves the Imperial Oil refinery in Bird's Hill for CPR traffic taking it to North Transcona for furtherance.

ANY 4004-4006 (ex CNR 4113, 4120) at Lac la Biche, AB. October 24,2001. Tim Green

Owned and operated by CANDO, this 202 mile long line between Boyle and Fort Mc.Murray in northern Alberta was acquired in October 2000 from Canadian National for dismantlingof its mostly 85 lb. rail. CANDO then decided to try operating it instead. It had been operated by Lakeland & Waterways (Rail America) which gave it up due to low traffic volume. Acquired by RaiLink from CN it was once part of the Northern Alberta Railways and was originally built as the Alberta & Great Waterways. Three upgraded GP's are used, including 4005 (ex CN 4103) to haul pipe north for pipelines and petroleum coke southbound from the oil sands.

Note: Athabasca Northern was sold in December 2007 back to Canadian National for $25 Million!