The Ontario Midland Railroad Corporation is an American

Class III railroad In the United States, railroad carriers are designated as Class I, II, or III, according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992. With annual adjustments for inflation, the 2019 thresholds were US$5 ...

company operating in

western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...

.Ontario Midland Railroad
Retrieved Mar. 14, 2018. As of September 2022, it became a subsidiary of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad.Railfan & Railroad Magazine, ''Livonia, Avon & Lakeville to Buy Ontario Midland'' by M.T. Burkhart, July 18, 2022
Retrieved Jul. 23, 2022.Railway Technology, ''LA&L acquires controlling stake in Ontario Midland Railroad'', September 20, 2022
Retrieved Oct. 26, 2022. It was created to operate a portion of the former

Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad The Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad was a railroad that grew, in stages, from Rome, New York to Watertown and then to Ogdensburg, New York and Massena, New York. The original Rome and Watertown Railroad terminated in Cape Vincent, NY on ...

line from Oswego's West Yard to Suspension Bridge in

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...

. The first OMID train operated October 1, 1979.The Greater Rochester Railfan Page - Ontario Midland Railroad
Retrieved Mar. 14, 2018. The railroad initially operated from Hannibal in

Oswego County Oswego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,525. The county seat is Oswego. The county name is from a Mohawk-language word meaning "the pouring out place", referring to the point at ...

to Webster in

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...

. Subsequently operations ceased between Wolcott and Hannibal. The railroad also operates a line formerly operated by Conrail,

Penn Central The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the ...

, Pennsylvania Railroad from Wallington to

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

to interchange with

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

's ex-Conrail Chicago Line. Early operations included runs to Sodus Point, where

Genesee Brewing Company Genesee Brewing Company ( ) is an American brewery located along the Genesee River in Rochester, New York. From 2000 to 2009, the company was known as the High Falls Brewing Company. In 2009, High Falls was acquired by the capital investment fi ...

maintained a

malt house A malt house, malt barn, or maltings, is a building where cereal grain is converted into malt by soaking it in water, allowing it to sprout and then drying it to stop further growth. The malt is used in brewing beer, whisky and in certain food ...

operation until 1986 when the building closed.Historic Sodus Point - Malt House
Retrieved Mar. 14, 2018. The Marion Branch (former Newark & Marion Railway) was operated to serve cold storage warehouses, packing operations and a fertilizer dealer in

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

. Declining traffic and poor track conditions led to the end of its operation in July 1984. During 1982 and 1983, a dinner train operation was operated out of Webster using privately owned equipment and OMID crews. For a number of years until 2004, the OMID operated

fall foliage Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normal green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. The phenomenon i ...

excursions between Sodus and Newark in conjunction with the

Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum The Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum (RGVRRM) is an operating railroad museum located in Industry, New York, a hamlet within the town of Rush. The museum started in 1971 with the purchase of a former Erie Railroad Depot from the Erie ...

, which owns the former New York Central "Empire State Express" coach cars used for the trips. In 1993, Ontario Midland severed its corporate partnership with the

Ontario Central Railroad The Ontario Central Railroad is an American class III railroad company operating in Ontario County, New York. As of 2007, the ONCT has been under the ownership of the Finger Lakes Railway which is based in Geneva, New York.Ontario Eastern Railroad The Ontario Eastern Railroad (reporting mark ONER) was a shortline freight railroad formed in 1981 to operate a portion of the former Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad from Ogdensburg to DeKalb Junction.

(ONER), Jersey Southern Railway (JSRW) and the Allegheny Southern Railway (ASRW). On September 16, 2022, the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad acquired the controlling stake of Ontario Midland by purchasing 55% of its stock according to paperwork filed with the Surface Transportation Board.Railway Age, ''LA&L Acquires Ontario Midland'', Marybeth Luczak, September 19, 2022
Retrieved Oct. 26, 2022. Operations on the Ontario Midland use VHF radio communications at a frequency of 161.370 MHz. The OMID carries food products, lumber, fertilizer, pulpboard, and chemicals. It moves about 850 cars a year and currently operates 52 miles (84 km) of track. The OMID operates Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (8:00-16:00).

Locomotive roster

The all time locomotive roster is, with the exception of Engine #5, all

Alco The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer of locomotives, diesel generators, steel, and tanks that operated from 1901 to 1969. The company was formed by the merger of seven smaller locomo ...

or its affiliates. Ontario Midland Railroad currently has four locomotives...Engine #3 (painted in colors honoring the late

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

driver Dale Earnhardt), Engine #36, Engine #408 and the recently acquired Engine #3560.Alco World - Alcos of the Ontario Midland Railroad
Retrieved Mar. 14, 2018.The Diesel Shop - Ontario Midland Roster
Retrieved Mar. 24, 2022. * #3 is an Alco S-4 built in 1953, formerly of the

Genesee & Wyoming Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) is an American short line railroad holding company, that owns or maintains an interest in 122 railroads in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom and formerly Australia. It operates ...

& New York Central (NYC).Office of New York State Governor, List of Freight Rail Infrastructure Investments, February 3, 2022
Retrieved Mar. 28, 2022.Office of New York State Governor, ''Governor Hochul Announces $76.4 Million in Freight Rail Infrastructure Investments'', Albany, NY, February 3, 2022.
Retrieved Mar. 28, 2022. * #5 was a GE 45-ton built in 1944, formerly of the U.S. Army (USATC). * #35 was an Alco S-4 built in 1959 formerly of the

(GNWR). It was primarily used for parts to restore what is now Engine #3.RR Picture Archives, OMID 35, March 26, 2006
Retrieved Apr. 2, 2022. * #36 is an Alco RS-11 built in 1957, formerly

Norfolk & Western The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisi ...

(N&W) #361. * #40, now #408, is an Alco RS-36 built in 1962, formerly Norfolk & Western #408. * #3560 is an MLW M-420W built in 1976, formerly of the

West Tennessee West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that roughly comprises the western quarter of the state. The region includes 21 counties between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, delineated by state law. Its ...

(WTNN). It was originally owned by

Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN ...

(CN).RR Picture Archives, Photo of WTNN 3560, February 15, 2005
Retrieved Mar. 24, 2022. * #4056 was an Alco RS-3 built in 1952 for the Spokane, Portland & Seattle (SP&S). It was sold by SP&S successor

Burlington Northern The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996. Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroadin ...

(BN). Note: Some locomotives of the Ontario Lines may have been operated by other affiliates for a short period of time. What is generally listed are the primary operators during their ownerships.

Ontario Lines Affiliated Companies

* Ontario Midland Railroad (OMID) *

(ONER) * Jersey Southern Railway (JSRW) * Allegheny Southern Railway (ASRW) * Rail Services Associates, Inc. (later Rail Management Services, Inc.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ontario Midland Railroad New York (state) railroads Spin-offs of Conrail