Ontario Midland
Railroad Corp.

OMID No. 3

Steve Sloan's Trains : LAL : Ontario Midland

According to Wikipedia: The Ontario Midland Railroad (reporting mark OMID) is an American railroad company operating in western New York.

It was founded on 5 October 1979 and was created to save the entire Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (Hojack) line from Oswego's West Yard to Suspension Bridge in Niagara Falls. However, the railroad managed to buy only from Hannibal in Oswego County to Webster in Monroe County. The railroad also operates a line formerly operated by Conrail, Penn Central, Pennsylvania Railroad from Wallington, where it meets the Hojack, to Newark to interchange with CSX's ex-Conrail (New York Central) Waterlevel Route.

Operations on the Ontario Midland use VHF radio communications at a frequency of 161.370MHz. The OMID carries food products, lumber, fertilizer, pulpboard, and chemicals. The OMID moves about 850 cars a year and operates 56 miles of track. It operates Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (8:00-16:00). For a number of years until about 2003, the OMID ran fall foliage excursions in conjunction with the Rochester NRHS chapter, which owns the Empire State coach cars used for the trips.

Ontario Midland Railroad

Click on the following links to see pictures related to the Ontario Midland:

OMID 3 "Dale Earnhardt", ALCo S4

OMID 3 "Dale Earnhardt" was an ALCo S4. Reportedly: it was built in 1953 as PLE 8655 serial number 80941. Reporting marks and numbers said to be associated with this locomotive include: CCCL 36, GNWR 1776 and GNWR 36. It was scrapped in 2024.
OMID 3 Alco S4 | Number 3 and Paul (PJ) Saracen
Ontario Midland Alco S4 Number 3 "Dale Earnhardt" is shown in the Ontario Midland engine house in Sodus, NY on June 22, 2010. Number 3 is an Alco S4 built in 1953 and formerly of the Genesee & Wyoming and the New York Central (NYC). Paul (PJ) Saracen (shown in the second photo) of the OMID is a man passionate about Alcos. He even owns his own S4 (not the #3). I had a great conversation with PJ in Sodus, NY on June 22, 2010.
Nikon D300s Digital Image Number 2010062201_011 | 2010062201_014

Related Links

Click on the following links to see other posts related to this:

New York and More, 2010 Vol 1 on Facebook
These are from my trip to western New York and elsewhere chasing trains and being a tourist.
Railroads of New York on OMID
This is a Web page with information relating to the OMID.

Social Media Links

NOTE: If anything is my "life's work" it's my train photos. — If you scan an analog photo of mine, or if you share a digital photo I took that does not have my photo credit, add something like "Photo by Steve Sloan" directly onto the image. It's not enough to say "Photo by Steve Sloan" in the text caption. People download photos off the Internet/Social Media platform and whatever is in the text does not stick to the photo. Then, they get reshared and that data is lost. I deserve credit for my work.

You may not use my photos for profit and/or as part of, or to sell, a product or service without my consent.

Special Thanks

All the great folks who helped me out with information for these Web pages!