Comments on: Two friends and I drove to Oshawa to get photos of the Oshawa Railway after it was reported that CN (owner of OR) was going to convert to diesels. The Oshawa Railway connected to both CNR and CPR lines that ran through Oshawa, and switched various industries including a number of different GM automotive plants located in the town. Pictured here are the OR’s Hillcroft Street shops in 1962, full of electric motors used in freight service and various pieces of maintenance of way equipment. Two years later, electric operations in Oshawa would cease in May of 1964.

By: Paul O'Shell

Paul O'Shell — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 16:47:46 +0000

The OR’s Hillcroft Shops located at 185 Hillcroft Street Oshawa, ON. later became the home of Bert Pyke Ltd. manufacturer of railway MoW equipment (ballast regulators, tie cranes, tie spacers, snow switch brooms, to name a few). The company name was later updated to Pyke Manufacturing. In 1999 Pyke was acquired by Nordco Inc. of Oak Creek, WI. Nordco eventually moved the equipment production from Oshawa to their Oak Creek, WI facility and the shops and offices were vacated. The Hillcroft St. facility was demolished in June of 2013. I was in the Oshawa facility countless times during my years at CN and subsequent employment in the railway Work Equipment industry. The shop floor was laid with ‘wood bricks’ and I was able to obtain one before the building was demolished.

By: biggie101

biggie101 — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 08:55:09 +0000

I grewup living at the corner of Hillcroft and Jarvis. Hang around the shops quite bit. I remember those rails being removed during the early 90′s. The last of the Oshawa Railway.

By: Mike Lockwood

Mike Lockwood — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:17:06 +0000

What a magnificent line-up, Bill! Looking at this property and the right or way now, it’s hard to fathom that any of this ever existed.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 02:11:28 +0000

Well before my time, Bill, but I had the same sort of experience heading over the border to document the last days of the Niagara Jct.Rwy.