Throwback Thursday - STER 3582

On May 07, 2004,  STER 3582 is about to leave St Thomas and wend its way towards Tillsonburg.  The handsome stone yard office in the background has subsequently been razed.

By Peter Mumby.

From 1998 until 2013 the CN Cayuga Spur was operated by Trillium Rail as their St. Thomas and Eastern Railway.  With headquarters at the small yard in Tillsonburg, their principal interchange was with CN in St Thomas.  Over the years about five different locomotives operated on the line at various times.  STER 3582, model HR 412(W), was constructed by Bombardier in 1981 as CN 2582.  It later became CN 3582 before being sold to Railink as their RLK 3582.  Still wearing Railink colours, it subsequently was operated by Mattawa Temiscaming Excursion Co. as their "Timber Train" locomotive.  At the time this photo was made in early 2004, the only indication that the unit's ownership had changed to Trillium Rail was the STER notation on the cab side.  By early 2006 a yellow panel with a "Trillium Railway" inscription had replaced the Timber Train logo.

Trillium ceased STER operations in December of 2013, with Ontario Southland assuming control of the Cayuga Spur for the 2014 - 2020 time period.  Just recently a new entity called GIO Rail has started running on this marginal line.