OMID Engine 5, "The Mouse"

Ontario Midland's engine 5 was a "45 ton 44-tonner". Essentially a GE 44-tonner, it was ex-US Army and had an as-built weight of 45 tons. Intended for light moves which didn't require one of the big Alcos, the unit quickly wore out its novelty among the crews. "The Mouse" was its usual nickname, altho a few other names are probably better not printed here.

Its failings were twofold - first, it could not pull a sick hen off a nest. Second, its trucks had a problem with rigidity making it prone to derailing when it encountered low joints or excessive cross-elevation. At one point it derailed at the same exact spot on Mott's lead two or 3 trips in a row. When OMID's new engine house was nearing completion, The Mouse was the first piece of equipment to receive service. To mark the occasion, the employees all gathered outside the door, and a couple of the office girls held a banner (of TP, if you must know the truth ) The Pettibone loader shoved the loco toward the door, cameras clicked - and with a bang The Mouse hit the ties before it ever reached the Charmin!

In addition to full time employees OMID had a roster of part timers, who had full time jobs usually in Rochester but who came out more for the fun than for the money. Therefore they were allowed a bit more leeway in accepting or turning down a call to work on any given night. These guys knew they had an early date with the alarm clock, and it soon developed that before saying yes or no, they would ask what engine they would be getting. The Mouse? Sorry, I have something going on, can't work. About that time they might be informed they'd get an Alco instead, and gee, well, I guess I could come work if you really need me!

Eventually the unit was sold and loaded out on a lowboy. Ironically, as George Hockaday, the CMO, was preparing the unit for shipment, he found some problem and corrected it. He said the difference was like night and day, the engine came to life and apparently had some balz after all. The last I heard, it was still in use somewhere in southeastern Pennsylvania.

"they would ask what engine they would be getting. The Mouse? Sorry, I have something going on, can't work."

Funny thing, back in the early-mid 1950's the NYCRR crews that had regular train assignments would call a few hours before train time and see if their regular train had a Diesel or a Steam Engine assigned for that trip.... If they lost the lottery and got a steamer they would "mark off" (I think you had 2 hours before the scheduled departure time without any "marks" on your record). You would go back to the end of the line and take your chances that a Diesel powered train would show up in the next 12 hours or so, which became a very likely outcome by "55, "56, "57...

Then an Extra crew would be called in your place (my Dad was on/off/on/off the extra list during that time). So Dad got to fire/run a lot of the steamer's before they all went away...

History repeats itself...

Cheers, Kevin

I had always thought they got that engine to use on the Marion branch.

That certainly was a logical use for it, but as things worked out it spent most of its time on the main part of OMID. The tendency to derail almost put the engine down a tall embankment east of Wolcott one day, only the reinforced pilot which Hockaday had ordered installed saved it, and probably the crew as well. The engine was well off, but the pilot and improvised small plow kept it level.