2005 graced us with the arrival of the 3000 horsepower 2200 series GP40-2, purchased to assist on a very power hungry Island Falls and Kapuskasing Subdivisions. 2005 was the year that ONR Employees from across the board stepped up and volunteered their time to maintain and run the Santa Claus Express after threats of canceling the annual tradition echoed down from the Oak Street ivory towers. We team up with "Choo Choo" the bear for one of the most entertaining photo shoots I've ever had. The ON/CN Haulage agreement proves pretty pricey for ONR after the heavy cars repeatedly tear up track across the network. Ontario Northland launches the North Bay to Temagami "Dream Catcher Express", and the ONR's full length dome car "Stardust" recieves new "O.N. Rail" paint and is renamed the "Otter Rapids".