TerraTransport 1996...

At it's formation in 1979, TerraTransport, the fledgling ‘Newfoundland’ division of the (at the time) nationalised Canadian National could not have imagined the success of it's venture into regional railroading in the Atlantic region...

Artwork prepared based on original livery diagrams.

It was in the run up to privatisation during the late 1980s that CN began to move other routes in the Maritimes under the TerraTransport division, rail fans will note the common theme was they were considered 'loss making'. From the Halifax and South Western in the south, to Prince Edward Island in the north, the new network of routes benefited from a ‘haulage agreement’ with CN allowing interchange between all five of the systems and the development of an integrated transport system serving customers across the region.

Each of the routes had a distinct character yet as the network launched it’s corporate look at privatisation,  the overall emerald green replacing CN red and black, it felt like a family connection. Initially locomotives were simply labelled ‘TerraTransport’ but by the mid 1990s system names appeared on the sides of locomotives as they were pooled by their home routes. Freight rolling stock at privatisation fell broadly into one of three categories, firstly the container traffic pioneered by the Newfoundland division, second the coal traffic with new higher capacity wagons used mainly on the Central Nova Scotia and third, the classic 50ft box car - each treated to the same corporate look, overall black (bar the green containers) with local reporting marks and the TT logo. Although no longer mandatory, a number of ex-CP and Conrail caboose were acquired and repainted green for propelling moves at Dartmouth, Truro and around Moncton as well as seeing service on maintenance trains.

From the 1996 publicity brochure is the following excerpt:

Our service...

A network across the maritimes and beyond providing you reliable efficient service through our passion and local knowledge...

• New Brunswick Southern Serving Saint John and Moncton, interchange with Canadian National and CP Rail's CAR.
• Central Nova Scotia From Sydney to Truro and connecting our Newfoundland system to the transcontinental rail network.
• Halifax South Western Nova Scotia's south shore line providing service west of Halifax to Liverpool.
• Prince Edward Island From Charlottetown to Tignish, and via our partner Maritime Atlantic connection east to Moncton.
• Newfoundland Connecting the island from St Johns to Port Aux Basques, and via our partner Marine Atlantic to the Central Nova Scotia and beyond.
• Dartmouth Terminal Terminal operation from Windsor Junction to Dartmouth providing line haulage and switching along the north shore.

Obviously this is a work of fiction, but the idea of ‘proto-freelance’ is one that appeals to me and I’m sure many others if the number of ‘what if’ and ‘shortlines’ that appear in the modelling press. Would you like to help in developing this further? I’m thinking each route could be expanded with photographs, route plans, timetables, photos and notes on traffic, model ability etc... I am planning to pen further blog posts on the subject, get in touch via the ‘commissions’ contact form or leave a comment here, if you’ve other ideas or would like to help. In the meantime, my Dartmouth Terminal SW1500 is progressing nicely, and I’ll share more on that as it’s ready. More soon...