A post-CN HSWR...

During the late 1980s Canadian National was 'streamlining' it's network. De-regulation of the rail industry during the 1970s was the beginning of the end for many prairie branch lines, however the abandonment spread more widely and it was inevitable that many of the lines in the Maritimes would be impacted...

Ex-CN GMD GP9-RM lettered for the HSW, circa 2006.

During the 1980s CN abandoned the Musquodoboit subdivision beyond Dartmouth (1983), the Newfoundland railway (1988), Prince Edward Island (1989) and the Halifax South Western beyond Lakeside in the mid 1990s (there were many more and of course the line from Sydney to Truro became the successful 'Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia' - I've just selected a couple which form part of the wider 'proto-freelance' story).

But what if these systems were not abandoned? What if, like the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia, they were operated by successful short lines? In 1979 CN created TerraTransport, to isolate the main 'CN' from the inherently loss making operation on Newfoundland. I've shared previously my concept that TerraTransport became home to other 'routes' in the Maritimes deemed to be 'non-profitable', creating a network of 'short-lines' under the TT banner. At the point of privatisation in July 1995 Canadian National and Terra Transport were considered seperate entities. The fledgling 'private' TerraTransport grows from that early promise, expanding with the acquisition of the ex Canadian Pacific 'Dominion Atlantic' to Windsor and beyond...

In this blog however, I'm only considering the Halifax South Western story, as Chris has been exploring a similar 'proto-freelance' story with the system on Prince Edward Island. 

I'm going to approach this by blending fact and fiction. First of all, by considering a quick overview of the 'real world' history of the subdivision in the late 1980s early 1990s period, let's journey the line from South Western Junction south west to Liverpool...

Map of the original Halifax and South Western (not the TerraTransport Halifax SouthWestern) 
https://mobile.twitter.com/townlunenburgns/status/920974075811500032

Traffic sources:

Geoff Doane wrote in CN Lines Vol.10 No.2 that the Volvo assembly plant (MP4) was switched six or seven days a week until it closed in December 1998. Clark Transport spur (MP4.9), and a spur into Lakeside Industrial Park beyond Summit saw service until the early 2000s. By 2005 it had been cut back to serve just Clark and a team track opposite the old Volvo plant just east of Summit, and all gone by 2007.

Beyond Lakeside the first industry lay at East River (MP40), a hardboard sheet mill (owned by Anil later Louisana Pacific), last train April or May 1993. Trackage was abandoned beyond Stillwater Marsh (MP42) in 1991, remaining open for Louisana Pacific’s mill. It is presumed this was the condition of bridges on the line south, the first of which at Gold River, had suffered from years of deferred maintenance and was considered ‘life expired’.

At Mahone Bay (MP66) the Lunenburg spur survived for the Highliner food plant, receiving oils in the 1980s until CN 'quietly abandoned' the spur in 1988.

Switching the Highliner plant in 1979, Lunenburg. Unknown photographer, George Dutka collection.
http://hswdpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=File:HSW_-_CNR_Engnie_1774_switching_Tank_Car_At_Highliners_Plant_-_Lunenburg_-_Unknown_Photographer_-_George_Dutka_Collection_-_8October1979.jpg

Approaching Bridgewater (MP79) a lumber mill produced wood chips (gone today) and Bridgewater yard had a rail served feed mill. Across the river a spur served the Michelin tyre plant, and of course the Middleton sub left Bridgewater, I believe a timber extraction business was rail served on the stub of this line for some period. 

The lumber mill at Bridgewater during the 1970s (David Othen photo)
http://hswdpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Bridgewater

Beyond Bridgewater there was the large Bowaters plant just outside of Liverpool (MP109). According to Bill Linley's 'Trackside: Maritimes' book, car loads at Bowaters Liverpool grew  72% to 914, 88% of which were outbound, in two years 1985-1987. However, despite this Bowaters abandoned rail in 1991. Trackage Liverpool to Yarmouth was abandoned in 1981.

GE44T and Vulcan 25T at Bowaters Liverpool in 1984 (David Othen photo)
https://www.traingeek.ca/wp/david-othen/unusual-canadian-locomotives-david-othen/

Timings:

In the 1974 Employee Timetable (from Steve Boyko's collection)  the 517 leaves Southwestern Junction daily at 5.30am, arriving Liverpool at 12.10pm (and continuing to Yarmouth for 18.25!). Looking in the 1980 timetable it has been split into the Chester sub (Halifax to Liverpool) and Yarmouth sub (Liverpool to Yarmouth). 

More historical information courtesy Bill Linley’s Maritimes book, in 1989 the Bridgewater crew brought the train to Rockingham yard on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. They went through to Brooklyn (basically Liverpool) Monday, a Wednesday and Friday before returning to their home terminal.

Locomotives:

As track condition deteriorated timings got slower, but could be expected to be 85lb rail, without any major speed restrictions. During the 1970s the line was operated with SW1200RS (25.7t / axle) although later CN restricted the line to RSC-14s (17.1t / axle) beyond MP24 to protect the deteriorating condition of several trestle bridges, but allowed RS18s (25.7t / axle)  up to that point. During the late 1990s the spur to Lakeside saw SW1200RS, Sweeps, M420W (30.36t / axle) and GP38-2W (27.3t / axle), photos show GP38-2Ws being amongst the last to work the spur in the mid 2000s.

RSC-14 1759 switching Lakeside Industrial in 1993 (Ian Haywood photo).
http://hswdpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=File:Extra_1759i.jpg

Hang on a minute, but of course the Halifax South Western was 'actually' transferred to TerraTransport in 1988 along with a motley collection of RSC-14s... the Halifax South Western was based out of Bridgewater and a new 'depot' and 'shops' were built in the yard as a base for operations...

 

The old yard at Bridgewater, 1988 before the new TT shop and depot were constructed.
http://hswdpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Bridgewater

Beyond the facilities at Bridgewater, the line itself was improved with a focus on roadbed maintenance removing a number of speed restrictions and focused refurbishment kept the many ageing bridges serviceable and able to withstand a 26t / axle limit.

Chris reflects:

The HSW beyond Lakeside is a light branchline. Bridges like Gold River play a major role in the success of this line and ultimately CN's decision to discontinue service on the line as they needed replacing and funding that was, forgive me, a bridge too far... I would imagine that in addition to handling finished lumber this HSW still does brisk traffic in pulp logs... 

Traffic sources:

Existing customer relationships are strengthened, and traffic continues to grow out of Bowaters. In 1987 11% of Bowaters output travelled by rail, this increased to a peak of 15% in the mid 1990s. Michelin receives cars daily, and the hardboard mill at East River receives inbound materials by rail, as well as shipping finished product several times a week. The Lunenburg spur remains open as the Highliner plant expands in this period. In Halifax, Volvo remains open and is a strong customer as are Russell Metals at Lakeside and Clarke Transport.

The Bowaters plant abandons rail service in 2001, closing entirely in 2012. The track is cut back to Bridgewater in 2002. In 2004 the HSW bids to take on terminal switching for Canadian National at Halifax, serving Port of Halifax, PSA and Fairview Cove container terminals. As part of this agreement HSW inherits the facilities at Fairview and the yard at Halterm, as traffic continues to decline south of Lakeside the tough decision to pull out of Bridgewater is made. 

Track remains in place but no trains have run south of Lakeside since 2008. Despite challenges from the municipal authorities to encourage re-development along the spur trains continue to serve Volvo daily, operating out of Fairview, although the team-track at Summit is no longer in use, and trains no longer serve Lakeside routinely, although there is hope of returning traffic to Russell Metals and Clarke in future. The old piggyback yard at Fairview is refurbished for use as a modern 'team track' facility for ad-hoc and wagon load traffic. VIA now run over the TerraTransport HSW lines to the terminal, and CN and VIA locomotives are serviced at Fairview.

Timings: 

In our 1996 world, we see two crews operating, one on week day service out to Southwestern Junction (Halifax) and return and the second local switching of East River, Lunenburg, Bridgewater and Liverpool on alternating days six days a week. By 2008 the Chester spur job is operated daily out of the yard at Halterm, as part of the larger terminal operation.

Locomotives:

By 1996 the RSC-14s have been retired and our service is provided by a batch of ten refurbished ex-CSX U18B (24.4t / axle) for road service that arrived in 1994. Switching is undertaken by a small fleet of 4 ex-CN SW1200RS (25.7t / axle). In 2004 when HSW took on Halifax terminal operation 10 GP9RMs (27.8t / axle) were leased to provide increased horsepower for switching in the Halifax area (without the restricted axle loadings of the old HSW mainline that had led to the purchase of the U18B). More recently the SW1200RS have been moved on to another TerraTransport operation and a number of ex CN GP40-2LW leased for the ever increasing length of trains out of the container terminals. 

A TerraTransport liveried U18B, based out of Bridgewater in 1996.

Today, TT liveried HSW units can be seen operating around Halifax, assembling Canadian National’s daily train 120/121 out of Rockingham. The HSW is considered by CN a valued partner and one whose future seems to be taken hand in hand with that of Halifax’s deep harbour ports...

The wider context:

This exploration has been possible because of a conversation with both Chris, and Andrew Underwood. Hinting at what will come next in this story over to Andrew:

So if we were to work on the premise that CN continues to hold ownership of the Bedford Sub, they'd still do the set off of the Truro/Northern Nova Scotia traffic in Truro, but 515 (Truro local) would be operated by TT just as the Hopewell and Sydney Subs would be TT.  Down in the Halifax area, the gypsum train to Wright’s Cove along with all the terminal switching would be held by TT (either HSW or DT). The CN power cuts off everything in Rockingham and then heads to the shop in Fairview...

This post is a blend of fact and fiction and forms part of the continued discussion on my alternate Terra Transport history. Read the full story ::here::

The models shared will see operation on my own H0 scale model railway, currently under construction. Perhaps these models might inspire others to ‘join in’ too... Until next time, more soon...

EDIT: updated with fresh information 24 June 2021 thanks to Matt Keoughan.