Transrail Freight ‘Grid’ repaint in ‘N’
TRANSRAIL FREIGHT was formed when BR Trainload Freight was divided up in to three competing regional rail freight companies in 1994. Wagons and locomotives were divided up between the three companies which were eventually launched as Mainline Freight, LoadHaul and Transrail Freight in mid-1994.
Unlike the other two companies, Transrail Freight did not apply new liveries to its locomotives, retaining Trainload Freight colours and applying its logo on the sides along with Transrail legends and a red flash at one end, producing what some modellers call ‘Big T’ livery.
They were acquired by Wisconsin Central Ltd (North-South Railways) in February 1996, with the merged company becoming EWS later in the year, thus ending the short life of the three regional companies. However, despite this short trading time, the image of the three companies lived on as older locomotives in the EWS fleet were run down with little repainting in preparation for the arrival of Class 66s.
Despite the short life of the regional companies, they are increasingly popular with enthusiasts and in recent times, the transition between Trainload Freight and EWS, with the ‘hold out’
