CP Switches Kingston's Hanley Spur

As the basement/modelling season winds down for the nice weather, I wanted to try out my new iPhone and decided to follow the CP wayfreight from Smiths Falls to Kingston (arriving in town along Railway Street - top photo) as one of the last trains I operated for the summer! My approach was to follow the train as it switches the industries requiring switching - usually about half of the total CP industries on my Kingston's Hanley Spur layout. These photos were not posed, and the entire operation and shoot took only about 45 minutes.

Compare this to one of my early Hanley Spur layout posts from February, 2019. At that time, only C.E. MacPherson and the Sowards coal trestle (both in their first iteration and beyond mock-ups) seem to be in place. Both structures have since been completely rebuilt or replaced! This November, 2023 post shows most of the structures as they are today and this post shows finished structures and links to their build posts.

Though I've adapted the system to four clips of cards for my current layout - CN Yard, CN Industries, CP Industries and CN/CP Interchange - I still use the same 'Trackside Leisure' car card operation system. Don't be stumped when it comes to adding play value to your layout operation system.

The first stop is the deepest - at least the farthest toward the southernmost end of CP's Kingston Subdivision. A shared spur for Shell Oil and Anglin. Tail-end of the move lifting two Shell tank cars (above) and head-end under the River Street bridge (below):

Two CP boxcars of wood products being spotted at Anglin. (You'll notice that brakeman in many of the photos.)

Spotting one tank car:

Switching Soward's (later Anglin's) coal-unloading trestle on Place d'Armes. Two empties out:

And looking from the other side atop the covered trestle as two Pennsy cars are spotted:

Weldwood Lumber on Railway Street. BAR boxcar out, with the CN/CP interchange in the foreground:

All-Door boxcar being set out:

At Montreal Street, K-D was not rail-served, but a short spur nearby had many owners over the years. Quintane Gas at this point. Lifting a CGTX tank:

Setting out this bigger one:

Frontenac Floor & Wall Tile was jointly-served by both railways, being on the stump of the former pre-bridge CP entry into Kingston from the north. So you'll usually see one CN-spotted and one CP-spotted car here, either empty boxcars for loading or inbound coal or minerals:

Lifting a (pretend it's empty!) B&M coal hopper and setting out a CP empty for tile loading:

Last stop this run. CP leaves most of their train on the lead and heads down to the CP team track and freight shed along Ontario Street, opposite City Hall. CN's trackage is at left, while CP has a ramp, freight platform and team track:

WM and CP boxcars for lifting (above) and covered hopper being loaded seen during switching moves (below):

Opposite view, setting out a D&H boxcar and PRR reefer. With CP's station no longer in use, a crane outfit and the train's Angus Shops van are spotted while the section men are on the platform:

The current CP industry list for the layout, with industries switched in this post shown outlined in red:

Running extra...

"Every time I think of you I get derailed", is the hook of this Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver song!

Ontario Northland plans to scrap a bunch of cars, including the beloved canoe car!

First past the post...

It was great to talk to Tom Greenlaw, father of fellow VIA book author Chris Greenlaw at last weekend's Napanee train show (watch for an upcoming Trackside Treasure post). Where else can you find someone who has transported interesting and unusual items on planes, models large-scale, and likes to haggle but is not afraid to just walk away! We crossed paths about five times at the show! Fellow Associated Railroaders of Kingston/modellers Peter, Steve, Andy, Dustin, Michael and Ian were also there.