CN's Hanley Spur, Layout Planning Snapshot

What to leave in, what to leave out? Not only are these the lyrics of a Bob Seger song, they also pertain to model railway layout planning. What available space, what trackplan, which industries and what won't fit? A recent morning walk along the K&P Urban Trail, as built by the City of Kingston, began at the former Imperial Oil warehouse on North Street. Currently being rebuilt, standing at the site I suddenly envisioned an HO scale layout featuring....the Hanley Spur! This diminutive direct line connected the outside world via CN and CP with downtown Kingston. It was time to change modelled locale. Again.

After the walk, I surfed over to Snapshot Kingston. Hosted by the city, the site features aerial views of Kingston that can be overlaid and tracked through the years. I left the slider view, showing the year of each photo, at the top. Some industries were served by CP, then CN after CP lost access to the spur. Not all industries were rail-served in all eras. Starting at the CN Outer Station, the proceeding south along the spur, the first industry to be modelled is the CN Express building (top photo, yellow arrow). Originally receiving shipments by rail, in later years it was a transport truck. Across from the station, Frontenac Tile (above, yellow arrow) and Gould Battery (red arrow) were both served by both railways via a nifty bit of inter-switching!

Along Division Street, Gus Marker's cement works were not primarily served by rail, though Anglin Coal received shipments on a coal trestle (above, yellow arrow) from CP. Farther down CP's trackage, modern warehouses along Railway Street like Coca-Cola, Weston's Bakeries and MacCosham Van Lines were served by a succession of spurs near Railway and Montreal Streets (yellow arrows). Quattrochi Fine Foods received produce shipments (red arrow):

Along Rideau Street, C.E. McPherson received coal shipments from CP (yellow arrow) while the Davis Tannery (red arrow) was formerly rail-served:

At River Street, the tracks changed position with CN on the 'left' serving the National Grocers building (yellow arrow) and CP serving the Hield woolen mill (red arrow). Check out that effluent into the Great Cataraqui River. Yecch!

Where it all began...the Imperial Oil warehouse (yellow arrow) and oil tanks at North Street, across from the former CP (Kingston & Pembroke, red arrow) roundhouse and yard. The turntable was relocated to Wakefield, QC in 1974, for use by restored CPR 1201. The warehouse is currently being restored, and will line the Wellingon Street Extension, following the route of the Hanley Spur north.

Most modellers would probably want to continue the line along the lake to City Hall, coal dealers and the Canadian Locomotive Co., but it will suit my space better to end the line at the former Grand Trunk freight shed, team tracks and yard at Place d'Armes (yellow arrow). A suitable spot to set out reefers, boxcars, gons and even flat cars carrying machinery. With a switch along Ontario Street, CP also served Soward's Coal (red arrow) on the Inner Harbour. Millard & Lumb (blue arrow) was a fixture on the waterfront, catering to the marine trade, for decades!

With that, we've reached the end of the Hanley Spur and the end of this post. Watch for a successive post showing sketching the line and the trackplan, then if and when construction begins, construction photos and updates!

Running extra...

Beaming and basking at the celebration of Trackside Treasure's 10th anniversary, this is no time for laurel-resting. Now, 'On to the Pacific!'

Another downtown walk recently took me past the imposing statue of our first Prime Minister in City Park. With all the recent furor surrounding Sir John A statue shilly-shallying, I briefly considered 'chaining myself to the statue' should the furor sweep through Kingston. Especially ironic that the very capital city that was promised and anchored a Western railway, Victoria BC, would warehouse its history and deny its birthright.

On a lighter note, the end of Aretha Franklin's career told me...you gotta think. That joyous scene of dancing and merriment from the Blues Brothers movie outshone many other cameos and she did it in fuzzy pink slippers! Perhaps there's a message in the lyrics for all of us here on Trackside Treasure..."You need me, and I need you" and even, "Freedom, freedom, freedom, oh freedom!"