CN 3120 : An RS-18 in 18 Inches

How many ways can my one-and-only Rapido Trains Inc. locomotive be photographed in the same foot-and-a-half? Let's find out! Along my HO scale Montreal Street, just like the real one, there is a workaday assortment of houses, greasy spoon restaurants, and local businesses like garages and body shops. On my Hanley Spur layout, the CN runs along the edge of the aisle, so it's easy to stick my point-and-shoot camera in there and...

A caboose hop from the yard at CN's Outer Station is witnessed by two guys at a Texaco (top two photos). A laneway between two houses yields a different perspective - of Pontiacs and picket fences:

At a crawl, crossing Montreal and Railway Streets, with Canada's Gas Station, Petro-Canada. A local worker heads home after a day's work:

Crossing the intersection, with Railway Street at left:

That worker is still heading home, maybe casting an eye to the Turbo and Ford truck billboards on Montreal Street:

True-Line Trains' CN caboose is a perfect match for my modelled locale and era. Used in Kingston well into the 1970's:

Looking under the hood, it's about burgers and muscle cars:

An N-scale house forces some perspective as CN 3120 switches in the yard, between a backdrop and CN Express:

Through the loading dock, CN burbles and express never sleeps:

Express track needs a stopblock:

Heading to the interchange, CN 3120 meets CP 8554, in town for the day from Tichborne and Smiths Falls. CP is switching the Weldwood, MacCosham Van Lines and Weston's Bakeries warehouses that sprang up on this new street in the post-war building boom:

Bonus vista: along another aisle of the layout, it's Rideau Street. At Cataraqui Street sits the Bailey broom factory building:

Anglin hauls coal and Kingston Iron & Metal hauls junk along Rideau Street (above). Just at Cataraqui Street, we see more of the unique structure's limestone foundation. The entire structure sits on a scenicked plasticene berm which elevates it slightly.

We leave the spur with a final view across a 'grassy knoll' with the tank farms lining Rideau Street in the background. Imperial Oil, Shell Oil and Anglin's are all here:

Running extra...

Fellow blogger Steve Boyko has kindly posted a review of my latest book from wintry Winnipeg. An author, photographer, documenter and enthusiast like me, Steve's work can always be seen in my sidebar -->.

Top Ten Rejected Hallmark Christmas Movie Titles:

#10The Christmas House

#9 The Christmas Bow

#8 The Christmas Ring

#7 The Christmas Doctor

#6 Love, Lights, Hanukkah!

#5 A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado 

#4 On the Twelfth Date of Christmas

#3 Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater

#2 Jingle Bell Bride

And the #1 Rejected Hallmark Christmas Movie Title: Ho-H0 Scale-Ho! There isn't one! These are all actual Hallmark Christmas Movie Titles for the 2020 Season!

Grab a cup of cocoa (always unrealistically empty) and some shortbread from the town bakery. I'll meet you at the tree lot, then ride around town in a classic pickup. We'll visit the kindly, white-bearded man coincidentally named Nick, Saint Nick, or Kris. The town will rally round and save its Annual Christmas Festival. All these are hallmarks of the Hallmarks!