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.

CN Zero is Possible Safety Train - June, 2025

Last Friday I was at Collins Bay awaiting a special CN train that had been crisscrossing the CN network. The railway's ten-car 'Zero is Possible' safety train, symbolled P623 while on the CN Kingston Subdivision today. Departing Toronto at 0800 (merci a Luc) the special train paused briefly in Belleville before departing there at 1055 and heading east at track speed and passing through Kingston at 1140.

But first, some drama! Arriving around 1100, I staked out a location on my go-to, Kingston's Railfan Walking Trail. Some kind airplane-, bird-, train- or fish-watcher has cobbled together a lakeshore bench at Collins Bay from which I could watch 10 ducks in a row (actually a mama and her nine ducklings). If I'd been there at dusk, they would have been dix dusk ducks!

No, that's not the drama. The first train from the west was a minutes-late 'doublavay' comprising Venture Sets 2 and 11: VIA No 62/52 mere minutes beforehand, on the north track at 1118. Five minutes later, the westward approach signals were lit and this diesel made its debut in the dramatis personae - it was class-unit CN 5700 (and 2664) leading a long empty auto rack train No 271. YIKES! What if after tracking P623 I was a witness to it sliding east below the racks going west right in front of me? I had never hoped for a shorter train. Fortunately, P623 was still several minutes to the west! Drama averted.

Seen here at Collins Bay on June 13 (below and top photo) is P623's consist: CN 3309 (tilted wafer logo removed with white frame-stripe remaining) - CN 3394 - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800413 Whiteshell - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 99 [dome] American Spirit - IC 101314 Champlain - CN 1059 Tawaw - 800644 White Bear Lake [stainless steel] - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming. The heritage and provenance of these cars is beyond the scope of this post, and in some cases unknown. However, this is the longest of three such safety trains I've been fortunate to catch through Kingston (see links below) and it was definitely worth making a special effort to see it. Here's a video: Youtube link from which these screenshots are taken.

Didn't see any brass hats in the best seats in the house:

This consist differed from the safety train's consist just previously operating in the US as train P008: CN 3309 - 3394 - CNA 415867 boxcar - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 99 American Spirit [dome] - IC 101314 Champlain - CN 1059 Tawaw - 800644 White Bear Lake [stainless steel] - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming.

I'd wondered while waiting what the best way to photograph this special train was. The whole thing? Car-by-car? The cars almost all have the same paint scheme, though their histories are diverse. I opted for an up-close video recording of the passing train. I just felt fortunate to catch this longest-ever Zero is Possible train so close to home!

After reaching Montreal on June 13, on June 17 the train made four trips between Central Station and Taschereau Yard as CN train P006 - rare mileage trips on what is usually VIA/EXO trackage. Photographer Victor Planche' was able to plethorically photograph the special trains. Link to Victor Planche' photos on railpictures. As usual, Canadian Railway Observations 'borrowed' photos for its social media, so I in turn borrowed CRO's header photo taken by Victor showing P006 passing Montreal's condos and skyscrapers (below). Notice diner White Bear Lake behind the power car:

The remarshalled train was split in two and sat at Montreal's Taschereau yard, then headed west on the tail-end of CN No 149 through Kingston at 1000 Wednesday, June 18. The now-remarshalled consist: CN 3309 (working) - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - 800644 White Bear Lake - CN 99 American Spirit - IC 101314 Champlain - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800413 Whiteshell - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 1059 Tawaw - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming. Logan Cadue photographed CN No 149 at the east end of Kingston's VIA station (the same side I photographed it from - must have been wyed or backed into Central Station?) and kindly shared these photos (below). Thanks, Logan!

Lots o' links:

• through Wisconsin on June 10, 2025 and one more video and still photos
• Kingston - six-car Zero is Possible train June, 2023
• Kingston - five-car (one of three trains) across the CN network in June, 2024
• Brockville Railfan Youtube video of CN No 149 at Brockville.

Running extra...

Departing for Northern Ontario unusually with no baggage car was VIA No 1 ex Toronto Sunday, June 15. Baggage was handled in two coaches instead. VIA No 1 departed Toronto with no baggage car, coaches 8110 and 8119 instead, total 21 cars behind VIA 6401-6433.

Speaking of Northern Ontario, the National Dream, yes, but the urban exploration nightmare, also yes! Noted Canadian author and historian Pierre Berton's house has fallen into disrepair. A switch on the electrical panel said 'Caboose' and here's where that led - photo by Freaktography (above). Between 1950 and 1954, the Bertons had this home built just for them and their growing family. Between 1954 and November 2004, Berton lived here with Janet where they raised their family of eight children and where he wrote most of his books. Pierre passed away from heart failure in November, 2004 at 84 years old. In 2015, the new owners applied for a demolition permit. Early in 2024, a Notice of Intent to Designate the home under Ontario Heritage Act was issued. On March 28, 2024, the owners of the property served a Notice of Objection to the Notice of Intent to Designate. It does not appear that the home has yet been officially granted heritage designation.

Never tire of seeing this! The 100th anniversary of the Goodyear blimp program was celebrated by Wingfoot One flying Napanee plant employees over the city this week. Many flights visible from here (above) heading downtown and even one trip to Amherst Island per FlightAware:

First past the post...

Fellow model railroader and blogger, and religion writer and Order of Canada recipient John Longhurst has been sharing some of the late Morgan Turney's earliest Canadian Railway Modeller writings, preserving for posterity Morgan's pioneering efforts to successfully share the Canadian model railway scene. My Uncle Wilf in Portage la Prairie also shared one of John's writings that recently appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. Having been a reader since the very first issues of CRM, I'm enjoying wallowing in the CRM nostalgia online and on paper!

Pop-Up Post: CN Nos P276 with VIA Venture Set 30, CN Nos 305, 368 - June 2025

 

On Saturday, June 7 the railfan telegraph was active! VIA's thirtieth Siemens Venture set with leader 2229/cab car 2329, reportedly visible at the Siemens plant since April 21, was due on CN's Kingston Sub between Toronto and Montreal. Departing Siemens on June 2, Set 30 was led by UP 6944 and trailing EXO 1401 for Montreal, the first observation was a mere 50 miles north of the Sacramento. Initial and subsequent reports:

• June 2 - Colfax, CA at 1700.
• June 3 - across Nevada.
• June 4 - Kearney, NE at 1500 local time.
• June 5 - across Iowa: Boone at 0115 and Mt Vernon 0600 and Clinton 0900; Rochelle, IL at 1040 CDT; Blue Island, IL 1615; Homewood 1900; now with CN leader 3245; 
• June 6 - P276 departed Markham 0900; planned Battle Creek 1515; Charlotte, MI 1545; Flint 1750; Port Huron 1925-2040; Sarnia 2050-2130; London 2240; Ingersoll 2305; held at Malport overnight.
• June 7 - Snider 0930; tied up in Belleville yard 1200-1700; Kingston 1800 (more below), MMC by 2100.

Having tracked the delivery of Set 30 all the way from California there came a glimmer of hope that the delivery would pass through Kingston in daylight - the second in a row, and before that the last daylight delivery was in December, 2023! I've worked out a schedule template for these deliveries, at least from Chicago. There is so much unpredictability west of there, and even Toronto and Belleville can pose delays. Usually reliable times to Kingston:

• Homewood, IL (24 hours)
• Battle Creek, MI (17-24 hours)
• Lansing, MI 15 hours
• Sarnia (10-12 hours)
• London (6-10 hours)
• Toronto (4 hours)
• Belleville (45 minutes)

The first estimate for P276 to reach Kingston was about noon, after departing Toronto at 0930. Reported through Oshawa and entering Belleville yard then potentially lined eastward out of the yard. So I headed trackside. Reaching Collins Bay, I heard a whistle to the east. That always poses the risk of a westbound freight blocking the special movement if the former is on the south track! Slowly, ever so slowly, No 305 wangled its way west out of the right-of-way's ubiquitous underbrush at 1240, previously recorded in Brockville. I providentially photographed some photos for this pop-up post's potential posterity!

No 305 creeps up to Mi. 180 at Collins Bay

I see Quebec aluminum behind the power. IC 978714

POGX (ex-CN) 622225

BCOL 864298

CN No 368 eastward at 1248 led by ex-Citirail 3951

The thought immediately occurred to me: P276 nowhere nearby. Another thought: dimensional movement on CN No 305 worth waiting around for. That would account for both trains having to meet on straight track and at low speed.

Passing very slowly

Spent pot-lining containers on SOXX 20350

DPU 3048

UP 700099 showing fading and graffiti

CGLX 2349 often seen heading to Northern Quebec (loaded in Wisconsin?)

And...368 was gone. Back to 305...SOXX 526506

Scrap tie cars: IC 385529 and IC 245177

BN/WC 33145 and BLC 65414

The cause for the slowdown. Dimensional load - Liebherr crane on HTTX 93140

Carbon black covered hoppers: ECQX 47005 and AOKX 605973

Irving lumber on ATW 273409

DPU on No 305: ex-Citirail 2750

Rusty DOWX 68779

Why did the railfan cross the road? To get to the other side and go home! At this location, along Kingston's Railfan Walking Trail it's always a toss-up - photograph from the north shoulder closest to the tracks, or risk three lanes of traffic while photographing directly from the trail. I opted for the north shoulder both times on this day! 

Reportedly and unfortunately, P276 was held at Belleville, tied down on track BY12 but crew called for 1700. So there was still a chance! Supper was on the plate and sure, I enjoyed a few bites, but with the chance of a Venture Set 30 delivery (Youtube video and screenshots below) as the train arrived through Manitoba fire smoke at 1800, supper would wait. With this PSR (Precision Scheduled Railfanning) the next few bites were still warm by the time I got home!

CN 3245 leads Set 30

SCV-42 locomotive 2229

Cab-car 2329 and EXO 1401

EXO 1401 on the tail-end

P276 made it to Montreal in three hours. Track speed at least 50 mph.

P276 arrives at MMC (above).  Jim McPherson, Jesse McLaughlin, Terry Allan, Joshua Schmidt, Malcolm Peakman and Paul Hunter all sent OS's. It takes a Village to Vatch a Venture! With only two deliveries left, nearly the full fleet has been delivered!

Running extra...

Wine not? On the way to the Glenora Ferry, 33 Vines is for sale, including an ex-CN Hawker-Siddeley caboose for $1.3 million. That's equivalent to approximately 8,666 HO scale ones plus tax & shipping.

Goalie-videographer-bon vivant/lover of life Travis Ridgen has just saved another slice of onboard travel in this video as he and his mother travel Toronto-Winnipeg before he continues on to Vancouver. Travis mentions four days in Prince Rupert, so I'm definitely looking forward to a rich repository of Rupert retrospective in future videos! (I'm sounding a little Howie Meeker there.)

First past the post...

All of those fellow railfans I named above added a lot to the pursuit and eventual photographic apprehension of P276. The messages from all across the country and beyond resulted in a continental cornucopic confluence of contributions. Thanks to all!