Hanley Spur Diorama

Using some of the signature buildings from my Hanley Spur Layout (National Grocers, Bailey Broom factory, Rosen Fuels and Woolen Mill), I constructed a diorama. The signature scene is Rideau and Cataraqui Streets, where three of the four buildings are extant. I took the diorama outside for some natural-light photography using my iPhone camera and my Canon point-and-shoot camera. In most cases, they are presented in that order when portraying a similar scene. The iPhone really allows for low-angle photography due to the corner-position of its camera lens. In each scene, I'll point out some features I included in the diorama design and construction. 

Looking down Cataraqui Street, perhaps the street is lower and the railway rights-of-way higher than the prototype. Maximum elevation is an extra layer of plywood, molded with clay and papier-mache, then scenicked. I included hydro and telephone lines, these being the last details added - they're virtually invisible when looking and working down at the diorama and therefore prone to accidental removal! The backdrop is a printed bristol-board sky gamely held in position on a windy day by my wife!

I'm pleased to say that this diorama is now on display as part of the 'On The Move - 400 Years of Transportation in Kingston' exhibition at the Pumphouse Museum. The exhibition opened April 22, and will be open until November.

Looking north at the National Grocers spur, from the CP side. The low-level photography readily reveals modelling gaps that the naked eye is less likely to perceive.

Colour views. A peril of outdoor photography is inclusion of trees and the neighbours' houses in the background. Fellow blogger Chris Mears suggested photographing the railway models in front of the prototype structures. Definitely an intriguing idea!

CN 7123 (since renumbered from the incorrect 6012 factory number) on CN's Hanley Spur at left, with CP's differently-ballasted Kingston Subdivision at right, with its spur to Dyeco and tannery branching off at right. Since the track is non-operateing, I had no hesitation in painting the railheads different colours to show their amount of use - silver for in-use, rust-coloured for seldom-used. The Rosen building is one that I had already built - it fit the space I had available.

A boxcar spotted on the Woolen Mill CP spur. Slight diffferences in the angle and photo-editing result in remarkably different results!

Some various iPhone views of the CN switcher, formerly owned by my Dad, positioned with an ice-reefer and an loaded American coal car. All rolling stock, vehicles and buildings are wired to the diorama base. I've kept the scenes free of excess detail/clutter, though I did add several more figures, including a three-man CN crew!

The billboard along Rideau Street is transportation-themed, and one that fits with the steam era. The molding, painted black, on the edge of the diorama is just visible here:

Before renumbering and crewing, the CN switcher is crossing Cataraqui Street. The backrops are paper-printed on foam-core, with the top edge of the backing painted to match the photo, and the backing screwed to the base using brackets.

Final iPhone photo, showing the Cataraqui Street crossing fom the CP side, with my imagined Abramsky's truck patiently waiting.

                                       

CN and CP were given different balasting to give viewers the idea that they are operated by different railways. The Dyeco spur 'disappears' into the backdrop, partly hidden by foliage, the Rosen building and 'ballast' painting on the backdrop.

Back where we started - a slightly suspended point-and-shoot view of Cataraqui Street.