Hanley Spur Diorama Down

The Kingston PumpHouse Museum's 'On the Move!' exhibition premiered back in April, 2022. As a contributor to the railway history portion of the exhibition, I was proud to contribute a diorama showing Kingston's rail and road transportation. Centred on Cataraqui an Rideau Streets, the diorama featured a CN 0-6-0 switcher, CN and CP freight cars and trucks serving Rosen Coal, National Grocers, the Woolen Mill and Queen City Oil Co.

Originally expected to run until November, 2022 the exhibit was extended into 2023, finally wrapping up this week. Taking its place will be The Art of Survival. I was contacted by Miranda of the museum staff to pick up the diorama. That was good news - it meant that museum visitors had enjoyed the transportation exhibit longer than originally anticipated,  and now it was time to repatriate three major structures to the Cataraqui and Rideau Streets intersection on my Hanley Spur layout! Even though  layout operating season usually ceases for the summer, I will be working on projects in the great almost-outdoors!

In the meantime, I picked up the diorama from Melanie at the museum, including the de-accessioning forms. While there, the diorama had been safely ensconced under plexiglas, and I gave it a save van-ride home, then began its disassembly (top photo and below). That meant removing the duct tape from the underside of the plywood base. The tape covered the twisted wire-ends that were securing trains, trucks and buildings to the base through drilled holes. It was a long job - these modelled items weren't going anywhere while on display! All the structures, as well as trains and trucks, have been removed and piled for repatriation to the layout:

I didn't bother painting the pavement where the National Grocers warehouse had been:

For the mean time, the diorama will now become an outdoor grandsons' activity play area. I'm sure a few construction scenes and emergency service response scenes will  be staged on it!

Signature structures repariated to the layout (above) and grandsons able to enjoy the remains of the diorama base. (below). I'm also planning to use the base as an outdoor photography 'stage'.

It was a pleasure to work with the museum staff and to contribute in a smll 1:87 scale way to what appears to have been a successful exhibition!