You're My Soul and My (Prototype) Inspiration

Propped up on George's workbench is the HO scale casting that prompted this search for prototype inspiration.  George Dutka photo.

By Peter Mumby

This past January, while attending the Paris (Ontario) train show, George located a box of partial structures and building components.  We agreed to split the cost and the proceeds.  My eye was caught by a building facade, and I immediately knew where I was going to get some photos of similar prototypes.

I was scheduled to attend the Cobourg show in early March, and would be staying with a high school-era friend in my old home town of Port Hope.  Situated east of Oshawa on the shores of Lake Ontario, Port Hope is a town noted for its hilly topography, its stately Victorian homes, and the classic architecture of its well-maintained downtown core.  Oh, and railfans hardly need to be reminded of the twin viaducts that carry parallel CP and CN tracks over the valley of the Ganaraska River adjacent to the harbour!  But on this occasion, my camera would be trained not on the railway tracks, but on the building fronts lining the downtown portion of Walton Street.  Although I found no "dead ringers" for the HO scale store front in my possession, I did see enough similar structures to give me the prototype inspiration I was seeking.

This nicely-maintained group of structures line the north side of Walton St. in downtown Port Hope.

These photos were taken early on a Sunday morning, so vehicular and foot traffic were at a minimum.

These structures are located at the base of the hill which leads Walton St. towards the west end of town.  All prototype photos were taken on March 05, 2017.

This view looks to the east toward the Ganaraska River.

Here we see the building at the east end of the downtown area, next to the river bank.

This structure on the south side of Walton St. features an updated look with its modern replacement windows.  The top three levels make up a private home.