Lachine Canal and CN Railroad Bridges Wellington in HQ

The canal is situated on land originally granted by the King of France to the Sulpician Order. Beginning in 1689, attempts were made by the French Colonial government and several other groups to build a canal that would allow ships to bypass the treacherous Lachine Rapids. After more than 130 years of failure, a consortium that included the young Scottish immigrant John Redpath was successful. John Richardson was Chairman of the Committee of Management of the canal project and its chief engineer was Thomas Brunett. The contractors were Thomas McKay and John Redpath, plus the firms of Thomas Phillips & Andrew White and Abner Bagg & Oliver Wait. [1] The new canal officially opened in 1825, helping turn Montreal into a major port and eventually attracting industry to its banks when the Society of Sulpician Order decided to sell lots. It was enlarged and improved in the early 1840s under the supervision of Alfred Barrett.

However, while the Lachine canal proved an enormous boon for Montreal and the province of Quebec, time would show that for Canada's Maritime Provinces, it was the first major nail in that region's economic coffin.


The canal became obsolete in the second half of the 20th century, being replaced by the St. Lawrence Seaway, which opened in 1959. The canal was finally closed to shipping in 1970. The opening of the Seaway and the decline of shipping on the canal led to the devastation of the neighbourhoods that lined the canal in Montreal's Sud-ouest borough due to shifting patterns of industrial development and shipping. Railfanning Railfan

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[Shoknifeman]

maybe I'm nitpicking, but, it's called a swing bridge, not rotating......Some really interesting footage though. :)

[angelica14709]

Thanks for the comment. Always looking to be correct. Do you know the proper name for the lift mechanism of the other bridge?

Don

[Shoknifeman]

Hmmm.....it's a little hard to say since I can't see the lifting mechanism but, if the whole bridge goes straight up, then its a type of "verticle lift bridge" and if it pivots diagonally from one end only, then it would be a "Jacknife" bridge (also called a "rolling leaf" bridge); if you like bridges , you should come down here and see the Welland canal, we have all 3 types, plus a double rolling leaf bridge; a type more often seen in action movies, in the USA ;)

[DrWeed1975]

It's a great piece from railway history in Montreal around Lachine Canal.

I get a picture of those bridge,when they were both mobile bridge,the one was turning,the other one,was raised in two sections when boats passing by..

If you go belong Lachine Canal,you will see East Bank Branch,passing beind Atwater market,the oly one still in use,2 trains a week passing by,on tuesday and thursday,around 1 O,Clock in the afternoon,if you want to know more about Lachine Canal and Railway,just let me know

[granskare]

I believe there is a similar structure at or beside the locks at the Soo on the Ontario side...not as massive.,!