Evolution of a Railway / Evolution d’un ber roulant

Big Chute’s first marine railway was built in 1917 on the Trent Canal system to overcome one of the final obstacles to navigation. Intended at first as only a temporary boat transfer system while conventional locks were planned, it was almost completely rebuilt in 1923-24 to carry larger boats, with a much bigger railway car, a new control building, new motors and winches, improved landing facilities, and a rebuilt track. Construction on dams, two locks, and a lagoon began in 1919, but the project ended in 1921 because of the post-war recession, leaving the canalworks unfinished. The railway remained essentially the same afterward except for minor upgrades and a new control building in 1969. By the 1960s and 1970s, increasing boat traffic on the Waterway had created a bottleneck that the old railway could no longer handle. Although a lock seemed ideal, it would have allowed lamprey access to the Lake Simcoe fishery, so a larger and more technologically advanced railway was chosen instead. Construction began in 1976, and the new marine railway was operating by 1978, while the older railway continued in service as a standby when repairs were needed.

Ontario · Canada