Locks: (
HAER;
Satellite, 332 photos)
Erie Canal Discovery Center: (
Satellite, 365 photos)
Erie Canal overview
While studying
a steel+uranium+thorium mill, I noticed that a town named Lockport does have locks. And when I saw that it had flights of five historic locks and of two modern locks, it occurred to me that this must be where the Erie Canal crossed the
Niagara Escarpment. The flights raise the canal 60'.
The two modern locks were installed during a reconstruction in 1909-18. [
ErieCanal-1 photo caption]
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Photo by Edwin Polster via NYheritage
Also, ErieCanalway
"The Lockport Flight was one of the most challenging parts of the canal to build. The staircase of five sets of locks was blasted through the solid rock of the Niagara escarpment. The locks lift and lower boats 49-feet." |
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Erik Nordberg updated
This week’s cover is from a 1905 vintage postcard depicting the “flight of five” locks on the Erie Canal in Lockport, New York. They were refurbished and reopened in 2014 and give daily tours and weekly demonstrations of how they were designed to carry canal boats over the Niagara Escarpment.
[Erik provided five links to more information in the comments.] |
The southern flight has been replaced by two larger locks for the New York Barge Canal.
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HAER NY,32-LOCK,14A--7
7. OVERALL VIEW LOOKING SOUTHWEST TAKEN FROM RAILROAD BRIDGE LOOKING AT THE OLD AND NEW CANAL LOCKS. NOTE THE PINE STREET BRIDGE CROSSING OVER BOTH SETS OF LOCKS. - New York State Barge Canal, Lockport Locks, Richmond Avenue, Lockport, Niagara County, NY
"The historic flight is locks #67-#71. The New York Barge Canal flight is locks #34 & #35." [LocksDistrict] |
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Satellite
The powerhouse near the bottom middle has a generator capacity of 4.867mw, but it has an effective capacity of 3.4mw because of the flow constraints. Average annual production is 10.8gwh. The canal is drained during the winter months. [LowImpactHydro]
The little green roofed building at the foot of the locks is the Locks District Museum. It was the original powerhouse. |
Jake Jablonski
posted two photos.
David Schug: Was at 34/35 today myself.
PD Cappola: May 19 opening.
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The 60' rise in the Niagara Escarpment presented a major engineering problem during the construction of the original Erie Canal (1817-25). It was solved by Nathan S. Roberts, who designed a double set of five combined locks; one for ascending traffic heading east and another for descending traffic heading west. Each lock was 90' X 15' and had a lift of 12' (an original drawing can be found at the Lockport Library), These locks helped to create the focal point for the development of the future city of Lockport.The first enlargement of the Erie Canal took place between the years 1836 and 1862. The engineer in charge was Thomas Evershed. At this time the canal prism was extended and the locks at Lockport were increased from their original size to 110' X 18'. This allowed an increase in the tonnage of canal boats from seventy five to two-hundred-forty.
From the years 1909 to 1918 the Erie Canal was modified to become the New York State Barge Canal. The southern tier of the locks at Lockport were removed and in their place was constructed a set of two electric lift locks. These concrete locks with steel gates were 310' X 45' X 12' and had a combined lift of 49'. The miter gates of the northern tier of locks were removed so the locks could be used for the passage of surplus water.
The above scene a month earlier, but with the gates closed.
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Gil Eaton posted
Life along the Erie Canal... Lockport 😎 |
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LockportCave
[A reminder that the old barges needed a towpath along the canal. I noticed that on Google Maps the towpath is now the Empire State Trail.] |
Construction of the 2-lock flight was started in 1909 when electric power was still rather new. These locks helped develop technology that was used in the Panama Canal.
Starting on page
HAER-data, p110, is a sequence of diagrams that show how the water in one lock is used to fill the next lock. The diagrams shows that the old flight can handle three boats at the same time.
The Locks District Museum was the original hydropower plant.
I had noticed that the bridges upstream were not movable and that
they did not have a lot of clearance. So I had assumed that sailboats can't use the barge canal. But this photo taught me that they can as long as they stow their mast. This also shows a boat going from Lock #34 into Lock #35.
This photo caught a rather strong flow through the original locks.
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LockportJournal, Benjamin Joe, staff (source)
"Erie Barge Canal maintenance tour taker Brian Smith, CEO of Greater Lockport Development Corporation, points to the enormous space that is usually filled with water in Lock E34."
"According to a fact sheet provided by Canal Corporation, its parent, New York Power Authority, invests $140 million in the New York State Canal System each year for its overall operation, maintenance and capital improvements....E34 is the eighth Erie Canal lock drained this year. Each of the 57 locks in the system is treated to rehabilitation every 10 years."
[Judging by the bridge at the top of the photo, this is the downstream lock. The article indicates that the other lock is E35.] |
The canal must occupy the route of a small river. We can see the short canyon that the river dug into the escarpment just downstream from the locks.
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| 1950 Lockport Quad @ 24,000 |
It is fun tracing the brown contour lines from Lockport to St. Catharines where the
Welland Canals crossed the escarpment.
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| 1952 Toronto Quad @ 250,000 |
The boat that shows up in many views is the canal inspection boat Lockport.
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HAER NY,32-LOCK,14A--41
41. AFT DETAIL VIEW OF THE CANAL INSPECTION BOAT LOCKPORT ON DISPLAY OUTSIDE THE ERIE CANAL MUSEUM, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY THE LOCK-COMPLEX POWER PLANT. |
It is worth noting what mobile crane technology looked like before the hydraulic telescoping boom was developed. Note that it is using a clamshell.
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HAER NY,32-LOCK,14A--17
17. VIEW LOOKING NORTHEAST SHOWING THE TRASH GRATE THAT REPLACED THE LOCK GATES TO LOCK 71 WHEN THE FLIGHT OF FIVE WAS CONVERTED TO A SPILLWAY AFTER THE LARGER LOCKS, 34 AND 35, WERE PUT INTO OPERATION. THE SHOVEL TRUCK IN THE VIEW IS USED TO CLEAR DEBRIS. |
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| Lockport_Locks, this is one of many photos on this page. It is well worth a mouse click, or a screen touch or whatever verb one would use for a touchpad or a joystick. |
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