Lock: (Satellite)
There is a smaller dry dock in Lockport, NY.
The lock on the left and the dry dock on the right.
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| Street View, Oct 2013 |
The lock on the left and the dry dock in the background.
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| Street View, Oct 2013 |
"Lift: 19.5 feet. Located alongside the lock, The Lyons Dry Dock is one of three NYS Canal Corporation dry docks. It has gates like those of a lock, boats float in and the water is drained out. At any given time, you can see work being done on tugboats, dredges, derrick boats, and many other vessels." [nycanalmap]
This is the primary maintenance facility for the New York State Canal System. In addition to repairing tugboats, etc., it provides winter storage.
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| Street View, Aug 2013 |
Over a decade later, it looks like the derrick barges haven't moved. It appears that these antiques are docked here.
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| Street View, Jun 2024 |
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| Jason LaDue posted DB? Lyons DD Sept 2003 |
Indeed, those work boats are antiques.
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| hmdb "The Lyons drydock, located just west of the village was the last drydock built on the New York State Canal System after nearly a century of improvements. Drydocks like the one at Lyons were needed so that canal boats could be maintained and have a place to winter over. The original Barge Canal plan called for public drydocks at Schuylerville, Waterford, Little Falls, Baldwinsville, Rochester, and Lockport. Later, when the Baldwinsville site was dropped, the facility at Lyons was added. The Lyons drydock was completed in 1931, with a storehouse and machine shop added the next year. Lyons became one of two principal drydock sites in the canal system (the other was Waterford). Today, the Lyons shop repairs equipment still used on the canal. The drydock is used to berth tugs in the off season and stores Dipper Dredge No. 3, one of the original Barge Canal dredges." |
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| Digitally Zoomed |
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| Digitally Zoomed |
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| Jason LaDue posted Bow view DB 2 Lyons DD |
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| whec 2:51 video Inside the Erie Canal’s hidden dry dock: Keeping the 200-year-old waterway running |
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| tug44 |
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| tug44, another of the many photos on this webpage |
Jim DeNearing posted four photos with the comment: "A few pictures of the salvage operation in Lyons dry dock this morning [Jan 22, 2026]. The DB6 is being cut apart for scrap this week."
Dave Eldridge: It was a heavy lift 60 ton crane.
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| 1, cropped |
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| 2, cropped |
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| 3, cropped |
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| 4, cropped |
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| Gary Prodrick commented on Jim's post Is this it? Peter A. DeVito Jr.: Is this the DB that Bunky use to captain, back in the day??? Jim DeNearing: Peter A. DeVito Jr. Sad yes, but this one I can almost understand. The bottom of the barge was in terrible shape. The crane was years past inspection. It just wouldn't have made financial sense to try to fix it. The real travisty is that there is nowhere designated to put these historic pieces on static display so that future generations can learn about how the canal was maintained after it was built. That's something that most people don't understand. They think that once the canal was opened, that was it. They don't even realize that it takes ongoing maintenance to keep it open. |
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| Comments on Jim's post |
I do hope they figure out how to make static displays of the work boats when they are retired.
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| Mark Jones posted DB13 with breakdown scow eastbound thru Hulberton in spring headed to rochester. About 15 yrs ago. Dave Eldridge: There were many statewide, most of them if not all were freefall meaning no power down which is why they had clam buckets. But they did hook work from time to time. Mark Jones: Ole 13 sure could lift , the bucket was good size. It sure mangled up submerged cars when we found them. |
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| Dave Eldridge commented on Mark's post, cropped I was the Captain on Db2a when n Lyons when i retired. |
Matthew Rindfleisch posted three photos with the comment: "End of decades."
Robert Joseph Lewis: Its the hd3 from Utica. a hydraulic dredge that came to its end after hitting a bridge on its way to lyons drydock for repairs
Bob Thomes: Engine is a 8 cylinder De Lavergne Diesel Locomtove engine.
John Ruth: Bob Thomes There is a historic Baldwin Sharknose diesel which is out of storage with a broken crankshaft! Baldwin used DeLavergne pride movers!
The SMS railroad in southern NJ uses smaller Baldwin locomotives in everyday service.
This might be an opportunity to save "unobtainable" parts'
Mark Johncox: We are in negotiations with all parties involved to try an save the engine out of the dredge and move it to the NYSEA grounds.
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| Mark Johncox commented on Matthew's post We are in in negotiations at this time to try to preserve the engine and move it to our grounds in Canandaigua. |
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| Alejandro Lopez commented on Matthew's post That's me starting that engine when I was 17 [in the year 2000] |
Colonial Belle
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| Colonial Belle posted Colonial Belle waiting in the dry dock with her newly completed hull (bottom) paint on a sunny Sunday morning. Dry Dock Float Day is coming VERY soon! 😎💦 18 days until her 1st cruise with passengers for the season, our family company’s 37th cruising season, CB’s 65th cruising season, and the beginning of the 3rd century of operation for the Erie Canal. 🎉 We can’t wait! (Her name will be on the stern again soon as well.) (585)223-9470 📸 by Bob Stopper Colonial Belle shared |
The Colonial Belle winters here. It runs cruises from Packett's Landing in Fairport, NY.
Apr 27, 2026:
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| Facebook Reel |
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| ColonialBelle |
Of the three drydocks along the Erie Canal, this is how I determine that it was in the Lyons Dry Dock
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| 0:59 video via Dennis DeBruler Colonial Belle passing under a LOW Railroad Bridge just West of Lyons, NY on 11/2/23 on the transit trip from Fairport to Lyons for winter storage on the Erie Canal. |
Colonial Belle posted 19 photos with the comment:
One of our favorite parts of getting ready for our cruising season is Dry Dock Float Day!We successfully did that yesterday [Apr 27, 2026]. 😎Colonial Belle is back in the water & out of the dry dock. 💦Water will be filled in additional sections of the NYS Canal System very soon & we will transit Colonial Belle back to Fairport when canal conditions permit. We will continue to clean, stock, paint & prepare the boat for the season to be ready for our first cruise with passengers starting on May 14th (a private charter cruise) followed by public cruises and more private charters from May 15th through October 30th.This season we will celebrate Colonial Belle’s 65th Launch Day Celebration Cruise on June 22nd, during season 37 for our family owned/operated tour boat business, and as the Erie Canal begins the 3rd century of operation! ⚓️❤️We hope to see you aboard!Thanks to The NYS Canal Corporation staff for their continuous work & to the dry dock CB Crew/Helpers Dre, John, Dave C. & Don C. & Dustin with Captain Tammee yesterday.Thanks to our friend Bob Stopper for being there to watch & take some great photos! 😎(585)223-9470📸s - Dry Dock float day April 27, 2026
Colonial Belle shared
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