Rails across the canal
In 1887 the St. Catharines and Niagara Central Railway, established in 1881, opened up a new line connecting Thorold and Niagara Falls.
Among the obstacles that this new link had to contend with was another powerful transportation system — the third Welland Canal, opened just a few years previously.
Upon leaving Thorold the Niagara Central trains immediately had to cross the canal. The railway achieved that by constructing a huge iron swing bridge that stood a short distance north of where the Thorold Tunnel passes under the canal today.
The Welland Canal and Niagara Central Railway (taken over by the new N.S.&T. street railway in 1899) co-existed satisfactorily thereafter. But early in the new century the decision was made to build yet another Welland Canal — the Welland Ship Canal, or fourth canal. It would be excavated just a short distance west of the existing third canal. The N.S.&T. was going to need a new bridge to overcome that new obstacle. How to do that without disrupting traffic on the N.S.&T.?
The N.S.&T. decided to build another swing bridge over the new canal. This new bridge — simply called Bridge No. 8 in canal parlance — would rest on a central pivot and support piers built on a long, narrow island in the middle of the canal. When the bridge was swung open there would be two 24-metre channels on either side of the bridge allowing ships to pass.
The canal and rail authorities were able to complete the new bridge and transfer rail traffic to it during 1915. However, it was not until 15 years later that the all important equipment to rotate the superstructure was actually
installed on the new bridge, in time to let the first laker pass through on the newly opened canal in 1930.
For the next 20 years or so the fortunes of this division of the N.S.&T. waxed and waned, with buses coming to supplant N.S.&T. service to Niagara Falls starting in 1940. Then the trains returned a couple of years later to meet the service demands of the Second World War; and finally passenger service to Niagara Falls was ended for good in September
1947. The rails were removed from that part of the N.S.&T. system in April 1948, leaving just a short spur line to the Walker Brothers Quarry east of the canal still operating.
It was almost 20 years before Bridge No. 8 — steel superstructure and concrete support piers and all — was finally removed, during the winter of 1964-65.
Our old photo this week shows what the new swing bridge over the canal looked like. Looking northward, toward Lock 7, the photo shows the bridge closed as an N.S.&T. car crosses on a special rail-fan excursion trip in July 1956.
Today, when one looks south from Lock 7 toward the former site of Bridge No. 8, the horizon is open. Few traces remain of the huge bridge that kept the trains running to Niagara Falls across the new Welland Ship Canal.