Montrose Swing Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Montrose Swing Bridge is located on the Welland River
at the junction with the Queenston Power Canal in the south-east portion of the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario
, Canada
. It was built ca. 1910 to carry the Canada Southern Railway
over the river (click the link to see a discussion of companies who used the Canada Southern tracks over the years). It is a two track bridge, although only one track remains in use today. It crosses the river at roughly a 45-degree angle.
Thia bridge is visually similar to the Welland Canal, Bridge 15
, although it is a Warren Truss, compared to the Baltimore Truss of Bridge 15.
at Port Robinson, Ontario
. When the very first canal opened in 1829, it ended at Port Robinson and all vessels followed the Welland River to the Niagara River
at Chippewa, Ontario. The canal was extended through to Lake Erie
in 1833, but the Welland River remained in service as a commercial shipping channel for approximately another century. It provided a route to the industries along the Niagara River and Buffalo, NY, as well as access to the Erie Canal
without journeys through open water.
During World War I
, a military unit known as the "Welland Canal Force" (or, sometimes, the "Welland Canal Protection Force") was created to protect critical shipping links in Niagara, including this bridge. Images available from the Niagara Falls Library "Digital Niagara" collection show military forces on this bridge, as well as several other locations in the area.
There is a level difference of about 8 feet between the Welland River and the Welland Canal, with the canal being the higher of the two. This was overcome via a lock at Port Robinson. This lock was of limited size. As ships increased in size, especially with the opening of the greatly expanded Fourth Welland Canal in 1932, the demand for navigation on the river diminished.
A New York Central Railroad
timetable published in April, 1936 mentions this bridge and associated interlocking
. In an April, 1939 timetable, it is no longer mentioned, therefore it is assumed that the bridge had ceased to swing by that time.
(CPR) Hamilton Subdivision to the Michigan Central Railway Bridge
crossing the Niagara River to the United States. The line saw several trains per day. Late in that year, the Hamilton Subdivision was abandoned where it passed through the busy tourist area of Niagara Falls and trains were re-routed over a Canadian National Railway
line to enter the United States via the International Railway Bridge
. The track crossing the Montrose Swing Bridge was re-designated as the Montrose Subdivision. It now exists exclusively to service a couple of industries within the boundaries of the city of Niagara Falls and carries only one or two short trains per week.
The bridge is nearly a century old and is showing its age. There is extensive rust on the superstructure, and the pilings which once protected the bridge from collisions with ships have rotted away to the waterline. The control cabin was removed from the bridge many years ago.
Welland River
The Welland River is a river in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario which flows from its headwaters south of Hamilton, Ontario to empty into the Niagara River near the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario. It drains an area of 880 km²....
at the junction with the Queenston Power Canal in the south-east portion of the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was built ca. 1910 to carry the Canada Southern Railway
Canada Southern Railway
The Canada Southern Railway was a railway in southern Ontario, Canada, founded on February 28, 1868 as the Erie and Niagara Extension Railway. It adopted the Canada Southern Railway name on December 24, 1869. In 1904 the railway was leased to the Michigan Central Railroad for 99 years; in 1929 it...
over the river (click the link to see a discussion of companies who used the Canada Southern tracks over the years). It is a two track bridge, although only one track remains in use today. It crosses the river at roughly a 45-degree angle.
Thia bridge is visually similar to the Welland Canal, Bridge 15
Welland Canal, Bridge 15
The Welland Canal Bridge 15 is a two-track Baltimore truss swing bridge located in the disused section of the Welland Canal within the city of Welland, Ontario. This section of canal is now known as the Welland Recreational Waterway...
, although it is a Warren Truss, compared to the Baltimore Truss of Bridge 15.
Navigation on the river
The Welland River meets with the Welland CanalWelland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...
at Port Robinson, Ontario
Port Robinson, Ontario
Port Robinson is a small community in the southernmost part of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. The community is divided in half by the Welland Canal, as there is no bridge in the immediate vicinity to connect the two halves of the community. In the summer, a passenger ferry runs across the canal...
. When the very first canal opened in 1829, it ended at Port Robinson and all vessels followed the Welland River to the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
at Chippewa, Ontario. The canal was extended through to Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
in 1833, but the Welland River remained in service as a commercial shipping channel for approximately another century. It provided a route to the industries along the Niagara River and Buffalo, NY, as well as access to the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
without journeys through open water.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a military unit known as the "Welland Canal Force" (or, sometimes, the "Welland Canal Protection Force") was created to protect critical shipping links in Niagara, including this bridge. Images available from the Niagara Falls Library "Digital Niagara" collection show military forces on this bridge, as well as several other locations in the area.
There is a level difference of about 8 feet between the Welland River and the Welland Canal, with the canal being the higher of the two. This was overcome via a lock at Port Robinson. This lock was of limited size. As ships increased in size, especially with the opening of the greatly expanded Fourth Welland Canal in 1932, the demand for navigation on the river diminished.
A New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
timetable published in April, 1936 mentions this bridge and associated interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
. In an April, 1939 timetable, it is no longer mentioned, therefore it is assumed that the bridge had ceased to swing by that time.
The bridge today
Up until 2001, the bridge carried the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR) Hamilton Subdivision to the Michigan Central Railway Bridge
Michigan Central Railway Bridge
The Michigan Central Railway Bridge is a steel arch bridge spanning the Niagara Gorge between Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. The bridge was designed by William Perry Taylor, Chief Engineer J.L. Delming and consulting Norwegian-born engineer Olaf Hoff.Construction on the bridge...
crossing the Niagara River to the United States. The line saw several trains per day. Late in that year, the Hamilton Subdivision was abandoned where it passed through the busy tourist area of Niagara Falls and trains were re-routed over a Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
line to enter the United States via the International Railway Bridge
International Railway Bridge
The International Railway Bridge carries a railway line across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. It was built in 1873 for the International Bridge Company by Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski and D.L...
. The track crossing the Montrose Swing Bridge was re-designated as the Montrose Subdivision. It now exists exclusively to service a couple of industries within the boundaries of the city of Niagara Falls and carries only one or two short trains per week.
The bridge is nearly a century old and is showing its age. There is extensive rust on the superstructure, and the pilings which once protected the bridge from collisions with ships have rotted away to the waterline. The control cabin was removed from the bridge many years ago.