Old Time Trains

Beauharnois Canal

Construction work began on August 1, 1929 on the massive project to dig a canal 15 miles long and over 3,000 feet wide with a ship channel 600 feet wide and 27 feet deep within it. Two 45 foot ship locks near the power house completed the works.

A construction railway with 14 new steam locomotives and about 40 miles of track was built and over 3, 000 men hired to carry out the work 24 hours a day.

Central to all this was a hydro-electric generating station with ten 50,000 h.p. units and two 8,000 auxiliary units with a start up of 200,000 h.p. planned for October 1, 1932. Planned potential was 700,000 h.p. with 2,000,000 eventually possible.

Canadian Geographical Journal November 1931

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Old Time Trains © 2009

Beauharnois Canal

Construction work began on August 1, 1929 on the massive project to dig a canal 15 miles long and over 3,000 feet wide with a ship channel 600 feet wide and 27 feet deep within it. Two 45 foot ship locks near the power house completed the works.

A construction railway with 14 new steam locomotives and about 40 miles of track was built and over 3, 000 men hired to carry out the work 24 hours a day.

Central to all this was a hydro-electric generating station with ten 50,000 h.p. units and two 8,000 auxiliary units with a start up of 200,000 h.p. planned for October 1, 1932. Planned potential was 700,000 h.p. with 2,000,000 eventually possible.

Canadian Geographical Journal November 1931