That road surface looks smooth, apart from the cobblestones. Was there really a time when the city had good roads? Are you sure this is Montreal? I'm middle-aged and can't remember it ever being the case.
Urban Legend is correct. The streetcar tracks branching off to the right or south are on Inspector Street. The tracks on Inspector were a short block-long single track connection between tracks on St. James (St. Jacques) and Notre Dame. This section of Inspector no longer exists. An exit from the underground Ville Marie has taken its place.
Cobblestones or bricks were common road features in the days of streetcars. The bricks or stones would be laid on the outtside of the rails as well as between the rails. If any track maintenance was necessary, only the stones in the area of the repair would be removed. After the work was done, the stones were replaced. This way, streets didn't have to be completely dug up and then repaved.
CN 46 was one of the last CNR steam engines to operate in Montreal and was used in CNR's West Island commuter service to Dorval via Dominion, Lachine and Dixie into 1959.
There were once 6 of these locomotives, and, rather than 'turn' them at the far end of the run, necessitating a turn table or Wye, the crew changed ends, putting the locomotive on the opposite end of the train and returned coal bunker end front.
Not many steam locomotives worked out of Central Station, to keep the smoke down, and one of the reasons for the electric locomotives.
CN 46 languished at Turcot yards into 1961 along with over one hundred other steam engines, most later scrapped, then went to a spur near the CPR Station at Dorval, owned by a local Contractor H. J. O'Connell, who also owned Tramways Observation car 4.
Later, CN 46 was moved to the South Shore out front of St. Lawrence Iron and Metal.
Never mind the train on the overpass, look at the fellow in the left hand side of the picture with the barrel on wheels. In the 1940s these guys were really busy as they scraped up and then cleaned up the horse dung on the roads, from all those bread/milk and other delivery wagons. Now if only someone will come up with a photo taken one block south of here at Inspector and Notre Dame. If posed like this one, it will show that grand house of entertainment, Fairyland Theatre. I idled many a day in it's seats.
Thankyou to Urban Legend for pointing the way to the Fairyland photo of 1915. Bit before my time but much appreciated. As for pointing me to the Flicker photos of Griffintown, well, I'm afraid ALL those photos are mine. Thanks for the help
You can take the boy out of Griffintown, but never the Griffintown out of the boy.
Coincidentally, I was visiting relatives in Victoria several months and as I was heading toward the Galloping Goose walking/cycling trail on the other side of that bridge, there was a friendly security guy in a reflective vest on it who explained to me why the railway had been discontinued, etc.
Thankfully, a few years earlier I did see a few trains cross over before the end of service.
Almost 50 years ago I went to Van Island looking for steam locomotives, the Baldwin Diesels and to ride the E&N Dayliner just before that all went to Hell.
Went over on the CPR boat from Pier BC, etc.
Found the steam engines, and the Baldwins. Later 'wrote up' and was Fireman and Engineer for a while.
When you are Firing Steam, you spend almost as much time looking at the water glass as looking out the window
Have to love a steam whistle, as can they express thought.
The Railway Victoria Bridge, and not the one to St. Lambert, once was guarded with Semaphores, as interesting as the bridge itself.
Here is a video of a Bascule Bridge in operation.
Bascule Bridge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KN--qEcghY
A video of the counterweight side would be informative to illustrate how the counterweights move in relation to the bridge to keep the balance almost even.
The full weight of the weights is only required when the bridge is 'down' and must vary constantly as the bridge rises and falls to keep motor horsepower required to a minimum.
15 comments:
That road surface looks smooth, apart from the cobblestones. Was there really a time when the city had good roads? Are you sure this is Montreal? I'm middle-aged and can't remember it ever being the case.
St. Jacques and Mansfield?
St. Jacques east of Mansfield.
Today:
https://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=45.498038,-73.563573&spn=0.000015,0.009645&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=45.498113,-73.563508&panoid=vQ_TiZGZkcu9kA8EDkGrkg&cbp=12,20.99,,0,2.05
Urban Legend is correct. The streetcar tracks branching off to the right or south are on Inspector Street. The tracks on Inspector were a short block-long single track connection between tracks on St. James (St. Jacques) and Notre Dame. This section of Inspector no longer exists. An exit from the underground Ville Marie has taken its place.
Cobblestones or bricks were common road features in the days of streetcars. The bricks or stones would be laid on the outtside of the rails as well as between the rails. If any track maintenance was necessary, only the stones in the area of the repair would be removed. After the work was done, the stones were replaced. This way, streets didn't have to be completely dug up and then repaved.
CN 46 was one of the last CNR steam engines to operate in Montreal and was used in CNR's West Island commuter service to Dorval via Dominion, Lachine and Dixie into 1959.
There were once 6 of these locomotives, and, rather than 'turn' them at the far end of the run, necessitating a turn table or Wye, the crew changed ends, putting the locomotive on the opposite end of the train and returned coal bunker end front.
Not many steam locomotives worked out of Central Station, to keep the smoke down, and one of the reasons for the electric locomotives.
CN 46 languished at Turcot yards into 1961 along with over one hundred other steam engines, most later scrapped, then went to a spur near the CPR Station at Dorval, owned by a local Contractor H. J. O'Connell, who also owned Tramways Observation car 4.
Later, CN 46 was moved to the South Shore out front of St. Lawrence Iron and Metal.
No. 46 now resides in Vallee Jonction, Quebec.
http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/8/2/2/1822.1100731080.jpg
More Info.
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_steam2/49.htm
CNR electric locomotive 188 at Gohier on excursion train to Central Station thru Mt. Royal Tunnel. Looking East to Montreal Nord and Pie IX.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pRGMd0bnRd8/TxJSddEQsQI/AAAAAAAAIvY/JrEuAoFeEZc/s1600/cnr+188+1960.JPG
Way back in time CPR operated similar locomotives, this is one version.
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_steam/624_tank.jpg
Thank You.
Why is it that 360 St-Jacques always looked so damn tall and close up on those old pictures?
Reportedly, 360 St. James--a branch of the Royal Bank--is closed (or soon will be), thus denying everyone the magnificence of its interior.
What will become of it?
Never mind the train on the overpass, look at the fellow in the left hand side of the picture with the barrel on wheels. In the 1940s these guys were really busy as they scraped up and then cleaned up the horse dung on the roads, from all those bread/milk and other delivery wagons.
Now if only someone will come up with a photo taken one block south of here at Inspector and Notre Dame. If posed like this one, it will show that grand house of entertainment, Fairyland Theatre. I idled many a day in it's seats.
A Griff boy
Fairyland Theatre:
http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/MP-0000.2327.403.5
Here's another great website with many photos around Griffintown:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/montreal35/popular-interesting/
Thankyou to Urban Legend for pointing the way to the Fairyland photo of 1915. Bit before my time but much appreciated. As for pointing me to the Flicker photos of Griffintown, well, I'm afraid ALL those photos are mine. Thanks for the help
You can take the boy out of Griffintown, but never the Griffintown out of the boy.
Bascule-type bridges come into comversations on Coolopolis all the time as there is one in Ville St. Pierre.
Anyway, the following might be of interest.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/01/07/bc-johnson-street-bridge.html
The nearest bridge of the two is for road traffic, the farthest for rail.
http://burntembers.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/johnson-street-bridge/
Soon there will be fewer.
Thank You.
Coincidentally, I was visiting relatives in Victoria several months and as I was heading toward the Galloping Goose walking/cycling trail on the other side of that bridge, there was a friendly security guy in a reflective vest on it who explained to me why the railway had been discontinued, etc.
Thankfully, a few years earlier I did see a few trains cross over before the end of service.
Almost 50 years ago I went to Van Island looking for steam locomotives, the Baldwin Diesels and to ride the E&N Dayliner just before that all went to Hell.
Went over on the CPR boat from Pier BC, etc.
Found the steam engines, and the Baldwins. Later 'wrote up' and was Fireman and Engineer for a while.
When you are Firing Steam, you spend almost as much time looking at the water glass as looking out the window
Have to love a steam whistle, as can they express thought.
The Railway Victoria Bridge, and not the one to St. Lambert, once was guarded with Semaphores, as interesting as the bridge itself.
Here is a video of a Bascule Bridge in operation.
Bascule Bridge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KN--qEcghY
A video of the counterweight side would be informative to illustrate how the counterweights move in relation to the bridge to keep the balance almost even.
The full weight of the weights is only required when the bridge is 'down' and must vary constantly as the bridge rises and falls to keep motor horsepower required to a minimum.
Thank You.
I will try to find an archive revealing the date when Lachine's Bascule/Jackknife Bridge closed for the last time.
Here is another such bridge which gives some idea what it must have been like to cross the lachine Canal on 5th Avenue back in the day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6maxz5469HI
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