Hydro wires on the beach - Radial Railway

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#21
I’ve found two pages on the Decew Falls hydro generator. The first, has a picture of the wooden poles! And the second, some early pictures of the powerhouse.
I am adding one more picture taken by Frank Wood in 1907 (courtesy HPL), this very good picture shows the Burlington side of the Beach and the power house stack is barely visible in the distance. The Toronto and Niagara Power line towers are running along the beach (lakeside), but on the road there are many sets of power and telephone lines. Also there is one tower sitting directly over the road and really doesn't seem to be connected to other towers, there are no more towers in the distance on the bay side.
BurlingtonBeach.jpg
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#22
“The HRER powerhouse was built at the northern end of the beach strip, half a mile from the Brant hotel. Measuring 103 x 53 ft, the brick building had a 120 ft smokestack, with two 250 hp engines. Construction of the building began in early May. Goldie & McCullough in Galt was in charge of the construction of the boilers and the steam engines, and the generators were built by General Electric in Peterborough. The boilers arrived on June 6, and the steam engines to run the generators arrived in mid June. The electrical equipment was functional by mid August, and testing was completed a week later.”

http://www.trainweb.org/hamtransithist/HRER.html



“On Saturday, 3 August, the Dominion Bridge Co. decided to try out the new swing bridge. It was swung, but 14 men were required to carry out this simple operation! The report stated that some adjustments were needed. Obviously. Also, the deck was not complete. It was further mentioned that the bridge would be electrically worked as soon as the Hamilton Radial Railway reached the Canal. Further north along the Beach, Messrs. Goldie & McCullough had built the three furnaces for the boilers in the Railway Power House and had erected the two engines, except for mounting the flywheels. The coal bins were being filled.”

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1896#p16.96.49



so the powerhouse was on the north side of the canal, and the pictures in the Hamilton Radial Electric Railroad page, show that the turntable for the swing bridge was on the south side. Accordingly, both the wires from the powerhouse, and the radial trolley wire, had to have crossed the canal. but if they were suspended on poles, they would have had to be high enough to clear the tops of the ships in the canal. so maybe the wires from the powerhouse were not over head, but at the bottom of the canal. and there must have been a break in the trolley wire to allow the swing bridge to open. But Fred has pointed out to me several times in telephone conversations, that a break in the trolley wire would have cut the power to the entire line, bringing all radial cars to a stop. So perhaps the trolley wire had a connection with the main power wires at the southern end of the bridge?



Scott, I find it interesting the radial used two trolley wires given that the line wasn’t doubled tracked. At times the radial used the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) tracks and overhead wire. So unless the HSR used two overhead wires to go in one direction, I don’t understand how the HRER could have used two.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#23



so the powerhouse was on the north side of the canal, and the pictures in the Hamilton Radial Electric Railroad page, show that the turntable for the swing bridge was on the south side. Accordingly, both the wires from the powerhouse, and the radial trolley wire, had to have crossed the canal. but if they were suspended on poles, they would have had to be high enough to clear the tops of the ships in the canal. so maybe the wires from the powerhouse were not over head, but at the bottom of the canal. and there must have been a break in the trolley wire to allow the swing bridge to open. But Fred has pointed out to me several times in telephone conversations, that a break in the trolley wire would have cut the power to the entire line, bringing all radial cars to a stop. So perhaps the trolley wire had a connection with the main power wires at the southern end of the bridge?

Scott, I find it interesting the radial used two trolley wires given that the line wasn’t doubled tracked. At times the radial used the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) tracks and overhead wire. So unless the HSR used two overhead wires to go in one direction, I don’t understand how the HRER could have used two.
In any early picture that I have seen where there are no hydro towers yet and the Radial was in service, there were no lines of any type going over the canal. Could the lines ran under the canal? Yes as the chain for the barge also was on the bottom.
Why couldn't the Dominion Power plant that was located on the opposite side of the bay power the radial line from the other end?

The two lines that travel the Beach could be for cars running in opposite direction, the electric railway cars in the city of Hamilton had one wire on each side of the road, so two wires were there. This was up until the early1950's then the new trolley buses used two wires for each bus.

But what about power loss when the bridge was open. This would be a good question for an electrical who has a background with DC current.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#24
From the pictures that I have seen, there were two power lines that ran beside each other and were only about ten inches apart from each other. The attached picture is a close up of the radial power that were located near the lighthouse. There are two and I assume since the radial cars only used one, each line was for a ar either travelling north or south.
View attachment 4015

Another Hamilton Public Library photo show the old radial bridge and there are two lines in the middle of the bridge, this would be the Burlington side.
View attachment 4016
“in 1907, HRER cars travelled south from Wilson on newly built track along Sanford Ave to King, and then along King to the Terminal Station at Catharine St. The tracks along Wilson and Gore were transferred to the HSR, who used them for out of service streetcar moves. The station at James and Gore was sold.
The Good Times
Minor construction, straightening, and double tracking took place over the next decade.”
http://www.trainweb.org/hamtransithist/HRER.html

Scott, were the tracks doubled on the beach? And if they were, were the tracks on both the swing bridge and bascule bridges, also doubled?

Hhh`
From another site;
"Hydroelectric power was also important during the industrial revolution at the beginning of the 1800’s and provided mechanical power for textile and machine industries.

Probably the most important year in hydropower history was in 1831 when the first electric generator was invented by Michael Faraday. This layed the foundation for us to learn how to generate electricity with hydropower almost half a century later, in 1878.

The first hydroelectric power plant, located in Appleton, Wisconsin, began to generate electricity already in 1882. The power output was at about 12.5 kW. 7 years later, in 1889, the total number of hydroelectric power plant solely in the US had reached 200."

It was new to Hamilton and we benefited from it greatly.
Early pictures of the radial bridge show no towers in sight, a photographer's picture taken from the chimney of the powerhouse is dated 1898 in Dorothy Turcotte's book, the picture or rather pictures, as it was taken in both directions and shows both sides of the Burlington Beach has no towers as well. But there are three sets of utility poles, the set closes to the lake is in front of the cottages and most likely service the cottage residents, they keep going into Burlington. Next is the main railway tracks, going further west is another set of utility poles that also keep going into Burlington, past the chimney going north, there isn't anymore homes to service, but there are two sets of poles.
Further to the west or to the harbour side, there is what looks like an incomplete set of tracks (Radial Line?) and then another set of pole that seem to be inline with the photographer's camera who is perched on the chimney, this line does not keep going and is not shown in the Burlington side photo, I would say that it ends at the powerhouse. So I would assume that this line was to power the Radial Railway.
Scott can you tell from the photograph if these sets of wires going in to Burlington, are above the canal? because if they were, they had to have been on poles high enough to have cleared the tops of ships. And if they were at the bottom of the canal, then this had to have been at atime when technology existed to insolate the wires from the water. It would be interesting to know exactly when that technology was developed.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#25
Scott, were the tracks doubled on the beach? And if they were, were the tracks on both the swing bridge and bascule bridges, also doubled?

Scott can you tell from the photograph if these sets of wires going in to Burlington, are above the canal? because if they were, they had to have been on poles high enough to have cleared the tops of ships. And if they were at the bottom of the canal, then this had to have been at a time when technology existed to insolate the wires from the water. It would be interesting to know exactly when that technology was developed.
I haven't seen any pictures or maps that show two sets of tracks on the Beach for the Radial line.
In early pictures of the Radial line, there are no wires travelling over the canal.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#26
I haven't seen any pictures or maps that show two sets of tracks on the Beach for the Radial line.
In early pictures of the Radial line, there are no wires travelling over the canal.
Scott I was asking about the wires on the three sets of poles that you said are in the aerial picture. Thes, or at least two of these weren’t for the radial.

Regarding the radial tracks, I think that originally cars could only go in one direction at a time, requiring the use of sidings for an on-coming car to pull over and let the other pass. This is called a single track. At some point (between 1907 and 1917) a second track was built along the first, so that neither car would have to stop. This is called ‘doubled track’. As you have said, the pictures show two trolley wires, meaning that at that time the line was doubled tracked. But I wonder if there was room enough on the bridges for two tracks, given that the bridges were also used for privately own vehicles.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#27
Scott I was asking about the wires on the three sets of poles that you said are in the aerial picture. Thes, or at least two of these weren’t for the radial.

Regarding the radial tracks, I think that originally cars could only go in one direction at a time, requiring the use of sidings for an on-coming car to pull over and let the other pass. This is called a single track. At some point (between 1907 and 1917) a second track was built along the first, so that neither car would have to stop. This is called ‘doubled track’. As you have said, the pictures show two trolley wires, meaning that at that time the line was doubled tracked. But I wonder if there was room enough on the bridges for two tracks, given that the bridges were also used for privately own vehicles.
In the aerial picture, the only power transmission towers that can be seen are on the lake side and had nothing to do with the power house. Although the power house is very visible, power lines are not seen because the picture was taken quite far from the Beach.
On the radial bridge, there was only enough room for one radial car. But checking the area map (McMaster Library) that was surveyed in 1907, I see that the Radial line was doubled tracked all through Hamilton, the rest of the track is single. This is likely why there was two power lines for the tracks.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#28
From the pictures that I have seen, there were two power lines that ran beside each other and were only about ten inches apart from each other. The attached picture is a close up of the radial power that were located near the lighthouse. There are two and I assume since the radial cars only used one, each line was for a ar either travelling north or south.
View attachment 4015

Another Hamilton Public Library photo show the old radial bridge and there are two lines in the middle of the bridge, this would be the Burlington side.
View attachment 4016
Scott originally the radial line was only single track. This meant that when two cars were traveling in oppsite directions, one had to stop on a siding, to let the other pass. I wonder if there are any pictures showing the tracks at this time.

From Wikipedia
A single-track railway is a railway where trains traveling in both directions share the same track. Single track is usually found on lesser-used rail lines, often branch lines, where the level of traffic is not high enough to justify the cost of constructing a second track.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-track_railway







in 1907, HRER cars travelled south from Wilson on newly built track along Sanford Ave to King, and then along King to the Terminal Station at Catharine St. The tracks along Wilson and Gore were transferred to the HSR, who used them for out of service streetcar moves. The station at James and Gore was sold.
The Good Times
Minor construction, straightening, and double tracking took place over the next decade.
http://www.trainweb.org/hamtransithist/HRER.html



Radial, HSR and CCL Accidents

“October 12, 1903 - Hamilton Beach
At around 7:10 on the morning of October 12, 1903, a head-on collision occured between two HRER cars on the Hamilton side of the bridge over Black Inlet (now filled in and near the stretch of Woodward Ave between Burlington St East and the QEW). The two cars collided at high speed, causing serious injuries. On the Burlington-bound car the legs of motorman Elgin Choate were severed below the knees, and conductor Harrison lost a finger. On the Hamilton-bound car motorman Fothergill suffered serious cuts to his head due to flying glass. None of the passengers on either car suffered serious injury, a fact attributed to the cars' sturdy construction. The accident was blamed on Choate and Harrison for failing to stop the Burlington-bound car at Ghent's siding and wait for the Hamilton-bound car to pass by. Both cars were repaired and returned to service.”
http://www.trainweb.org/hamtransithist/Wrecks.html




From the pictures that I have seen, there were two power lines that ran beside each other and were only about ten inches apart from each other. The attached picture is a close up of the radial power that were located near the lighthouse. There are two and I assume since the radial cars only used one, each line was for a ar either travelling north or south.
View attachment 4015

Another Hamilton Public Library photo show the old radial bridge and there are two lines in the middle of the bridge, this would be the Burlington side.
View attachment 4016
In the aerial picture, the only power transmission towers that can be seen are on the lake side and had nothing to do with the power house. Although the power house is very visible, power lines are not seen because the picture was taken quite far from the Beach.
On the radial bridge, there was only enough room for one radial car. But checking the area map (McMaster Library) that was surveyed in 1907, I see that the Radial line was doubled tracked all through Hamilton, the rest of the track is single. This is likely why there was two power lines for the tracks.
In the aerial picture, the only power transmission towers that can be seen are on the lake side and had nothing to do with the power house. Although the power house is very visible, power lines are not seen because the picture was taken quite far from the Beach.
On the radial bridge, there was only enough room for one radial car. But checking the area map (McMaster Library) that was surveyed in 1907, I see that the Radial line was doubled tracked all through Hamilton, the rest of the track is single. This is likely why there was two power lines for the tracks.
“in 1907, HRER cars travelled south from Wilson on newly built track along Sanford Ave to King, and then along King to the Terminal Station at Catharine St. The tracks along Wilson and Gore were transferred to the HSR, who used them for out of service streetcar moves. The station at James and Gore was sold.
The Good Times
Minor construction, straightening, and double tracking took place over the next decade.”
http://www.trainweb.org/hamtransithist/HRER.html

Scott this page seems to indicate that double tracking of the HRER only began in 1907. It is rather vague, but I don’t think the work on the intire line would have been done that year. So I wonder if the map is in error. Does John Mills book ‘Cataract Traction’ provide any clearer information?
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#29
Scott originally the radial line was only single track. This meant that when two cars were traveling in oppsite directions, one had to stop on a siding, to let the other pass. I wonder if there are any pictures showing the tracks at this time.



Scott this page seems to indicate that double tracking of the HRER only began in 1907. It is rather vague, but I don’t think the work on the intire line would have been done that year. So I wonder if the map is in error. Does John Mills book ‘Cataract Traction’ provide any clearer information?
I checked all the pictures and there is nothing new there, all pictures that show tracks, show just one track.

But this was written, but you can see that for yourself;

To provide service to new plants and factories along the Hamilton waterfront, the HSR struck a deal with the HRER in 1904. The HSR built a track parallel to the HRER's route along Birch Ave and Burlington, in effect double-tracking the route and allowing the HRER to increase its service and the HSR streetcars to reach the waterfront industries.

Here is another take on the same topic from the Cataract Traction book.
COMPANY SOLD

In February 1901, control of the company passed to "The Cataract" and thus to Dominion Power.

In 1904 a rush-hour service using street cars was started to serve the industrial area rapidly developing on land reclaimed from the Bay and its several inlets. The end of this line was at "Deering Station", a point on what became Burlington St. east of Sherman Ave. In preparation for this, the H.S.R. laid a second track beside the Radial north of Barton St., and both lines used the result as double track. Cars ran from Deering to all parts of the city at rush hours, and there was a franchise requirement that cars pass King & James bound to or from Deering at least every 2½ minutes in rush hours. At first, this was a branch of the Barton St. line, but later it assumed a separate identity as the Crosstown line, and continued in operation for many years after the interurban was abandoned.



BUSY LINE

At this time the Hamilton Radial was at its busiest, and was the most heavily-travelled of the four lines thanks to the Beach traffic. In view of the intensive nature of the operation, it is surprising that the company never operated multiple-unit trains as a regular practice and indeed had no cars capable of such operation until 1920 when two were bought second-hand. The interurban equipment, while up-to-date in appearance when built, was in fact technologically backward. Except for the six cars built for the Brantford line, it could boast only 40 H.P, motors, the same size as used on many city cars.

Towards the end of World War I, the financial position was becoming serious; in 1917 the operating loss was $29,000 and in 1918 $53,000. Before the Oakville line was built, the company had paid about 6% a year.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lastly, looking at the map that was included in the book Cataract Traction, notice that the map labels the track near the Hamilton Bayfront as "Double Track to Canal". However I believe the book was referring to the track near the Bayshore and not the Beach. The other tidbit on the map, it only shows one power house which is the one located on the north end of the Beach
Map.jpg
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#30
“in 1907, HRER cars travelled south from Wilson on newly built track along Sanford Ave to King, and then along King to the Terminal Station at Catharine St. The tracks along Wilson and Gore were transferred to the HSR, who used them for out of service streetcar moves. The station at James and Gore was sold.
The Good Times
Minor construction, straightening, and double tracking took place over the next decade.”
http://www.trainweb.org/hamtransithist/HRER.html

Scott, were the tracks doubled on the beach? And if they were, were the tracks on both the swing bridge and bascule bridges, also doubled?

Hhh`

Scott can you tell from the photograph if these sets of wires going in to Burlington, are above the canal? because if they were, they had to have been on poles high enough to have cleared the tops of ships. And if they were at the bottom of the canal, then this had to have been at atime when technology existed to insolate the wires from the water. It would be interesting to know exactly when that technology was developed.
““By 1845, telegraph wires insulated with gutta-percha were being manufactured in the UK. It served as the insulating material for early undersea telegraph cables, including the first transatlantic telegraph cable.[5] The material was a major constituent of Chatterton's compound used as an insulating sealant for telegraph and other electrical cables.”[]

read more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutta-percha
and some information on the company in England that started to preduce electrical wire with this insulation.

“1848 Charles Hancock obtained a patent for "an apparatus for covering or coating wire or cord to an infinite length with any plastic substance". This machine revolutionised the making of telegraph cables, insulating any length of conductor; immediate uses were for underground and underwater electrical cables, all of which were insulated using this machine up until 1863.”
1848 Charles Hancock obtained a patent for "an apparatus for covering or coating wire or cord to an infinite length with any plastic substance". This machine revolutionised the making of telegraph cables, insulating any length of conductor; immediate uses were for underground and underwater electrical cables, all of which were insulated using this machine up until 1863. But by 1848, Hancock had left the company, setting up a rival company in 1850

so if I’m reading this correctly, the technology to insulate electrical wires for use under water, came about in 1841, in lots of time for the Cataract hydro wires and the Hamilton and Northwestern Railroad telegraph wire to be placed at the bottom of the Burlington Canal.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#31
““By 1845, telegraph wires insulated with gutta-percha were being manufactured in the UK. It served as the insulating material for early undersea telegraph cables, including the first transatlantic telegraph cable.[5] The material was a major constituent of Chatterton's compound used as an insulating sealant for telegraph and other electrical cables.”[]

read more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutta-percha
and some information on the company in England that started to preduce electrical wire with this insulation.

“1848 Charles Hancock obtained a patent for "an apparatus for covering or coating wire or cord to an infinite length with any plastic substance". This machine revolutionised the making of telegraph cables, insulating any length of conductor; immediate uses were for underground and underwater electrical cables, all of which were insulated using this machine up until 1863.”
1848 Charles Hancock obtained a patent for "an apparatus for covering or coating wire or cord to an infinite length with any plastic substance". This machine revolutionised the making of telegraph cables, insulating any length of conductor; immediate uses were for underground and underwater electrical cables, all of which were insulated using this machine up until 1863. But by 1848, Hancock had left the company, setting up a rival company in 1850

so if I’m reading this correctly, the technology to insulate electrical wires for use under watter, came about in 1841, in lots of time for the Cataract hydro wires and the Hamilton and Northwestern Railroad telegraph wire to be placed at the bottom of the Burlington Canal.
WOOPS!!!

The Cataract hydro wires weren’t at the bottom of the canal, it was the electrical wires running from the HRER’s powerhouse to the swing bridge, and the radial railroad itself.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#32
In the aerial picture, the only power transmission towers that can be seen are on the lake side and had nothing to do with the power house. Although the power house is very visible, power lines are not seen because the picture was taken quite far from the Beach.
On the radial bridge, there was only enough room for one radial car. But checking the area map (McMaster Library) that was surveyed in 1907, I see that the Radial line was doubled tracked all through Hamilton, the rest of the track is single. This is likely why there was two power lines for the tracks.
so before the line was double tracked, there would have only been one trolley wire, and after that, a second had to be added. But as the line on the beach wasn’t doubled, a second trolley wire wasn’t required. So were the pictures that show the two wires , taken on the beach? You posted a picture of the swing bridge over the Burlington canal that shows two wires. so something doesn’t add up.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#33
HYDRO LINES ON THE BEACH - POLES AND TOWERS.

I've found a page that seems to indicate that originally the hydro wires that brought electricity from Decew Falls to Hamilton, were mounted on poles rather than towers. I'm still trying to find out when the towers were built.

Hamilton within the last five years has solved a problem which has been of great interest and assistance to manufacturers, viz., the transmission of electricity for a great distance and at a high voltage for power purposes. When the question of utilizing the waters of DeCew Falls, coming over the Niagara escarpment at a point about 35 miles southeast of Hamilton was first mooted, it was considered to a great extent commercial. However, this has now passed the experimental stage and evolved from a dream into a reality. About that time local capitalists interested themselves in the formation of a company for the generation of electrical energy to be transmitted to the City of Hamilton. Many prejudices had to be overcome and many seemingly insurmountable objects had to be brushed aside, and when it is taken into consideration that at that time neither in Europe or American had electricity been transmitted higher than 10,000 volts, this company found that it was absolutely necessary for the pressure to be at least 20,000 volts or over, so that the cost of conducting the same would be within the financial set, to allow the Cataract Power Company to undertake the development of the enterprise, some of the difficulties can be imagined. After many experiments the work has been successful, and Hamilton is illuminated, the majority of her factories and her entire electrical railway system, both street and radial, amounting to about sixty-five miles of road, are operated by this silent but potent power, which has placed Hamilton in the position of being the electrical city of Canada.
The plant consists of six principal sections :
1. The hydraulic work beginning at the Welland Canal in Allanburg and terminating in the turbines in the generating station.
2. The generating system, consisting of the electrical generators mentioned in section No. 1, with the step up transformers and their accessories in the power house at DeCew Falls.
3. The transmission system, comprising two lines of poles running from the power house to the several sub-stations in the City of Hamilton and on the way thereto.
4. The sub-stations and their equipment in the City of Hamilton.
5. The distributing system in the City of Hamilton.
6. The traction department.

http://canada.yodelout.com/hamilton-ontario-electric-power/
BEACH ARTICLES FROM 1956

“January 30th/57 is my guess for this letter.

Many Beach Residents Left To Tax?

To the Editor:
In the last few years agitation was rampant to change the Beach into a village. This resulted in three plebiscites being held. Each time the residents voted to retain the Beach Commission. Then agitation started to compel the governments to eliminate the traffic bottleneck along the Beach. These people could not see remedies such as building subways, overhead bridges or traffic beacons. So what has happened?
At long last, work has been started on an overhead bridge and Bayshore highway. Then the Hamilton Street Railway took over the Beach route shortly after the government announced that Hamilton would take over the Beach. This means higher taxes, if there are any residents left to tax. Rumours are rife that the Hydro-Electric Power Commission wants the Beach for towers. The CNR wants a slice. What about Hamilton harbour expansion plans-great warehouses and docks? It sure will be some Beach, as dead as the astronomers tell us Mars is.
It is a great pity to think that the Beach has been a summer resort, then a residential centre and playground and then out side people move in to turn it into an industrial, marine and power centre. What for?
If such a beautiful beach was in the United States, or even in Toronto the officials would make some of it a Coney Island and leave the rest to the residents.
In the past I wrote numerous letters advocating subways, traffic beacons or overhead bridges. These would have solved traffic problems along the Beach. But no. The residents wanted that Bayshore highway started. This agitation certainly hastened the beginning of harbour expansion plans and government intentions to give our beautiful Beach to Hamilton. Some residents say that if the Beach had been voted a village the city would not be able to annex it. But it is the government, not Hamilton, which has the say.”

Read more
http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/threads/beach-articles-from-1956.1977/

Scott was the ‘Hydro-Electric Power Commission’, later renamed ‘Ontario Power Generation’ (OPG)? And it seems that when this article was written in 1956, it hadn’t built any hydro towers on the beach. So the ones that were there at that time, had been built by the Toronto and Niagara Power Company.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#34
WOOPS!!!

The Cataract hydro wires weren’t at the bottom of the canal, it was the electrical wires running from the HRER’s powerhouse to the swing bridge, and the radial railroad itself.
Then we are back to what happens when the bridge opened and the power was interrupted? I still haven't seen any information on the Dominion power plant, that was located on the opposite side of the harbour, suppling power to the radial line. The map included in Cataract Traction only shows one power plant in use and that is the one on the Beach. There is also the question on how the Radial Bridge operated when opened, all the machinery was on the south side and the power was supplied from the north side? There were no overhead towers, so all power had to be supplied through conductors that travelled along the bottom of the canal.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#35
so before the line was double tracked, there would have only been one trolley wire, and after that, a second had to be added. But as the line on the beach wasn’t doubled, a second trolley wire wasn’t required. So were the pictures that show the two wires , taken on the beach? You posted a picture of the swing bridge over the Burlington canal that shows two wires. so something doesn’t add up.
Two wires are clearly visible in a couple of the photos added to this thread, I would assume that there was double tracking on the line and the radial cars would have a large separation and two power lines would be needed. Once the radial line went down to one track, two power lines would allow the car to move without physically moving over to a single line.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#36
BEACH ARTICLES FROM 1956

Scott was the ‘Hydro-Electric Power Commission’, later renamed ‘Ontario Power Generation’ (OPG)? And it seems that when this article was written in 1956, it hadn’t built any hydro towers on the beach. So the ones that were there at that time, had been built by the Toronto and Niagara Power Company.
I agree, Many old pictures and post cards show the same towers on the lake side of the Beach, attached is a picture show a train travelling over the newly open lift bridge (so after 1962) and the same towers are still in use.

Picture copyright Helmut Ostermann
Helmut.jpg
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#37
Then we are back to what happens when the bridge opened and the power was interrupted? I still haven't seen any information on the Dominion power plant, that was located on the opposite side of the harbour, suppling power to the radial line. The map included in Cataract Traction only shows one power plant in use and that is the one on the Beach.
And the Hamilton Radial Electric Railroad (HRER) page indicates that the line only used the one powerhouse, the one on the north side of the canal.
And Scott I think you said in an e-mail that the Dominion powerhouse was built in 1907, (some eleven years after the HRER started running) by which time the radial was using hydro electricity from Decew Falls.

“The HRER powerhouse was built at the northern end of the beach strip, half a mile from the Brant hotel. Measuring 103 x 53 ft, the brick building had a 120 ft smokestack, with two 250 hp engines. Construction of the building began in early May. Goldie & McCullough in Galt was in charge of the construction of the boilers and the steam engines, and the generators were built by General Electric in Peterborough. The boilers arrived on June 6, and the steam engines to run the generators arrived in mid June. The electrical equipment was functional by mid August, and testing was completed a week later.”
http://www.trainweb.org/hamtransithist/HRER.html
 
Likes: scotto

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#38
In the attached picture (courtesy TPL) the single bascule bridge can seen with one set of radial tracks and only one power wire for the radial cars. This one line would be used for travel in both directions. This bridge was finished in March, 1922.

TPLBascule.jpg
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,980
218
63
The Beach Strip
#39
You pointed out on the Hydro Wires thread, that Dorothy Turcotte refers to a powerhouse at the south end of the beach. And I asked the question, but not very clearly, if priore to the shore infill, if the powerhouse built by (the Cataract CO.) could have originally been on the south end of the beach. Does this map answer the question?



http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/threads/hamilton-shoreline-infill-map.1847/
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#40
You pointed out on the Hydro Wires thread, that Dorothy Turcotte refers to a powerhouse at the south end of the beach. And I asked the question, but not very clearly, if prior to the shore infill, if the powerhouse built by (the Cataract CO.) could have originally been on the south end of the beach. Does this map answer the question?

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/threads/hamilton-shoreline-infill-map.1847/
 
Top Bottom