Niagara Falls Great Gorge Route

[pbjwilson]

For the traction buffs out there.

Just got back from a trip to Niagara falls. Learned that a trolley line ran along the Niagara River gorge  from about 1895-1935. It  was as much of an attraction as the falls themselves. Would be great to model as a shelf type layout. Lots of info if you google "Niagara Falls great gorge route".

[csxt30]

That's really nice Paul !! I used to ride the Budd cars to the Falls from Buffalo when we went there by train on my Dads vacation in the summer. I'll google that & see if I can find those too !! I wish that trolley was still there !!

Thanks, John   

[cnw1995]

I have some wonderful memorabilia (freight lading forms and such) about that trolley line - The International Railway Co. I think it was called.

[pbjwilson]

Hey Doug,

Thats very interesting. After visiting Niagara Falls and hiking along the gorge its just fascinating that a trolly line was built and operated there. I'm sure rock slides wiped out sections of track on occasion. And winters must have played havoc with the rail line as well.

[cnw1995]

Yep. Bill Culliton wrote a neat article in an old OGR about this line as a potential layout. Rock slides and shifting finally did it in. Check out this good summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Gorge_and_International_Railway

[pbjwilson]

Doug,

I love the ingenuity of our forefathers. To locate a trolley line along a rageing river required inventiveness and skillful engineering. I think thats one of the interesting things about the history of trains. The fact that nothing was going to stand in the way of building railroads no matter what the obstacle. Bridges, tunnels, mountain crossings, the railroads conquered them all. Of course there were alot of lives lost in doing so. Today that sort of labor would not be tolerated.  And the saftey issues as pointed out in your reference. Quite a few lives lost due to poor safety measures.  But the history lives on for us to peruse.

[cnw1995]

I agree. And it has the added advantage of providing a wonderful prototype to model. Someday. It is interesting to remember how the electric lines were initially perceived - futuristic, clean, faster, etc.

[pbjwilson]

Doug,

Another tidbit from my travels. Toronto has a trolley line in its downtown which is quite large.  Really cool seeing these traveling down the middle of the street. This is a single, most I saw were trolley and trailer.

Then there was the great Chicago streetcars my dad talks about all the time. Go anywhere for a nickle.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Paul, I really found the information about Niagara Falls  very interesting.  I have visited there many times and did not know about the trolley.  In fact, I hope to visit the falls this winter if it freezes over.

On the Canadian side of the falls near the Welland Canal there is a great steam engine on display, too.