Before the new tunnel in Sarnia was built and the enlargement of the Windsor north tunnel, all of the oversized rail cars had to be ferried across the river.
Windsor boat yard 1982
This entire park used to be a rail yard dedicated to loading and unloading the ferries. This 33-acre, 1.2-mile stretch of riverfront property has been instrumental in the growth of Windsor. In 1854, the Great Western Railway completed the Niagara-Windsor rail line forming an important part of the Chicago-New York connection. Commercially, it was vital that freight trains arriving in Windsor could easily transfer their cargo onto waiting barges. However, the railroad tracks occupied just a small portion of the total land.
Between 1990-92, the Riverfront Development Task Force, an advisory committee struck by City Council, worked to create a clearly defined, long term development plan for the 33-acre site. With input from various community groups and the assistance of EDAW, a U.S. based consulting firm, the Task Force presented its recommendations to City Council in 1992. These proposals were approved in principle with some modifications in late 1992. A transient marina was proposed in the Former C.N. Riverfront Lands between Glengarry and Langlois Avenue. In November 1996 the Environmental Assessment approved this area for a 272 slip marina with a floating breakwall. Work on this project is contingent on funding of approximately $20-$24 million dollars..
Detroit skyline from the boatyard
To get the rail cars from land onto the ferry required the use of a linkspan. There are still two linkspans left although they are no longer used. The original rail linkspans were also developed for general purpose ferries with greater flexibility than the Dover/Calais route. The outer end became supported in two ways. 1.By a counterweighted system with winches to raise, lower and hold the traffic load. In some cases the winch arrangement is only strong enough to overcome the counterweight imbalance. After positioning at the correct level for the ship, the outer end is then pinned to the adjacent structure through which the traffic loads are transferred. 2.By winches and wires, hydraulic cylinders and lift and lock climbing mechanisms. In each of these cases the weight of the linkspan’s outer end keeps them always under load even when not in use. The load is further increased when the traffic passes over them. At the outer end, to support these lifting systems, it is necessary to construct civil works of sufficient capacity to take the vertical loads transferred to it through the support systems described above. These works also provide the support for stop fenders that prevent the berthing vessel from impacting the linkspan. As soon as the vessel is moored it may lower its ramp onto the outer end of the linkspan to bridge the gap. This ramp hinged at the ship’s threshold then accommodates any movement due to waves, swell and the passage of traffic. The stop fenders need to be far enough apart to allow the ship’s ramp to fit between them, and this must also allow for the variation of beam of the vessels using the berth as well as an eccentricity of the ramp. If they are too far apart then they are only effective protection for the widest ships with square sterns. This limitation means that ship’s with rounded or tapered sterns and those berthing bow in are likely to hit the end of the linkspan with consequential damage. Later developments allow for the berthing energy to be absorbed through the linkspan at the hinge but this will not protect from overriding of the ship or uplift from the bulbous bow. Impact loads delivered this way can apply greater forces on the support mechanism than traffic loads with sometimes disastrous consequences.
Reamining Linkspans
access to this yard was at riverside drive by Hiram walker, but the road looked much different then. Throughout the curve of the road was the Peabody bridge with three tracks under this bridge. The Peabody Bridge was located on Riverside Drive East (formerly Sandwich Street East), between Devonshire Road and Chilver Road. The Peabody Bridge was likely built in the late 1920s and was demolished in 1993.The Peabody Building was located to the south of the bridge (overpass) at 1827-1857 Sandwich Street East and 256-258 Chilver Road. Butcher Engineering Enterprises, which packaged and rustproofed automotive parts, was located on the 2nd floor
Peabody Bridge
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