Short Description of the Hydraulic Lock
at Peterboro, Ont.
(1905)
(Transcript)
Sent to LW. Jones
Jan’y 14th/05

82-022/11/15
The Hydraulic Balance Lift Lock on the Trent Canal at Peterboro Ontario
Canada, was constructed to overcome a level of 65 feet. It consists of
two steel chambers 140 feet in length by 35 feet wide in the clear, placed
side by side which are supported by heavy trusses and girders which rest
on two cast iron rams 7 feet 6 inches in diameter. These rams sink in
to two presses of cast steel setting in wells which presses are seven
feet 8 ˝ inches inside diameter and which are connected at the top, below
the packing boxes, by a pipe twelve inches in diameter, in the center
of which is the main valve for controlling the motion of the chambers.

Proposed Foundation for Presses for Hydraulic Lift Lock
Trent Canal Superintending Engineers Office
Document from Collection, Peterborough, Ont. [189-]
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The power which operates the Locks is obtained from the weight of a surcharge
of about ten inches of water which is allowed to run into one of the chambers,
when it is in its upper position opposite the upper reach.
There is also a set of regulating valves to each press, by means of which
either chamber can be raised or lowered independently.
There are two gates at either [ends] of both chambers, one of these gates
closes the end of the reach and the other is fastened to the end of the
chamber and are hinged at the bottom. These gates are made buoyant by
means of hollow cylinders placed in the recesses of the gates.
The gates are operated by hydraulic engines placed in recesses of the
walls; water pressure of about 650 pounds to the square inch is obtained
from an accumulator of 20 inches in diameter and 30 feet stroke which
is placed in the East tower. The accumulator is kept full by means of
a triplicate acting pump operated by a water turbine under a head of about
60 feet which is placed in the pump room under the driveway. The gate
engines, regulating valves, and capstans are operated by water from the
accumulator at the pressure of 650 pounds to the inch.
The junction between the movable chamber and the end of the reach is
made water tight by means of an inflated hose, the compressed air for
which is obtained from an automatic air compressor.

Air Chambers 1
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Turbines for Construction
2
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The pressure in the rams is about 600 pounds to the square inch. Vessels
are obliged to stop 100 feet away from the locks by means of hydraulic
capstans. It takes eleven to twelve minutes to make a lockage, the actual
ascent or descent taking about one and a half to two minutes.
There is about 1700 tons of steel in the structure and 26,000 cubic yards
of concrete. The steel work was done by the Dominion Bridge Company of
Montreal from plans furnished by the Superintending Engineer of the Canal.
G.L.
Photograph Information & Credit
1 Curved Rack, Pinion and Chain to lower
and raise the Gates of the Hydraulic Lift Lock at Peterborough,
Ont.
2 Turbines at the site of the Hydraulic Lift Lock
at Peterborough, Ont.
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