Port Weller West in St. Catharines in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
The Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway
The Busiest Railway in Canada
Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024
1. The Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway Marker
The Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway was built expressly for the construction of the Welland Ship Canal, known locally as the Fourth Canal, and was operated by the federal Department of Railways and Canals on behalf of various contractors building the canal between 1913 and 1934. Its Main Line ran between Port Weller in the north at Lake Ontario, southwards 12 km (7.5 miles) to the stone crushing plant near the bottom of the flight locks, at the base of the Niagara Escarpment in Merritton. Other short sections of the railroad were built in Welland and Port Colborne independent of the main line. Spurs were also built from the Main Line south into Thorold. The railway connected to the Canadian National Railway in Thorold and Merritton and the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway, an electric interurban railway, in Port Weller.
A true railway in every sense of the word, it sported a double track, standard gauge mainline, innumerable temporary sidings, several locomotives of various types, its own rolling stock, a block signalling system, telephone train dispatching system, an official Rule Book and operated
this page online
Over its 21-year lifespan, the railway hauled over 47 million cubic yards of earth and rock, weighing over 100 million tons, averaged over 200 trains per day, and at its peak in 1925, handled 384 trains in a day. It was not without its problems, with 37 workers killed in construction accidents related to the Railway. The Railway began to be dismantled shortly after substantial completion of the Canal in 1929 but still operated in a reduced function until 1934. Only a few remnants of the rights-of-way and other vestiges remain.
[caption for the lefthand photo]
Excavated rock not suitable for concrete aggregate, and soil, all excavated from the canal prism between Lake Ontario and Thorold was hauled to Port Weller to construct the canal piers out into Lake Ontario. Two trestles, one for the east pier and one for the west, were built almost a mile out into the lake, with a rail line placed on top to facilitate backfilling around the trestles to create the piers. Shown here in 1915, a 10-car train is dumping its load of excavated earth off the trestle as part of the
Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024
2. The Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway Marker
[caption for the centre photo]
The construction railway, because busy, averaging 200 trains per day, was required to be operated like a major railway. When crossing another railway, protection, called interlocking, was needed so that two trains, one from each railway, didn't enter the crossing at the same time. The 'interlocking plant' where the Construction Railway's Main Line crossed the Niagara-on-the-Lake line of the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway in Port Weller was controlled by a tower. This photo, taken in May of 1916, faces east towards McNab, along the N.S.&T line occupying what would later become Lakeshore Road. The double track Main Line of the Construction Railway is shown crossing the N.S.&T in front of the tower. The rail line in many places is now the Welland Canals Parkway. Note just behind and left of the tower is where the Lock 1 bridge would be built and just to the right of the tower,
courtesy St. Catherines Historical Museum
3. The Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway marker lefthand photo detail
[caption for the righthand photo]
The Construction Railway's Main Line had a number of spurs, mostly temporary, that were built as required as construction progressed. Here in August of 1925 at the bottom of what would become the Twin Flight Locks No. 4, several spurs are visible. Some are used to haul excavated shale to the Port Weller pier or sandstone and dolomite to the stone crusher near the current location of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation office building, for use as concrete aggregate and others to bring in steel and concrete supplies to construct the locks. Several side dump cars are visible parked on two of the spurs and a box car with supplies on another.
This interpretative board has been made possible by donations from the Niagara Division of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association, Art Ellis, Kenneth Gansel and Andrew Panko.
Erected by CRHA Niagara Division.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Waterways & Vessels.
courtesy M. Muntz Collection, St. Catherines Historical Museum
4. The Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway marker centre photo detail
Location. 43° 12.809′ N, 79° 12.769′ W. Marker is in St. Catharines, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is in Port Weller West. It is at the intersection of Bunting Road and Parnell Road, on the right when traveling north on Bunting Road. The marker is on the Welland Canal Trail in Charles Ansell Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 653 Bunting Rd, St Catharines ON L2M 6P8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hιlice John O. McKellar Propeller (within shouting distance of this marker); The Battle of Vimy Ridge/The History of Vimy Oak Trees
courtesy Ted Luciani collection, St. Catherines Historical Museum
5. The Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway marker righthand photo detail
6. 1930 topographical map of the New (Fourth) Welland Canal from Merritton to Port Weller
The Construction Railway is unlabelled but visible
Source: McMaster University
Credits. This page was last revised on September 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 13, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 264 times since then and 26 times this year. Last updated on September 5, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 13, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
