The picture above includes the top of one of Lockport’s modern lock gates. The railroad bridge you see crossing the canal in the distance doesn’t look like most other bridges. Trains cross this bridge on the very top, and the trusswork that gives the bridge strength between supports is beneath the tracks, rather than above. When compared to almost every other crossing in the system (see the image below), this makes the bridge appear to have been built upside-down.
Is this Canal Bridge really upside down?
If you visit Lockport you may hear one of the tour guides claim that the bridge was deliberately built upside down because the railroads saw the canal as competition; and that their idea was to prevent tall ships from carrying heavy cargoes by keeping the truss-work as low as possible. Excuse me? Are we talking sailing vessels on the Erie Canal?
Bridge truss-work is built above the tracks or road surface only when water close beneath the bridge requires it. Note the two lift-bridges in the picture below. That describes almost every other bridge over the Erie Canal. For this railroad structure, the ground on both sides of the canal was high enough to allow the railroad to save some money by hanging the truss-work beneath the railroad tracks. That let them build a narrower bridge that used less steel, and that had a lower center of gravity for stability in high winds. The unusual look of this bridge was about lowering construction costs: Nothing more.
Proof From the Top of the Railroad Bridge
In case you’re still not convinced, consider this shot taken from the top of the “upside-down” bridge. Yes, the two near bridges are both lift-bridges. Still, the railroad builders knew very well that all of the bridges over the canal even when fully lifted are still low enough to prevent tall ships from passing.
While we’re here, it’s fun to compare old pictures with modern scenes. Notice in this print that there’s a railroad bridge at about the same spot already. It’s good to remember that paintings aren’t photographs, and that artist details are often more entertaining than reliable. This image with all its bright red roofs and whimsical architecture (the shack on the left) probably bear that out.
The Lockport & Niagara Falls strap railroad was re-routed in 1851. This was depicted after that time, because the original 1834-1851 strap RR train chugged slowly down the escarpment and followed Market Street through Lower Town to the packet docks. There was no bridge needed until the NYC bought the LNFRR, rerouted it to the top of the escarpment, and extended the line over the canal and on through to Medina and Rochester.