Joel Dinda's photos with the keyword: lock

You do this often enough--many lakers lock through at the Soo twice each week--and the guys holding the cables start to seem like old friends. Herbert C. Jackson @ Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, June of 2005.

From MacArthur Lock, aboard the Soo tour boat Nokomis . The tower's attractive from this side, too. This view shows all the glass, which will bother serious photographers (but help control the cold, which is worthwhile). At least they left most of the upper platform open.

The highway bridge (above) and the railroad bridge (below), crossing above the St. Mary's Falls--and the locks--between Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Another photo from Engineers Day, 2005.

In June of every year the Corps of Engineers holds an open house at the Soo Locks, and thousands of fans show up to explore the grounds, view the passing ships from an unusual perspective, and look over the exhibits. Yesterday was that day, and Joan and I were among the crowd. Here we see some of the visitors crossing the massive gate which holds back Lake Superior at the the downriver end of the 105 foot wide Poe Lock. While Sault Ste. Marie is an ancient city by North American standards--the first white settlers arrived in the 1500s, and there's been a city at this location since 1638--the event which defines the modern Sault occurred on June 18, 1855, when a ship named the Illinois traversed the then-new Soo Locks and opened traffic between Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes--thus connecting the Lake Superior iron and copper mines to the eastern United States. The locks have been rebuilt and expanded since then, but the traffic's been constant, and constitute an important part of the American economy. They're celebrating the sesquicentennial this summer, and the celebration began yesterday. We missed the opening ceremony, but had a fine time wandering the grounds and watching as St. Clair and Herbert C. Jackson passed through the locks yesterday.

Another photo from our pretty day in Sault Ste. Marie.

She's just left the lock at Sault Ste. Marie.

Passenger ship Nantucket Clipper and 1000-foot lakes boat Oglebay Norton downbound at Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, sometime in 1998. This is my Chinon Genesis at its best. I reached through the fence, pointed it at the ships, and let the camera get the focus right. It generally handled these situations right; over the years I learned to trust it. Of course, if I tried to do this nowadays I'd likely get shot....

In Sault Ste. Marie's Macarthur Lock. Ontario's Sault in the background. And notice all the people on the massive lock door.

The deck of laker Herbert Jackson at Sault Ste. Marie, Engineers Day, 2005. Here we see the large hatches and the unloader boom.

Then they get even closer. Engineers Day 2005. (Engineers Day 2006 is June 24 --next week. Just in case you want to go.)

Corps of Engineers barge Paul Bunyan in Davis Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The name reflects function: This baby can lift 250 tons. Big. Another Engineers Day photo from last June.

In general, I prefer to properly identify my ship photographs. In this case, I can't, although I suspect the name of this tug is obvious to some folks.... Tug boat at the Soo, in the Sabin Lock. August for sure; 1990, I think. Camera: Chinon Genesis III

"Monday July 13 1964 SS Thunderbay stern view being raised to Lake Erie level Lock #7 Welland Canal Thorold Ontario Canada" Second of two photos of this ship. There's a bit of information about her with last week's photo . I like the "Port Arthur" home port designation here. This pic's really quite nice, albeit faded and dirty.... Borucki's Lakers

"Sunday Oct 24, 1937 Steamer Dickson going into Lake Superior. Notice level of water now and in proceeding pictures." Davis Lock at the Soo. That caption makes you wonder who the intended audience was. And where the other "proceeding pictures" have gone. We may never know. I summarized this ship's history and made some comments on the location last week . I must say I like all the churn in this picture, though. Borucki's Lakers

In the MacArthur Lock at Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.