Canadian Railroads > OT : Reaction Ferry

A few images of the "beached" "Marguerite Reaction Ferry" that operated seasonally across the Fraser River, just below Mile 351 on the BC Rail Prince George sub. The ferry was "reaction", no powered motor, just through an assortment of cables and tiller system the river current would propel the ferry across the Fraser River. I had a few trip on this ferry, and sorry that I did not document it more in images. It has ceased to operate, was at one time part of the highway system to the west side of the Fraser. There were numerous reaction ferries on the rivers of BC, several in the area that I lived and the Marguerite was the last. Residents that lived on the "other side" now have to detour to Quesnel to the north, or drive south to "Rudy Johnson's Bridge" just below the BCR siding at Mackin.  Either way it is quite an inconvenience for residents either side of the Fraser. My family and I enjoyed the afternoon picnic trip around the river, either out to Sheep Creek and the back road home across Rudy's bridge or reversed cross at Marguerite and back along the west side of the Fraser river.
The story of "Rudy Johnson's Bridge", he lived on the west side of the Fraser and had consulted with the Department of Highways to built a bridge across the Fraser for the locals that needed a shorter route to Williams Lake. DoH said that it was impossible to build a bridge anywhere near. The devastating earthquake in the 1960's in Alaska changed all that. The story is that Rudy "got a deal" on a damaged bridge, had it dismantled and shipped south for his bridge.  It was built, and for a modest fee the locals as well as the logging trucks could use his bridge, saving many roundabout miles to Williams Lake. All government and department of highways vehicles were forbidden to use the bridge. Eventually the government bought the bridge, that according to them could not be built.  Doug
Images:
01 wheelhouse on the Marguerite
02 Emergency Procedures
03 view down the "slipway"


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/15 11:07 by hoggerdoug.

---

---

---

a few more, all images take Aug 28, 2005
04 ferry and some of the cables
05 lots of cables
06 shot of how the "bow" would be in the water. The Fraser River is  dangerous, it rolls and boils, very little chance of survival for anyone that falls in.
 

---

---

---

last three images, thanks for looking.  Doug
07 Cable block
08 looking across the river to the west shore
09 Hoggerdoug, daughter Kate & "thatcher"

---

---

---

I forgot to mention, the tower on the other side supported a 2 or 3 person cable car, used when the ferry did not operate. NO Way would I ride that!!!  Doug

Interesting story about Rudy's Bridge!

Back in the canal days, canal boats were moved across the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers using a similar system which relied on the current and tiller. Have never seen the term "reaction ferry" before, but it's apparently the same principle.

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

Regards, Jim Evans

There are two such ferries on the North Thompson River that still operate, for cars/pick ups only, one located 25 miles north of Kamloops at McLure B.C. at the end of the paved portion of Westsyde Road (that goes past our house on the opposite side of the river from CN Clearwater Subdivision). The second is at Little Fort (mile 85.7 of CN Clearwater Subdivision).

---

Very cool story, thanks for sharing.
Interesting area, I can see the mosquitoes in the photos.