Transport Archives | Bedrock of Beachville: The History of Our Limestone Quarries

“The Old Stage Road” Historical Plaque

This plaque was installed on the grounds of Sweaburg Central School on County Road 14, southeast of Woodstock by Ontario Heritage Trust’s for their Provincial Plaque Program. This […]

Loading Trucks at Gypsum Lime and Alabastine

When other forms of power were applied to “steam shovels” through the advents of gasoline and electricity, they became known as “power shovels.”

Diverting the River

The most severe flood recorded along the Thames River occurred in April of 1937. In response to this devastation, Beachville opted to alter the course of the Thames […]

The Aftermath of the Flood

Looking south down the flooded sideroad, this image shows the damage caused to the office and the company homes. John Downing’s family home (later the Beachville Museum) is […]

Pierce Arrow Truck

Above is an image of an old Pierce Arrow pickup truck with an open cab. Made between 1911 and 1938, Pierce Arrow trucks had capacities of anywhere between […]

Early Transport Truck

This is one of Byron Downing’s first trucks. It was used at the quarries in the early 1930s. These Mack, B.L. Model trucks were built between 1929 and […]

The Euclid Rock Hauler

This Euclid rock hauler was used between 1950 and 1972 for active quarrying and stripping at Chemical Lime Limited. It featured a 165 horsepower Cummins, 6-cylinder diesel engine […]

Discharging to the River

Around the time that this photo was taken, Chemical Lime Ltd. reportedly pumped 2000 gallons per minute into the Thames River. Their quarry pumps operated for hours, keeping […]

Water Channels

In this image, water is being pumped from a quarry pit. In contemporary quarrying practices networks of internal channels manage water flow. These systems are responsible for directing […]

A Network of Conveyors

This image shows a series of conveyor belts inside the Beachville quarry (Dofasco). Such conveyors were just as crucial as the locomotives, carts and cables for transporting the […]

On Route to the Kilns

In this image, the draw kilns are visible on the left side. The gentleman manually pulls the cart up the ramp to the kilns along a cable.

Caprock Stemming at Stelco

In this image, a layer of rock has been cleared of overburden, and workers plan to blast through the “cap rock,” which lies over the desired limestone reserves. […]