About Tail Race Entrance


July 29, 2016
Author: Jim Lee III

Narrated by,
Jim Lee Jr.




Narrative

About Tail Race Entrance


July 29, 2016
Author: Jim Lee III

Narrated by,
Jim Lee Jr.




Narrative

About Tail Race Entrance

About Tail Race Entrance

The tailrace carried water exhausted from the turbine down to the bottom of the inclined plane.

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The tailrace carried water quickly away from the turbine chamber and down to Lopatcong Creek, where it eventually emptied back into the canal. Underground, the tailrace is a mortared stone-arched tunnel that originally had a timber floor and short side walls to prevent the water from causing erosion and undermining the masonry. There’s an iron collar on the head wall of the tailrace tunnel to hold the wall together. A timber bypass channel, which carried water from the top of the penstock when the turbine was not in operation, emptied into the tailrace just below this head wall. The above-ground portions of the tailrace had short dry-laid stone walls against its sides and a timber sluice to carry the water. Stones are still visible in the creek at the tailrace outlet. A small timber bridge carried farm traffic across the tailrace just down from where it emerges from underground.


Explore Historic Morris Canal
Plane 9 West Sites

About Plane 9

About Plane 9

This site is the former home of the late James S. Lee, Sr. (pictured left), Morris Canal author and historian. Plan 9 West is located on Rt. 519 1/2 mile south of Route 57 intersection east of Phillipsburg. The address for obtaining directions is 477 County Route 519, Stewartsville NJ 08886. Some facts about Plane…

Canal Prism (West of Stryker’s Road)

Canal Prism (West of Stryker’s Road)

The prism is the watered channel of the canal that carried boats between the canal’s locks and inclined planes.

Bridge abutment

Bridge abutment

This stone bridge abutment elevated Morris Canal Bridge #6 over the canal so that boats could pass underneath.

Waste Weir at Stryker’s

Waste Weir at Stryker’s

The ruins of a waste weir are located between Stryker’s Road and the bottom of Plane 9 West that helped regulate the level of water in the canal.

Brakeman’s House

Brakeman’s House

The Brakeman’s house is probably the original plane tender’s house for Plane 9 West.

Plane Tender’s House

Plane Tender’s House

The two-family Plane Tender’s House was built around 1850 for the plane tender and his family as well as another canal employee.

Bottom of the Plane

Bottom of the Plane

Canal boats were loaded on and off of cradle cars that carried the boats on rails up the inclined plane.

Tailrace

Tailrace

The tailrace carried water exhausted from the turbine down to the bottom of the inclined plane.

Top of Turbine Chamber

Top of Turbine Chamber

At the top of the turbine chamber there was a large wooden structure known as the Power House.