It wont be too long before they let me in and not out.

Why is it when I go to a Museum, I say why is that thing in a Museum I am still using mine!!

Interesting information on the poster with the Land Rover with Hubcaps. In 1967 I was on my Uncle's boat in the St Lawrence River, between the States and Canada, to view Queen Elizabeth coming up the river on her "Yacht" ( A reburbrished British Navy mine sweeper or cruiser) to visit the Canadian capital in Ottawa ONT. This was after the late 50's Seaway Project (Scheme in Aussie) that built the locks so ocean going vessels could get into the Great Lakes.

Brocky before the locks were built were the lakes the same size ?

Or was water level raised in the lakes as well to make them more trafficable to large ships

I seem to remember some song we learnt as kids about the Erie canal which I'm pretty sure is part of the great lakes system

Paul

Paul

We also sang this song.

Pretty tuneless in original but it would have been hopeless noise with 30 8 year olds singing it.

I will try to answer some of your questions??
Lang: I was born and raised in the Finger Lakes region of New York state and had never heard that song before!! The Erie canal was built in the very early 1800's connecting the Hudson River in Albany NY to Lake Erie in Buffalo NY and a spur into Lake Ontario at Oswego NY, also with spurs into the largest of the Finger Lakes. It is still in operation today for pleasure craft as commercial boats have out grown the size of the locks.
Paul: The 5 Great Lakes, which divide Canada from the States, Have always had large ship, we call them Lakers, transportation system hauling mainly iron ore, grain, and fuel with canals connecting the changes of water level in the lakes. The largest drop being Niagara Falls between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Seaway Project of the late 50's was the building of a large dam and the Eisenhower lock in the St. Lawrence River, which drains the Great Lakes in the Atlantic Ocean, at Massena NY to control the rapids in the river and allow ocean sized vessels to enter the Great Lakes system. It is still in use today although many of the ocean going ship have outgrown the lock.
First a "Laker" ship and then an Ocean goer in the Eisenhower Lock., and the dam.

Here is a link to the history of the Seaway System and a map
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Lawrence_Seaway

Thanks Brocky.

Bev and I spent a lovely Summer week in the Thousand Islands area a few years ago. Most Australians don't know how pretty northern New York State is, in fact I am sure there are many who think it is a city only.

We had another shorter trip at Xmas and all I can say is it was miserable in winter. Amazing how many old trucks I saw stashed behind houses or workshops in little towns.

Lang

I had to learn the names of the great lakes at school. I thin k it was the only American geography we were taught. Also had to learn the names of the wheat producing provinces of Canada plus a couple of pages of British history. We were taught that in 1066 King Harold was killed with an arrow through the eye in the battle of Hastings. These days the arrow in the eye story is disputed and there is now a town called "Battle" at the site of the war. We also had to draw freehand from memory, maps of Australia and New Zealand. I don't think any of the above was of any use in later life.

This message has typed in red on a pink background. I suppose I must have hit something I did not know was there!

Lang you are right about the NewYork state and city, I had no idea until recent years that there was a NewYork state

I also didn't know that New England was made up of 5 states I believe and wasn't a state itself, I think thats right until speak to a bloke in Yanky land from the Mack truck forum a week or so ago

Thanks for the information Brocky, we really know very little about somethings

Paul