"The Big Chute" Marine Railway

Lock #44 on the Trent Severn Waterway is lift lock utilizing a rail, rail car, and cable system.

The elevation is approximately 60 ft.  The process is nothing short of awesome.

The process is as follows:

First, here are the major components:

This is the Rail car

Notice the people below the rail car

This is the set of cables that controls the
assent and decent of the rail car

Rails go into the water
(obviously) 

Boats on the lower portion, locking up

Good view of the rail car and its size

The rail car steel wheels.
Notice there are two sets of rails,
an inner and an outer pair.

This is how I did the Big Chute:

That is the Rail car partly
submerged.

Boat must be centered.

Boats enter the rail car

We are all ready to go,
Looking back at another boat (Patroit)
who starts to get lifted.
You can see the lift cables

Ready, Set, Go

The operator(s) lift the boats via cables
or place them on a support.
He also controls the speed of travel.

On our way...... Looking forward.

The railcar approaches a road

Gates down....  we continue up

Pretty wild.

In the center is the cable.
The rails are clearly visible  

Are you serious?

Looking back

Down we go....

Boats to the left are waiting
their turn to go up

Touch Down!!!

What a ride

Here is another view from boats (different boats) going up:

Ready to go up

On their way

See the cable?

Splashing on the up side

As the rail car goes up it is designed to be a parallel to gravity as possible.  The design provides two sets of rails.  One set is offset (cantilevered)  from the other set.
The inside set of rails are lower that the  front set when locking up bound.
These images help to explain this complex mechanical system.

Hope this made sense.