love steam
- Thread starter jon hansen
- Start date
i worked on a number of these old steamers back in the day. they are all gone now here on the lakes.
Next time you are in the Baltimore, come see the steam tugboat Baltimore down on the Innerharbor. Built in 1906 and lovingly cared for by volunteers who will talk steamboat all day long.
https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/the-baltimore-the-last-steam-powered-tugboat.htm
https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/the-baltimore-the-last-steam-powered-tugboat.htm
it makes you a man of skills, capta. ..... and prolly have channel locks in your pocket 
unloading port huron. SS sylvania, 1902, top end 8 mph, 77' & 79' i was on her., my favorite job
1967 peerless dock, port huron, sunk after being side swiped, she had been sunk tree time before i signed on. what a piece of junk, but we loved her .... great job, old school
what a piece of junk, but we loved her .... great job, old school
was launched 10 years before the titanic
she had 2 scotch boilers, the titanic had 29, same boilers
she had 2 scotch boilers, the titanic had 29, same boilers
she had an open air pilot station when she first sailed. they thought is was too dangerous to be inclosed. how could you hear?
change comes very slowly to sailors
she had a real chime whistle. a cable ran down the stack, through the hull, up to the pilot house, to a 3 ft hand lever you pulled to blow it.
she had 110 DC current through out. don't plug in your electric shaver
ALL the equipment was steam powered. winches, anchor, unloading equipment, steering engine, ballast pumps. after you learned all the gear, knew how to tickle it, it was a hoot to work on as a young pup. very young crew. way too dirty and hot for the old boys, so you could move up fast through the ranks. .... and i mean really hot through out the boat in the summer time.
ALL the equipment was steam powered. winches, anchor, unloading equipment, steering engine, ballast pumps. after you learned all the gear, knew how to tickle it, it was a hoot to work on as a young pup. very young crew. way too dirty and hot for the old boys, so you could move up fast through the ranks. .... and i mean really hot through out the boat in the summer time.
That's astounding. Assuming it was WV coal, it seems it was a few bucks a ton cheaper to stop the train in Toledo and ship it the last 50MN to Detroit by boat. So they got a boat for just such purpose and did it. Or maybe the tracks didn't to the plant next to the river?