I took this photo back in 2008, and it seemed I never got back to it. At the time, I didn’t realize it was built in 1904 and had once done the Buffalo–Duluth passenger run with first-class staterooms. Buffalo–Duluth passenger ferry SS Juniata . . . doesn’t even seem reasonable a century later.
Between 1937 and 1941, she was thoroughly upgraded and “returned to work as the Milwaukee Clipper and carried passengers and their cars between Muskegon and Milwaukee until 1970 when the interstate highways and air travel rendered her obsolete.” I’m told volunteers are working to preserve her. I’d love to hear a progress report.
In contrast, the rest of the photos I took on the Arthur Kill in 2010, and what you see here is no longer there. I’m going out on a limb here, and guessing it’s the Astoria aka William T. Collins, built in 1925 and out of documentation in 1966.
I recall reading that it was removed –as an eyesore–since then, but can’t find any newspaper record of such. Anyone help out? My co-explorer here is none other than frogma . . . .
Click here for a post I did on a re-purposed 1929 NYC ferry still operational as a double-ended construction vessel, click here for a post I did on a NYC-NJ ferry that operated as such between 1905 and 1970 before being repurposed as a restaurant until neglect and a certain Irene came along, and here for a post on what might be the oldest in service ferry in the US.
Below is P/S Majesteit, a 1926 steam ferry still operating in Rotterdam as a floating restaurant steam side paddle wheeler;
here’s their site with photos of the steam machinery.
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
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December 21, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Jim M
Here’s one still in operation since 1914, although no longer being used as a ferry.
http://www.belleoflouisville.org/about-the-belle-of-louisville.html
Best regards-
Jim
December 21, 2015 at 3:16 pm
tugster
Thanks, Jim. sometimes i forget. I saw it back in 2008: https://tugster.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/ohio-river-bankside/
December 21, 2015 at 5:01 pm
Daniel Meeter
That Juniata is a good looking ship.
December 22, 2015 at 3:32 am
Al Circeo
Buffalo to Duluth by ferry/steamship. Wow!
December 22, 2015 at 6:18 am
tugster
Hi Al– If you look at the second half of this post, you’ll see the preserved part of an interior of one of these Great Lakes passengers steamers . . . . photos that I took at the Dossin Museum in Detroit, a worthwhile stop if you’re ever in the area there: https://tugster.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/road-fotos-13/ and http://detroithistorical.org/dossin-great-lakes-museum/plan-your-visit/general-information and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dossin_Great_Lakes_Museum
December 22, 2015 at 9:38 am
Rembert
There she is!!!
Now and then, but always, when I was far away from the next internet-connection, I asked myself, what could have happened to the little sister of this proud steamer https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goethe_(Schiff)#/media/File:Goethe_(ship,_1913)_022.jpg , whose whistle we still hear so often on a warm summer afternoon. Or if I had just mistaken “Rüdesheim”, whom we hadn´t seen so long, for a steamer. Up to the early `90s she was an eye-catcher at Cologne´s riverside and it was impressive, to see her and her brother lying side by side in front of the Dome.
And she even is a steamer at all! The same people, who ordered a „nostalgic“ “art-deco”-coat for “Goethe”, air condition and heat-insulating fixed windows (just to flag her out to Malta), have cut out her heart some years ago – Goethe´s paddle wheels are now turned by Diesels! They even removed the engine telegraph and it´s a wonder, that there is still boiled water on board of Goethe for the steampipe. “Goethe” takes his revenge from time to time, some years ago one of the Diesels caught fire, this year water fell too low for him, to cross the Rhine.
Nevertheless it´s good to hear, that the old lady didn´t end in something like the graves of Arthur Kill, but found adoptive parents with a somewhat more decent taste!