Canal Tug Project G

I’ve neglected mentioning the locations of the Albert Gayer photos, in some cases because I had no idea.  This photo, however, is easy to place:  top of the flight and just above the first guard gate there.  Center of the photo is the “Crescent Lake” portion of the canal, looking “west.”  The waterway flowing to the left is headed for Cohoes Falls, and a hydro plant before the falls.

What’s remarkable for me about the photo is the number of tug/barge units waiting to head down the flight to Waterford and the Hudson.  I count eight.  Anyone have ideas why so many units are waiting here?

Penn No. 2 is headed up the flight here, I believe, between E-2 and E-3.  I’ve not found any info on this tugboat.  It has an odd profile, may be on the shorter/smaller side?

Corporal began life as an Army tug and was a Conners vessel until 1951, so that places the time setting of this photo.

In 1951, she became the third Ned Moran.

Next are a set of tug/barges I can’t identify.  Nor can I guess at the location, although I’d guess the somewhere in the western half .  I can, however, identify the boat whose foredeck you see to the right and will post more info about it later.  For now, you can conjecture all you like. I’ll feature this boat (if I remember) in February.

Ditto, I don’t know the unit here, but I’m hoping someone reading this can identify the livery. As for location, I’d say somewhere between E-13 and E-14.

Yet another puzzler.  It’s E-8 westbound, but that’s all I can say.

The tug Salutation photo is another I can’t place, for now.  I’ve read a reference somewhere the past few days, but don’t have 100% recall.  I wonder which years the commercial traffic on the canal last flew this banner.

Also, notice that all the barges in this post are tank barges, moving petroleum products.  As total freight on the canal plummeted in the 1950s and 60s, the percentage of petroleum cargoes increased dramatically.

All photos, Albert Gayer, in the collection of the Canal Society of New York.  Thanks.