Now that my towboat v. tugboat terminology is corrected, I will post more Mississippi River photos in the next days.
The barges looked somewhat unusual.
Fortunately I caught it exiting lock 19 in Keokuk IA.
The two barges are Kirby 21853 and 21854.
The warning placard identified the cargo as anhydrous ammonia, which means pure ammonia. Maybe someone out there has information on uses of this product besides fertilizer. I also have questions about the temperature and pressure conditions for this product.
For some numbers on this 2016 Kirby boat, click here for the “Birk files.
The livery on Kirby’s inland fleet and offshore fleet is the same; boat design, however, is mostly different.
More towboats from the Upper Mississippi soon.
All photos, any errors, WVD.
tugster: a waterblog 
6 comments
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March 24, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Tom Waller
Pretty sure those are ammonia barges.
March 25, 2023 at 4:47 pm
tugster
Thx, Tom. I’d never seen an ammonia barge before this trip. I take it they are quite insulated.
March 25, 2023 at 5:04 pm
Tom Waller
Pretty sure that “house” is the refrigeration unit to keep it cool
March 26, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Tom Winkle
Tom Waller, correct on all counts, Kirby moves a lot of it.
March 26, 2023 at 1:22 pm
Tom Winkle
Lock 19 is interesting, it is the only other 1200′ chamber on the Upper (the second one is Lock 27), and the hydro plant was at the time of its construction (ca 1912), the largest hydro plant in the world. They used to have tours of the plant in the summer, but it’s been years since I was over there, don’t know if they still do.
Was the George Verity open while you were there? It’s well worth a visit.
March 26, 2023 at 5:37 pm
tugster
Hi Tom– Verity was closed. Too bad… I would have enjoyed the tour. The hydro plant was quite interesting, but yes, the plant was still closed to tours, a post 9/11 change I was told by several people.