Retro Road Photos

These photos I took on a road trip 10 years ago.  Revisiting some photos from this trip underscores how little I know about the inland waterways.  Let’s start in Pittsburgh with Consol Energy’s Gabriel.

Farther west at Pike Island locks, Brenda Rose pushes some large components up the Ohio.

Downstream across from the stadiums in Cincinnati, Shirley B waits at the dock.

McGinnis’ Canadian heads upstream.

And still in Cincinnati, TPG Mt Vernon Marine’s William Jeffrey Bayer moves coal downstream.  I wonder how they identify themselves on the radio.

Belle of Louisville–in Louisville–is a piece of history, launched only a little over 50 years after Herman Melville stopped by the port.

Cutting north to follow the eastern side of Lake Michigan, we came upon Captain George, looking immaculate for a 1929 built tug, here alongside Silversides.

This classic fish tug had no markings anywhere.

Nibroc, here in Muskegon, dates from 1938.

And finally, Paul H. Townsend, has since been towed to Port Colborne to be scrapped.  I hope to see her remnants, macabre as that may sound, when I pass through there in early August.

All photos taken in late spring 2008 by Will Van Dorp, who’s currently doing a trip taking in coastlines and waterways not explored before.

 

 

Ohio River Northbound

To get to Pike Island locks from sixth boro by water, you need to either “do a Water Horse” or travel thousands of miles around Florida, thru Gulf of Mexico, go up the Mississippi as far as Cairo, etc. Or drive a car west for about six hours, which is what I did. By the way, W. L. H. Moon’s “water horse” was a C-Dory that left from the Elizabeth Marina right across from Howland Hook. Below, watch the mast with radar sweep and searchlight.

It’s Brenda Rose, and yes she did!

And having risen, the throttles gets pushed forward. She sounds like an accelerating locomotive,

pushknees jamming against the barge,

she moves her load just barely through the floodgate structure

and upriver toward Pittsburgh.

Any ideas what the sections of cylindrical vessel might be? And Brenda Rose . . . her homeport and other vitals?

Photos, WVD.