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I’m still in the SE Iowa area along the Mississippi.  See the “welcome to Illinois” sign just ahead of those BNSF engines?

Guess the numbers on Ronald E. Wagenblast heading upriver here through the Route 61 bridge?

She’s got curves.  She’s pushing 5 rows 3 wide, which translates to 1000′ long x 105′ wide, too.   

The Fort Madison Toll Bridge, aka the Santa Fe Swing Span Bridge–a double decker with automobile traffic level above a rail level–has been operating since 1927! Anyone know the width of the channel with the span open?

Soon after Wagenblast was precision-guided through the opening, 

Lindsay Ann Erickson came through.

She was also pushing 15 barges, making the payload 1000′ x 105′ as well.  

Note that the towboat lacks the curves of Wagenblast.  Take that into account as you guess her numbers, which you’ll find below.

HFL Mariner appears here for the second time now. 

Keokuk IA is about 20 miles to the south of fort Madison, my adopted base for a few days. At Lock and Dam No. 19, there’s a remarkable powerhouse, which I failed to get a good photo of, but you can see one along with lots of other info about the infrastructure here.  If you just want to see an aerial shot, click here.  The lock chamber is 1200′ x 110′ and provides a lift of 38′.

While I was there, yet another Marquette Transportation Company (MTC) tow exited.

 

Recognize those birds in the foreground?  I got lots of photos, which I’ll post one of these days also. 

The bridge links Keokuk with Hamilton IL.

 

All photos, WVD, who has a few days in this area before taking segment 8 of 10 of my train journey.

Ronald E. Wagenblast.  1965.   164′ x 40′.  5000 hp

Lindsay Ann Erickson.  1982.    168′ x 40′  6400 hp

Jason W. Nyberg.  1980. 145′ x 48′. 6140 hp

 

The first half of January 2013–a decade ago–was one long gallivant, taking in New Orleans to St Louis to Pittsburgh and then back home.  In the spirit of these retro posts, let me start here, shooting right off the Algiers ferry. Barbara E. Bouchard is now Dann M’s Turquoise Coast, which I’ve not seen.

No stroll in the night life of Nola is complete without a stop at Igor’s Checkpoint Charlie, combo bar, music venue, and laundromat!!

Following the river by car, we next stopped in Baton Rouge, and among the dozens of boats, enjoy this one–Ned Ferry–with a sixth boro connection:  It was built in 1959 Pittsburgh for Pennsylvania Railroad, which in 1968 merged with the New York Central to form Penn Central.  In 1974 it was sold to Crescent, which repowered and rebuilt it . . .  Find more in Paul Strubeck’s Diesel Railroad Tugs Vol 1.

The river is quite busy;  here Creole Sun works on a fleeting job.

Richard‘s pushing a set of tank barges. You might imagine I’m toying with a Mississippi River cruise this year.

American Pillar is a good example of a line haul boat:  195′ x 54′ and working with 10500 hp.

Fort Defiance Park in Cairo IL is a good place to see the Ohio and the Mississippi River refuse to mix for a while.  Note the difference in water color.

I never mentioned that my car was broken into in East St Louis in summer 2021;  Malcolm W Martin Park right across the way is the place.  I left a review on tripadvisor in September 2021 here if you scroll through.

Leaving St Louis in 2013 we made a stop in Kampville to catch the ferry across the Illinois River.

 

Then it was a lot of dry until we got to the Monongahela River at Belle Vernon PA, and the port of registry on these boats tell you where the nearest port (to the north) is.

We’ll leave it there.  If you want to peruse the archives for January 2013, click here . . .  they are in reverse chronological order.  There were obviously many many photos.

All photos, WVD.

Beaufort Sea (ex-Corsair, 1971, 105 loa x 32′) with DBL 101.  Can anyone identify the tallest building on the skyline there?  I can’t.

Emily C. Cheramie (2000, 90′ x 28′  ) with Unloader No. 2.

Despite a stiff tailwind, a Buchanan tug (12?) heads southbound toward Yonkers with six or nine stone scows barely making headway against the flood.

Catherine Turecamo (ex-Gulf Tempest, 1972, 99′ x 30′) approaches while Endeavor (2007, 964′ x 91′) and Ellen McAllister (1966, 102′ x 29′)  recede.  Ellen seems shorter than 102′ . . . although I’m not sure why I think so.  Click here and scroll for a foto of the Bayonne Bridge under construction.  See MOL history here.

Amy C. McAllister (ex-Jane A. Bouchard, 1975, 91′ x 30′)  with B. No. 231 approaching the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

Morgan Reinauer (ex-Exxon Garden State, 1981, 119′ x 34′)  passing an outbound Maersk Denpasar (exactly the same dimensions as MOL Endeavor but launched in 2003).  Denpasar is the capital of the Indonesian province of Bali.

Susan E. Witte (a classic looking from  2004, 55′ x 17′)  strides into the Kills.

Maurania III (also 2004, 101′ x 33′) escorts a tanker while Linda Moran (2008, 116′ x 36′) passes on the far side.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.

Unrelated question:  You will no doubt remember the fiasco of Mobro 4000‘s 6000-mile journey towed by Break of Dawn, built 1982.  Does anyone have a recent foto of Break of Dawn?

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Reflections of an American detained in Iraq Aug to Dec 1990.

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