Truckster! 14

It’s digression time . . . now that I’ve not done one of these in a while.

You can’t not see the pattern here . . .

Steam Whistle is an interesting story with a beer connection, you might say.

I’m posting fast, along the river, so I’m not taking time to identify these vehicles, although if you want to know how the pattern continues here, see what this blog reveals, a post that concludes with a photo of the same truck.

 

Continuing east and downstream, there’s this beauty . . .

in Kingston, and sure enough the pattern prevails . . . all

Ontario alcohol-related trucks.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who’s “on the boat again.”.

 

Other Peoples Photos 63

Jack Ronalds took this photo of Ontario (Jeffrey K. McAllister) and Erie (Missy McAllister) in Canso back in August 2016.

John Jedrlinic took this in the sixth boro in December 2008.

I took the photo below a few months earlier in 2008, as the transfer from Normandy to Ross Sea was happening.

Grouper has been featured here many, many times over the years, but you’ve never seen this much of her out of the water;  it’s “draw-down” time on the Erie Canal near lock E-28A.  These photos come from Bob Stopper a few weeks ago.

 

From Bangkok, Ashley Hutto sends along photos of a decidedly pastel Thai tug

with two barges

on a hawser.

Thanks to Jack, Jed, Bob, and Ashley for these photos.

 

Really Random Tugs 40

Remember the December 2016 saga involving

Colleen McAllister and Katie G. McAllister?  Note the blackout painting where the stack rings once were?  Thanks to Krystal Kauffman, here’s

an update from Muskegon.

The photo below comes from Jake Van Reenen as they were departing Frink Park in Clayton near the 1000 Islands.  It’s a moody photo.  Ontario–ex-Jeffrey K McAllister— and Erie–ex-Missy McAllister— traveled from the East Coast, with a stop in Halifax, and

were in Cleveland earlier this year.  If that is Erie, along Ontario‘s starboard side, she’s already received some paint.  South Carolina, maybe scrapped by now, is a product of Manitowoc 1925.

Maine, a product of Cleveland, dates from 1921.

Towmaster is a 1952 product of Bushey, currently shown here in New London.

Ira S. Bushey also produced Thameship, a 1940 vessel, two hulls later than Chancellor.

Thanks to Krystal Kauffman for use of the first three photos, hats off to Jake Van Reenen, and the others by Will Van Dorp.

If you “do” FB, Krystal has a FB page called My Michigan By Krystal. 

 

Trophy North Woods Alligator

Back from the northwoods with no muskellunge and no sightings of moose or bear, but I learned that one alligator can move as many as 60,000 logs up there in a single tow.  Think I’ve lost my mind somewhere in the forest where I drank straight from the lake and heard loons, coyotes and wolves sing in harmony?

William M (ex-Max, 1905) is an alligator tug, aka warping tug.  It could crawl on its belly along portages if needed.   Note: the wood around the hardware was replaced in 1971 and 1990.

Extra stairs here are added for visitors.  In water William M‘s 20 hp could move vessel and tow at 5 knots;  on land, it could

crawl 1 — 2 miles a day, winching

itself forward.  This is looking aft from the bow deck of the alligator.

Here’s a view from the stern looking forward.  Notice the geared rod to the left.  It could level the boiler in overland crawls up to a 20-degree incline or decline.

West & Peachey of Simcoe, ON built this one for less than $3000 1905 dollars.  The machinery in this tug is all original (1 of 3 survivors).  West & Peachey built 200 such tugs for Canadian, US, and South American concerns between 1889 and 1934.

Read the info or

lisez cette information.

Enjoy the foto.

Scroll through to Brompton Bear for a metal alligator.   Read a Don Sutherland article here about an alligator tug named Bertha on Staten Island.

More fotos from the gallivant in the next few days.  If you know more about alligator tugs, I’d love to hear from you.

All fotos here by Will Van Dorp.

Note:  These fotos were taken about 550 miles north of the sixth boro.  In the wilds of Opeongo Lake are the steel remains of another alligator, the holy grail of my next trip up there.  Here’s info on those remains.