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by **Denny** » May 3, 2024, 2:29 pm

Thanks for the update Bob as I appreciate that. Never know when Interlake has their “company meetings every year?” Don’t they have two, one in the Spring and another in the Fall and Autumn season? The PRT arrived at the DTE Energy Power Plant in St. Clair on Friday, May 3 just before 11 A.M. with their second load of the 2024 season. Right now I am 0-2 on them as far as catching them coming down the river in daylight passages on their last two trips. You can’t fault me for that though boatnerds as you all know due to my severe illness last year, I’ve been through a lot last year and again this year but things are slowly but surely improving and heading in the right direction. As for the PRT, not too worry all as one day in 2024 I will see them not only on the live web cameras but there live and in person too as they sail through the St. Clair River. There’s only been one time then in history believe it or not that I did not see the PRT and that was in 2016 but I had my reasons then as to why I missed her that year and season. Thanks again for the updates.

by **Mn bob** » May 2, 2024, 3:55 pm

Denny, looks like interlake is having one of its company meetings in the lower st Mary’s river above detour. The big Paul and James r barker are anchored there and I believe the mesabi miner was also there earlier. So this of course will delay the big Paul getting to st clair.

by **Denny** » May 1, 2024, 2:36 pm

Correction to my post from May 1 on the Paul R. Tregurtha. They will arrive in the early morning hours on Friday, May 3 and should be back up on Saturday, May 4 sometime in the afternoon or the evening then. Hope this helps.

by **Denny** » May 1, 2024, 2:29 pm

The Paul R. Tregurtha is set to return on another trip and voyage down the St. Clair River this week sometime. Latest updates and schedule has them due at the DTE Energy Power Plant in St. Clair on Thursday, May 2 at 1630 or 4:30 p.m. or so. If they are on schedule they should be down in the park at St. Clair then about 3-3:30 p.m. on May 2 and be at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron about 2 P.M. give or take. If you miss them downbound you can see them maybe going back up on Saturday, May 4 in the afternoon or evening as you should have great lighting and photo opps for both the downbound and the upbound trip for them! Unfortunately, I cannot be out there this weekend as I have other obligations and appointments to attend to. Good luck to everyone in trying to see her this weekend and hope you all get some great photos, videos and even a salute from her as well!

by **Denny** » April 26, 2024, 5:57 pm

This question is off topic however, since we are talking about coal and shipments out I have a few questions of my own to ask on the subject. First, when did Ashtabula and their coal dock last ship any coal out? Second, what year or when did they close down and then dismantle their loading facilities there? Next, when did Conneaut stop shipping any coal and what year and when did they stop and tear down their loading operations and their coal dock? Finally, does anyone recall or know who the last vessels were that loaded coal out of both Ashtabula and Conneaut? I’d be interested in finding that out for any type of record purposes. Any answers to my questions and information is appreciated. Thank You.

by **hayhugh** » April 26, 2024, 3:20 pm

Erie had both Coal and ore docks. She also had a Grain Elevator.

by **Geest** » April 26, 2024, 7:41 am

Guest wrote: ↑April 23, 2024, 9:08 pm American Steamship in January 1974 ordered four thousand footers for the low sulphur coal trades from Bay Shipbuilding, but with a severe recession in 1974/75, ASC transferred two of the thousand-footers to Bethlehem Steel.

ASC only ordered 2 thousand footers, the Belle River and Indiana Harbor. Their current fleet is a result of mergers and acquisition. Burns Harbor was built for Bethlehem but operated by ASC under charter until Bethlehem and its successors sold it outright to ASC. The current Century and Integrity came from Oglebay when they went under and the American Spirit was purchased by ASC when National Steel went under.

badger wrote: ↑April 24, 2024, 8:49 am When, if ever was the last time they loaded coal in Erie, penn.?

Are you thinking of Ashtabula? NS had a very large coal terminal there that fed the Nanticoke plant and seaway vessels.

by **Denny** » April 25, 2024, 10:16 am

As of 11:15 a.m. on April 25, the Paul R. Tregurtha is downbound and in Lake Huron with an ETA for the DTE Energy Power Plant of 1930 or 7:30 p.m. from the MERC or SMET site yet boatnerd AIS has their ETA though for 2330 or 11:30 p.m. on April 25. Looks as if they won’t be in the St. Clair River until sometime this evening then. Depending on if they can make it into the River before sunset this evening, could make for some nice and also great photo opportunities and videos as well! Welcome back to the Paul R. Tregurtha for 2024.

by **Guest** » April 24, 2024, 6:23 pm

badger wrote: ↑April 24, 2024, 8:49 am When, if ever was the last time they loaded coal in Erie, penn.?

Late 50s.

by **Guest** » April 24, 2024, 12:46 pm

Interesting about coal being loaded via the ore dock - I had not heard about that before. Was this experiment not successful or found to be too inefficient for loading coal with a lower density than iron ore? Given that the BN retired the old GN ore docks about that same time and also had the old NP ore dock as a spare, it would seem that simply repurposing one of those docks to load coal would have been way cheaper of loading out Powder River coal than building the entire SMET terminal.
--Ray--

Guest wrote: ↑April 23, 2024, 9:08 pm
Jared wrote: ↑April 23, 2024, 7:15 pm I'm curious when Coal has been hauled south instead of north? Normally one would load coal in Erie and then head north with it to whatever destination needs it. I wonder if there's a massive pile that is not being used up in Superior?
Jared, there were some tests with low-sulphur coal in the early 1970s after the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970. At first, coal was unloaded by hopper cars into one of the Great Northern Ore Docks in Superior, with cars having loaded in the Powder River Basin.

Planning for the large movement of low-sulphur coal for Detroit Edison was planned before the Energy Crisis of October 1973, but Burlington Northern and Detroit Edison started the construction of the SMET in 1974 and it was ready for operation in May 1976.

American Steamship in January 1974 ordered four thousand footers for the low sulphur coal trades from Bay Shipbuilding, but with a severe recession in 1974/75, ASC transferred two of the thousand-footers to Bethlehem Steel.

by **badger** » April 24, 2024, 8:49 am

When, if ever was the last time they loaded coal in Erie, penn.?

by **Mn bob** » April 24, 2024, 8:48 am

There is no excess coal in Superior, smet used to have a huge stockpile of coal to load the ships with but for the last several years that stockpile is only a quarter the size it used to be. Once in a while they will send a load of coal over to the cement plant in Superior but that is about all the coal that is in the Duluth/superior area anymore.

by **Guest** » April 23, 2024, 9:08 pm

Jared wrote: ↑April 23, 2024, 7:15 pm I'm curious when Coal has been hauled south instead of north? Normally one would load coal in Erie and then head north with it to whatever destination needs it. I wonder if there's a massive pile that is not being used up in Superior?

Jared, there were some tests with low-sulphur coal in the early 1970s after the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970. At first, coal was unloaded by hopper cars into one of the Great Northern Ore Docks in Superior, with cars having loaded in the Powder River Basin.

Planning for the large movement of low-sulphur coal for Detroit Edison was planned before the Energy Crisis of October 1973, but Burlington Northern and Detroit Edison started the construction of the SMET in 1974 and it was ready for operation in May 1976.

American Steamship in January 1974 ordered four thousand footers for the low sulphur coal trades from Bay Shipbuilding, but with a severe recession in 1974/75, ASC transferred two of the thousand-footers to Bethlehem Steel.

by **Jared** » April 23, 2024, 7:15 pm

I'm curious when Coal has been hauled south instead of north? Normally one would load coal in Erie and then head north with it to whatever destination needs it. I wonder if there's a massive pile that is not being used up in Superior?

by **Denny** » April 23, 2024, 9:54 am

The Paul R. Tregurtha is currently still loading coal in Superior and is not expected out and depart until sometime late morning on April 23. They are now expected to arrive at the DTE Energy Power Plant in St. Clair on Thursday, April 25 sometime in the evening around dinner time give or take. All times though are estimates only and can change with weather and other delays as well. At least they have departed from their lay up berth at Fraser in Superior yesterday and have since started to load coal at the MERC or SMET Dock and will soon be on their way to St. Clair, Michigan and their first trip for the 2024 shipping season.

by **Denny** » April 22, 2024, 6:33 pm

The Paul R. Tregurtha has departed from their lay up berth at Fraser Shipyards today, April 22 and are now at the MERC or SMET Coal Terminal in Superior as of 7:30 in the evening Eastern Time. They’re expected to finish and to depart sometime on April 23 in the morning and arrive at the DTE Energy Plant in St. Clair, Michigan on April 25. Great to have and see the Big Paul back out and sailing once again. To the PRT and Captain Steve Hughes and his crew and ship, calm seas and fair winds to you all in 2024. Hope to see you sometime in 2024 on the St. Clair River! Sending along my own salute to them 3 Long and 2 Short.

by **Denny** » April 21, 2024, 6:33 pm

To Mn Bob and any others that read and have been following this post regarding the PRT or the Paul R. Tregurtha. The revised and updated schedule now has them loading coal at the MERC or SMET Coal Terminal in Superior at 9 A.M. Central Time on Monday, April 22 and not expected to finish and depart until about 9 P.M. or so Central Time also on April 22nd as well. They are then expected to arrive in St. Clair to unload at the DTE Energy Plant then on Thursday, April 25 around 5-6 A.M. Eastern Time. All these times though are estimates and can change due to weather and other delays or issues. Hope that this helps you out.

by **Denny** » April 16, 2024, 1:18 pm

I see now that the Paul R. Tregurtha is due to load coal now on Sunday, April 21 during the late afternoon at the MERC or SMET Coal loading terminal in Superior. They were due to originally load there on April 18 but, this now has gotten pushed back some. Can’t wait to see her out and sailing this year along with her other Interlake fleet mates the Cort and the Oberstar along with the Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder.

by **Denny** » April 8, 2024, 1:06 pm

Thanks for the updates on the Paul R. Tregurtha. That then would explain and make plenty of sense as to why the late fit out this year for them. As I’ve mentioned twice in two posts both separate, she’s due to load a split cargo of coal at the MERC or SMET Dock in Superior on or about April 18 for both St. Clair and Monroe. I also find it interesting as well that the Hon. James L. Oberstar remains laid up in Toledo so far and has yet to depart and sail also. Wonder then what the delays or issues are regarding them not fitting out and sailing yet?

by **Bookworm** » April 8, 2024, 8:52 am

In reference to the Great Republic, she left Toledo yesterday afternoon and was entering Lake Huron, at Port Huron in the wee hours of this morning. Her destination is Two Harbors, Minnesota.

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