S.S.S. Valley Camp

[Billius]

My wife and I have toured the Valley Camp. Its well worth a person's time to do so. My wife was a bit freaked out being down in the holds, but all in all it is a great experience.

[beecher]

Here is a picture of that original telegraph from my 2012 visit.

Cheers!

[Bob H]

The Valley Camp is in pretty decent shape. Her back is not "broken", in fact, for a vessel her age, it is in very good shape. Her hull and her plating is in great shape. Her bow is on the ground, but if the water levels keep rising like they did last year, it won't take long for it to be floating 100%.

Very little of the Valley Camp is actually floating. If you visit her today, there is no water at the bow, so it can be reasonably assumed that most of the hull is on the bottom.

Her stern is indeed floating. When it used to get really windy in the fall, you could actually feel the rolling of her stern. In fact if you stood in the number 3 cargo hold, you could see the lifeboat that is hanging in there, swaying from side to side. Also, on days when the water flow in the river is up, you can feel her stern move from the wake of the passing freighters.

As for the Chadburn. The telegraphs that are in the pilothouse are original to the boat. The telegraph on the port side of the wheelhouse is the mooring telegraph that was used to tie up the stern of the boat in the days before radios. If you go back to the fantail by where the entrance into the officers dining room is, you will see a stand for something on the deck under the fire hose reel. That is the mooring telegraph. It lacks its head and handles due to vandals who found their way onto the ship back in the 70's. It was reported that when they got caught, they dumped it into the river. It's never been found.

The telegraph on the starboard side of the pilothouse, is the original Henschel telegraph that was used when she was in service. Now here is where things get tricky. The telegraph that you see on the floor of the Engine Room, IS NOT the original engine telegraph. That is one that was donated to the boat from another collection. It's for show only. Now, you can see it in the one picture that beecher posted. In the lower left corner of that picture, you will notice a white round object with a brass ring on the outside. That is in fact, THE ORIGINAL telegraph! It has no face and no handle (it was that way when she was towed to the Soo) It is, however, in the wrong spot! The main beam that it is attached to, was used for supporting the walkway that you use to moce from the hold into the engine room. They had to turn the Telegraph around to make room to attach the walk way.

As for touring the boiler room, and the lower decks of the engine room, those are off limits due to liability reasons. Back when she opened, those were usual tour destinations, however the stairs and overhead hazards claimed to be too dangerous for people. I have been involved with the museum now for 10 years and believe me, if we could open those areas up, we would. Glad everyone enjoys the museum! We hope to see you all this coming season!!

[deanad]

When I was on her, in 2013 ,I didn't see or look for the engine room gauge but when I walked through the pilot house there were two and I asked the man that was polishing it where it came from he said the engine room? Confused??

[tarcticus]

Very little of the Valley Camp is actually floating. If you visit her today, there is no water at the bow, so it can be reasonably assumed that most of the hull is on the bottom.

Recall the S.S. Keewatin when it was moved a couple of years ago. Over 40 years in one place had her basically mucked in place.

[beecher]

And I forgot the engine room Chadburn picture from the same visit:

[beecher]

Standing on The Valley Camp's gangway entrance in 2012 revealed the following views looking right and then left. It ain't moving at all. The gangway is fixed too.

The divided wheelhouse shows the Chadburn in 2012.

Dad put in 38 years at Republic:

Cheers!

[Paul A]

Chadburn from 2007.

[Jared]

I dont believe her back is broken either, and I saw a Chadburn in the pilothouse.

[Guest]

There should be a Chadburn in both the wheelhouse and engineroom. They were used for communicating wheelhouse commands to the engineroom and letting wheelhouse no command was received and undertaken in the engineroom.

[dean ad]

I understand that the bow section is on land but when the dug out the area next to her for a marina, would she be partially floating. The reason I am asking is because I used to be able to walk on both sides of her to the stern when I was a child.

[Shipwatcher1]

Very little of the Valley Camp is actually floating. If you visit her today, there is no water at the bow, so it can be reasonably assumed that most of the hull is on the bottom.

[deanad]

A few questions regarding my second favorite ship. I first must say this, " I spent many hours as a child around that boat. Back in the 70's, she had water around her bow with Seagulls in her anchor pockets. Those anchor pockets are now meshed over. I have heard rumors that her back is broken. Which to me, doesn't matter because she is an Amazing Museum. The questions I have are #1, is her back broken, #2, if her back is broken how can she still float?, #3 when I was young, I believe, that I could walk down past the boilers and into the engine room on the floor, and #4 why did they move the chatburn(sp)to the pilot house? 5TLNBS