Photo Collection

[garbear]

Post a few more tonight. Several photos of the Steelcliffe Hall arriving/departing the Twin Ports.

[cabinboy1]

Thanks for the HUMPHREY shots. When were those taken? thanks

[garbear]

Please keep 'em coming! What a collection you have!

I had forgotten I had taken some of these photos. Like I had posted previously, it's been fun for me going thru them. Hard to believe some of the photos I posted early on were taken when I was 18 yrs. old. I turned 65 in July.

[Darryl]

The Breech with the tug, the Laud loading with the Johnstown unloading astern of her, and the Iglehart coming under the bridge one would think those are all historical photos now.

[A J]

Please keep 'em coming! What a collection you have!

[Paul A]

Keep 'em coming garbear, this is great!
Those North American tugs were sharp.

[garbear]

Another mix of photos.

[garbear]

A mix of photos today.

[Guest]

Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company received a 20-year coal float contract with Detroit Edison in the Spring of 1978.

When Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship shutdown operations in 1984, the coal float contract went to Interlake Steamship, and James R. Barker was the first of Interlake Steamship vessels' to load at the SMET dock on May 9, 1984.

If I recall correctly, Cleveland-Cliffs secured the initial bid but subsequent negotiations proved a prolonged affair with Interlake being awarded the final contract in 1984. In addition, Cliffs explored the possibility of building a 1,000 foot vessel during this timeframe but the economic downturn of the early 1980s, and presumably the difficulties with the Detroit Edison contract, spelt the end of that project and the fleet as a whole.

[Guest]

Do you know when those pictures of the Federal Schelde were taken? We got up very early one morning in July 1979 to watch that one arrive in Duluth. Just curious if it might be the same trip.

It would have been 1981 or '82.

[garbear]

Is that the post-fire Cartiercliffe Hall? Doesn't look like it has the bridge wings (pre-fire), though hard to tell looking side-on. But it also looks pretty rough for circa-1980 if it had just been rebuilt.

It is post-fire Cartiercliffe Hall.

[Ray]

Is that the post-fire Cartiercliffe Hall? Doesn't look like it has the bridge wings (pre-fire), though hard to tell looking side-on. But it also looks pretty rough for circa-1980 if it had just been rebuilt.

[Ray]

Do you know when those pictures of the Federal Schelde were taken? We got up very early one morning in July 1979 to watch that one arrive in Duluth. Just curious if it might be the same trip.

[garbear]

Great port shots garbear! Thanks much for sharing with us.

I'm pleased to be able to do it.

[Paul A]

Great port shots garbear! Thanks much for sharing with us.

[garbear]

Guess my earlier post didn't make it thru. Try it again. Balmy summer day in Duluth. 52, windy with lots of rain. 2 days ago it was 84.
Some of the photos will be from my only trip I made to Thunder Bay.

[Guest]

Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company received a 20-year coal float contract with Detroit Edison in the Spring of 1978.

When Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship shutdown operations in 1984, the coal float contract went to Interlake Steamship, and James R. Barker was the first of Interlake Steamship vessels' to load at the SMET dock on May 9, 1984.

[cabinboy1]

The water discharge is ballast being pumped out. By the way, thanks for posting all the good shots. Sailed on a few of those and remember all. Great time to have a camera and the foresight to use it. Kind of like, "why didn't I buy that new 1969 Charger for $4000". Thanks

[Guest]

What was the story on the engine failure? It looks like they still have steam up in the pictures and cooling water being discharged (at a pretty high rate.) Just wondering as I had not heard of this incident before.

The steam is from an aux boiler. When US steel converted the smaller ships to diesel they retained the steam steering, pumps and winches so they still had to have boilers on board. When I worked on the Roger Blough the 1ae had worked on the Thomas previously and stated she had a pretty troubled history since her repower. She had lifted a cylinder head in the early 70's and was towed back to Duluth much like on her last trip. In the 1981 incident she supposedly cracked a piston and was towed back in by the Cason J. Callaway and then went to lay up. Most of the time in a diesel a cracked piston wouldn't necessarily be a life ending problem. On an EMD powered ship she'd just need a new power pack (piston, rings, and cylinder sleeve) and a good flush to get any fragments out. Seeing they didn't do this there was either more damage or she had some other issues going for her, making her not worth the time and money. Evidence would seem to show that the majority of Nordberg re-powers went ok as the Myron C. Taylor, and Calcite II, seemed to soldier on ok. The Arthur K. Atkinson had a pair of Nordbergs that had issues but from what I've been told that was due to a poor conversion job.

[Guest]

If those pictures of the Eugene P. Thomas are of it arriving following its engine failure in July 1981, that will be the last time inbound through the canal. It is being towed by the tugs Vermont and North Dakota so I would tend to believe this was its arrival on that last voyage.

As for the Greene and Sterling outbound from oretran, how common was it for Cleveland-Cliffs vessels to load at the coal dock?

What was the story on the engine failure? It looks like they still have steam up in the pictures and cooling water being discharged (at a pretty high rate.) Just wondering as I had not heard of this incident before.

The Eugene P. Thomas was repowered in 1963 with a 2,250 bhp Nordberg diesel engine so it was not a steamer at the time of its engine failure. I assume that a steam boiler was retained to operate the winches and for heating, etc.

This incident took place near the Apostle Islands on July 23 with the Thomas requiring a tow to Duluth by fleet mate Cason J. Calloway before being handed over the tugs Vermont and North Dakota just outside the harbor entrance.

As for the engine damage I have seen it noted that it involved a cracked piston. Given its age and carrying capacity, the hard economic times of the early 1980s precluded any major mechanical repairs. The Eugene P. Thomas was sold for scrapping at Thunder Bay in 1984.