Steam Tug Reiss

[Original Wally]

She does not have a scotch marine boiler as she was reboilered to a water tube "A" design boiler. The rest is intact as stated. Hand fired coal.

[Guest]

The *Reiss* was redocumented by Franz von Reidl as *Q. A. Gillmore* in 2005. I believe her title has reverted to the *Keewatin* owner, who donated her to Franz's foundation in May 2004. She is in virtually the same configuration as when built by GLTCo in 1913, with her original fore & aft (18-36 x 30, 400-ihp) steam engine, rebuilt in 1912 from the engine taken out of the wrecking tug Monarch, built 1889 by Chesley Wheeler at West Bay City (which may have been taken from another vessel). She also has her original Scotch boiler, built by GLTCo in 1912. She burned coal until the end, Reiss having a large and constant supply. She came to Saugatuck in 1969. I did some research on her on Franz's behalf some years back and discovered she was named for Quincy Gillmore, the head of the City of Cleveland's Bureau of Dredging, the son of the well-known General Q. A. Gillmore, a noted Army civil engineer.

Franz planned to restore her to her original GLTCo livery and use her as a live steam vessel. She should be saved and preserved, which might be a good campaign for Boatnerd.

[mr link]

Built in 1913 as the Q.A. Gilmore for Great Lakes Towing. Was donated to the Northeastern Maritime Heritage Foundation but with their apparent demise, I am unsure who owns her. If it works here is a link to an archive of a former webpage about her:

http://web.archive.org/web/200708191030 ... more.shtml

[bhale849]

Could you give me some information on the steam tug Reiss that was shown in today's (Thursday's) News Photo Gallery. What are Her dimensions, Her history, does She still have her steam plant, how many horsepower, driven by coal or oil, who owns Her, what are their plans for Her, what is Her current condition? I know that's a lot of questions, but She facinates me. I didn't even know of the existance of this steam tug. TIA.