Benson or Henry?

[cabinboy1]

Henry's thruster was a Cat. If I can find my pic, could probably tell the model. Maybe D348 or 398.

[MichAlex]

Have not been able to find what brand of engine each boat had for their thruster, but have this to pass this along: the Henry had a 500 hp Bird-Johnson KaMeWa thruster, the Benson of 1924 had a 500 hp Murray & Tregurtha thruster.

[Guest]

Benson got her Bow Thruster in 1963. The Henry got hers in 1962 and she was the first to have a diesel bow thruster. Before then all the thrusters were electric.

Was the thruster a Cummins diesel?

[Brent]

Benson got her Bow Thruster in 1963. The Henry got hers in 1962 and she was the first to have a diesel bow thruster. Before then all the thrusters were electric.

[Guest]

With the comment regarding the bow thruster for the Henry Ford II vs Benson Ford below, it triggered a memory and a question: Does anyone know when the bow thruster was installed on Benson Ford and who the manufacturer of the thruster engine was?

[MarcVM]

Roger, I know the shot of the Benson Ford with the Ryerson astern is yours. Is the stern photo of the Henry Ford II that began the thread yours, too? Thanks.

[BigRiver]

Regarding the photo ... I took it. - Roger LeLievre

[MichAlex]

Thank you for posting the nice photo! The boat looks to be the Henry Ford II of 1924. How can I tell? A couple of these details it had were different than the Benson Ford of 1924. The Henry's forward bulwark, the white area at the bow with the name on it, was smooth and without seams in the steel. The smokestack for the bow thruster is toward the back and to the port side of the wheelhouse deck. Looking at the aft end, the Henry's deckhouse level just below the smokestack was longer than what was built on the Benson and at the time the image was taken, the Henry's smokestack would have been shorter than the Benson's. The photo was taken some time between 1962, when the Henry received the bow thruster, and 1967, the last year the Ford boats had the smokestack colors and insignia as seen here. I hope this helps. Alex

[John]

Can the photo of the Henry Ford II in the 1960's be added in the Henry Ford II Historical Perspective Gallery on this site?

http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/histor ... efault.htm

If so who should the photo be credited to?

[fireman12]

That is the Benson Ford of 1924 . Note the foreward mast , and the location of the Ford F . One of the diesel jobs that Ford built in the twenties , these were well liked ships , with a distinctive sound of their Doxfords as they went up and down the Detroit / St Clair River .

[MichAlex]

Hi Cottonwood. The Benson Ford you posted was formerly the Edward B. Greene of 1952 and was the third boat to carry the Ford name. Guest was asking whether the photo is the Benson Ford of 1924 or Henry Ford II of 1924.

[CottonwoodStudios]

This has to be the Henry. Because the Benson became the Kaye Barker. Note the size of the pilothouse.
http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/ ... bay-jh.jpg

[TWilush]

It appears to be the Henry, judging by the placement of the radar mast on the pilothouse, the arrangement of windows/doors on the rear of the forward house and the shape of the stack at the stern.

[Guest]

Any idea whether this image, likely from the 1960s, is the Benson Ford or the Henry Ford II? If so, how can you tell?

Thanks.