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Thanks Garbear. I started my sailing career on Hallet #5 when I boarded the Detroit Edison there on July 7, 1979. They off-loaded stone at Hallet #5 and then moved over and loaded taconite that I think went to Indiana Harbor.

Where does all the aggregate that is unloaded on Hallet dock #5 go to? Lake freighters have been bringing cargo to that dock for decades.

I do not know if the James A. was ever powered by a steam engine. Back in 1982, I actually slept aboard the James A. one night while I was working for Hannah (Tampa Tugs) and was in S. Chicago waiting for the Kings Challenger to arrive. At that time the James was powered by an opposed piston diesel.

A deisel engine can be decoupled and shut down for service while the boat is in operation provided the other engines or engine are operating fine. if the boat only had one engine, you better hope that if the engine had to be shut down, you are someplace you can drop anchor or safely float until repa...

In my years of working in the engine room on a steamboat, all the boats were equipped with water tube boilers. It was still referred to as "blowing flues". That was probably lingo that was carried on over the years, but you knew what it meant when the Engineer told you that we need to do &...

When refering to "blowing flues" (tubes) on a water tube boiler, you are blasting the outside of the tube with HP steam to clean off the soot to allow for better heat transfer. All the soot goes up and out the stack.

Statmk, what position did you have while sailing on the John T. Hutchinson in 1981? I was an Oiler on the Hutchinson in 1981 from fit-out to lay-up without a day off.

Guest, your Uncle is pretty much "on the mark" with the hazards that working with a steam power plant could pose. With that said, I think from a young engine room employee's perspective, I would take steam over diesel any day. When you work with a steam power plant you are learning real en...

I sailed 1979-85 and worked entirely in the engine room. Back then, on the steamships, the deck crew usually departed one to two days after tying up at the dock. The engine room crew stayed for approximately 30 days laying-up the engine room and performing maintenance. We would take the equipment, e...

I was on the Detroit Edison as Wiper from from July 1979 until January 23, 1980.When were you on the Edison?

In 1979 I sailed as a wiper on the Detroit Edison. For our Thanksgiving meal I remember shrimp coctail, filet, turkey and plenty of wine. Fortunately, we were at anchor and could enjoy the meal and then take a nap.

After the Detroit Edison grounded on Grey's reef in 1980, did she come back out and haul cargo for any period of time before being scrapped in 1985?

My dad brought the John T Hutch out 6 years in a row every year it was something different loss a tub, put load on thruster motor break kicks out go to lift the boom and a cable breaks having trouble getting the reverse to work rudder sticks cooks stove stops working you name it; it has happened sp...

How big is the Marine Mart Flea Market? Would there be vendors available from whom I might be able to purchase pictures of freighters? I am trying to decide if it is worthwhile to drive there from Buffalo.

On the "News Channel", someone skipped a day and posted the "Today in Great Lakes History" posting for tomorrow December 23rd instead of the 22nd.

Hannah did own Tampa Tugs. I worked aboard the Kings Challenger as an engineer in 1983 & 84 while laid off from American Steamship Company. From what I can remember, the Tampa Tug fleet consisted of three tugs, the Kings Challenger, Queens Challenger and another tug, whose name slips my mind, th...

The Canadiana used to carry passengers from Buffalo over to the Crystal Beach amusement park in Canada. The park was closed and torn down in the late 80's or early 90's.

The best boat I sailed on was the Detroit Edison. I worked on her as a Wiper, in the engine room, from July 1979 to January 1980. She was a smooth riding quiet steam turbine with a rather spacious and clean engine room. I do not think anyone in the deck department appreciated the Edison as much as I...

Jon Paul,

It would be interesting to find out who Republic in Buffalo received their ore from. I was on the Detroit Edison for most of 1979 and we made 4 or 5 trips from Silver Bay to Bethlehem in Lackawanna (Buffalo) but never to Republic.

Bob

Rob,

I do not have any photos of Republic Steel in Buffalo. There are plenty on the internet. You can also visit the Rail Way and Steel Making museum across from the old Republic site at the old Buffalo Color plant.

Bob