by Richard Jenkins » January 10, 2011, 10:57 am
They were "near-sisters", both built to a very similar design, as were most of the Pittsburgh "standard 600-footers" that came out between 1923 and 1930. Visually, the main spotting feature to tell the difference between the 1927 boats and the 1929-1930 boats as built (not including the Myron C. Taylor with her extra guest quarters) was the slightly larger pilothouse on the newer boats. Of course the subsequent rebuilds also made them easier to tell apart, as some were repowered, some were converted to self-unloaders, and some remained straight-deck steamers to the end. Interestingly, although the Cedarville received a streamlined, diesel-style smokestack like those applied to the Calcite II and Myron C. Taylor when they were repowered, Cedarville was still a steamer when she sank.
They were "near-sisters", both built to a very similar design, as were most of the Pittsburgh "standard 600-footers" that came out between 1923 and 1930. Visually, the main spotting feature to tell the difference between the 1927 boats and the 1929-1930 boats as built (not including the Myron C. Taylor with her extra guest quarters) was the slightly larger pilothouse on the newer boats. Of course the subsequent rebuilds also made them easier to tell apart, as some were repowered, some were converted to self-unloaders, and some remained straight-deck steamers to the end. Interestingly, although the Cedarville received a streamlined, diesel-style smokestack like those applied to the Calcite II and Myron C. Taylor when they were repowered, Cedarville was still a steamer when she sank.