Jon Paul wrote: ↑August 31, 2023, 7:20 am
The E J Block was also a motor vessel having been recovered with a diesel in 1948
I've always wondered what fleet officials thought of the E. J. Block repowering as similar projects were not done to the L. E. Block and Philip D. Block not to mention that steam turbine propulsion was chosen for the building of the Edward L. Ryerson. If I recall correctly, the E. J. Block repowering was diesel-electric, much like that used in train locomotives but I may be wrong in that.
Don't forget too that the Philip D. Block was repowered with steam turbine propulsion in the mid 1950's, several years later.
Much like the New York Central Railroad's experience with diesel power in their New York City tugboats, it would appear that the Inland Steel fleet wasn't too thrilled with how the experiment worked out with the E.J. Block's dieselization and decided to stick with steam.
Jon Paul wrote: ↑August 31, 2023, 7:20 am
The E J Block was also a motor vessel having been recovered with a diesel in 1948
I've always wondered what fleet officials thought of the E. J. Block repowering as similar projects were not done to the L. E. Block and Philip D. Block not to mention that steam turbine propulsion was chosen for the building of the Edward L. Ryerson. If I recall correctly, the E. J. Block repowering was diesel-electric, much like that used in train locomotives but I may be wrong in that.
I have noticed one minor inaccuracy on the Joseph L. Block Gallery Page. In the first paragraph of the vessel's historical write-up it is said that the Joseph L. Block was "the first diesel powered vessel to belong to the Inland Steel fleet". This is incorrect as The Inland, the former Steel Chemist, acquired in 1946 to operate in the fleet carrying finished steel products was diesel powered. This vessel was only in the Inland Steel fleet for a short period of time before being sold to Canadian interests in 1948. I seem to recall reading that The Inland was acquired by the steel company as a bargaining chip in negotiating railway freight rates in moving its products primarily between Indiana Harbor, Indiana, and Detroit, Michigan.