I didn't say that the fuel tank arrangement/location had any bearing on whether the boat received a stern or bow mounted self unloading system. Please re-read the last three sentences of the first paragraph and you'll better understand the hinderance of a fuel tank that is mounted within a coal bunker.Guest wrote: ↑August 15, 2023, 3:50 pm The fuel tank arrangement would've had no bearing on whether a self-unloader was stern or bow for the Fitzgerald. For example, the Ernest T. Weir (later Courtney Burton), was orginally coal-fired and her self-unloader conversion entailed relocating the fuel tanks to either side of the conveyor trunk for her stern-mounted self-unloader.
I have a drawing from 1982, that Marine Designers and Consultants did for Interlake Steamship of a proposed stern-mounted self-unloader installation for the John Sherwin. As in the Ernest T. Weir, the fuel tanks in the former coal bunker would be relocated on either side of the stern-mounted conveyor trunk. It was in the early 1990s that the plan was revised to a forward-mounted self-unloader installation.
It is true though; the Courtney Burton was indeed converted in this manner after she had the fuel tanks installed within the coal bunkers like the Sherwin and Fitzgerald. It wasn't a terribly efficient design, and contributed greatly to the relatively short career of the Burton as a self unloader (only about 20 seasons worth of work). She spent much of her career with Olgebay Norton as well as American Steamship in layup and when trade conditions dipped, she was the first vessel to be idled. The saddle tanks that were used in her conversion were too small and she requried frequent stops to refuel. She'd refuel in Duluth and need to refuel again in Sarnia on the way back up. These are some of the factors that would have come up when the conversion design was being considered so the tank location, and cost associated with tank volume and relocation of them, would most certainly been something that fleet management would have been looking at. The bow vs. stern unloading gear location is primarily affected by the ports that the vessel will be serving.