Old Tugboats Never Die

But they do sink! Sadly these two boats sank in a slip along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

They sat on the bottom for a while. Then a salvage crew hoisted them onto the pier using a massive floating crane. The Carol Wales is what’s known as a “railroad tug.” She was built by one of the railroads, probably in the 1930’s or 1940’s. The railroads used to have large marine departments. Railcars were loaded onto barges known as “car floats.” These car floats typically had three sets of tracks onto which the railcars where rolled and secured. Then the barges were towed across rivers and to a special type of bridge onto which the railcars could be unloaded and sent on their way. The Big Boy was a “navy hull,” meaning that it was built during World War II under a Defense Plant Contract. These tugs are sometimes referred to as DPC hulls.

That gash in the wheelhouse above was probably caused by one the cables strung under the tug by the salvage crew. It’s a shame for these old boats. They’re big and clumsy compared to their modern counterparts. However, they have proud lines and a long history. Trouble is, they’re obsolete.

They’re both single screw, having only one main engine and one propeller. Many ship owners want twin screw boats helping their vessels to the dock simply for the sake of reliability. This is especially true in the case of oil tankers.

That propeller on the left is about seven feet in diameter, which means the Carol Wales probably had an engine in the 1700 horsepower class. I worked with plenty of single screw boats and never had a problem. A good engineer and crew keeps things in reliable condition. And if you have an anchor, you drop the hook, fix what broke, and get on with the job. If not, well, chances are you’ll be in for plenty of misery that happens slowly enough that you can see it coming.

I’m glad to have taken these photographs. Both of these boats will be cut up for scrap iron in the next couple of weeks. Two more for the boneyard and a piece of history gone from the planet.

Published in: on September 6, 2008 at 11:24 am  Comments (4)  
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Pisa, Italy, Way Back When

Looking through those old photos at the United States Library of Congress, I came across this one from Pisa, Italy. At first, I thought it was of a scale model. On closer inspection, I realized it was the real thing. Look closely at the buildings and people in the frame.

This is one of those large format, panoramic photos that are a joy to look at. It would most likely be impossible to make this image today. The crowds and the new buildings would all be in the way.

I haven’t been to Italy in many years, and the last time I was there, did not get south of Bologna. I’d like to see Pisa as well as the rest of the country. Of course, Italy is one of those places like Spain; you could spend a lifetime and still not absorb it all. Fortunately we have archives like the Library of Congress where you can see such sights without even leaving your desk. This is not a substitute for the real thing. However, it does satisfy a certain need to see what’s there.

I have a bad habit of writing two or three stories at one time. I bounce between them when the mood strikes. After looking at photos like this, I’m inspired to write episodes for my historical novels (such as MacMillan Judge, Privateer). It’s fun to play in the past where you know how things turned out. The future is a bit more difficult. It leaves you worried that when the future becomes the present, your interpretations will be judged. Maybe that’s the fun of it: putting yourself out there, asking other people to give their opinion on your work. You can’t please all of the people all of the time. I’d venture to say you can only please a few people once in a while. So long as you’re happy with what you’ve done, well, you’re on the right track.

Published in: on September 3, 2008 at 2:32 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Refinery At Dawn

This is a photo of the refinery located in San Nicolaas, Aruba. Back in the day when I used film in my photographic efforts, I always wanted to take a great night shot of the place. I never got around to it, and now my film cameras rest in my museum of things I used to love. I took a chance using my little consumer digital camera and this is what I got:

It’s not the greatest picture. However, it does give the impression of the photo I always wanted to take. Among the cameras that I used to use regularly was a Horseman 4X5 field camera. If you’re not familiar with photography, just think of those old cameras with the bellows and the guy sticking his head under a cloth. The film was 4 inches by 5 inches in size. When you have an original that large, you can make enlargements that are crystal clear up to about 3 feet by 4 feet. I have a few of those around the house. The problem was that getting the film developed became more and more expensive as well as more difficult to find a lab to do it. Thus, into the museum went the camera, lenses, and film holders.

I regularly consult photographs of locations that appear in my stories. These pictures help keep my writing organized. With digital cameras and small printers it is easier than ever to build a story board that chronicles the narrative from beginning to end. This becomes more important as the amount of pages increases. You would be surprised how easy it is to get lost in the middle of writing a novel. A quick look at the story boards and you’re back on track. Not only that, it’s fun to look at your original ideas after the book is completed. It’s amazing what you thought you were going to do as compared to how things turned out. That’s the beauty of fiction, you can rearrange it when you have to.

Published in: on September 2, 2008 at 12:24 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Gear UP!

I remember my first flight. It was on the old Eastern Airlines. My family and I flew from Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton airport in Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida. It was a Disney vacation for the five of us. The plane was not very crowded and we were allowed to spread out. I clambered into a window seat to watch the take off. For a small boy, it was huge thrill.

Since then, I’ve done my share of flying in various types of aircraft, from jetliners to small single engine craft to helicopters. Each time the plane makes that final turn onto the runway for takeoff, I can’t help but anticipate the joy of leaving the ground. The sound of the landing gear locking in the up position means we’re on our way to cruising altitude.

These days I’m fortunate to be able to travel to several faraway places on an annual basis. The downside is that travel is not as friendly as it was back on that flight with Eastern. Something happens when people get in line at the airport for a security check. Whatever it is, it only gets worse when they board the plane. By the time they’re in the air, they’re practically out of their minds. They commit all sorts of horrible acts. They harass the cabin staff. They expect gourmet meals from a galley the size of a closet. They have to smack the seats in every direction on their way back and forth to the lavatory the way a five-year-old would. On top of it all, they complain that their ticket costs too much. Really? They probably paid less per mile than it costs to drive a car with four paying people over the same distance.

I have no idea what causes this form of behavior. Flying used to be fun, glamourous, and exciting. I remember people used to dress well for a trip on an airplane. Now, it’s like a cattle call for that annoying character in every sitcom. Why? If you simply want to grind on people, pick another place, like your local Marine Corps base where the people inside might give back plenty of what you dish out. They might enjoy it and you might find it instructional.

Sadly, this experience replicates itself on cruise ships, in hotel lobbies, and on beaches, not to mention the line at the grocery store, the local freeway, and the movie theatre. I witness it and can’t help but wonder, “Man, can’t you work out your issues some other way?” I hear so many people talk about the pressure they’re under, the stress, the awful lives they lead. Hey, man, change it. Again, don’t tell me you can’t. It only took Edison a couple thousand tries before he got the light bulb. The Wright Brothers wrecked plenty of planes before they got one to fly. No doubt Harley and Davidson wiped out a good many bikes before straddling a cruiser that took to the road with all the glory they had envisioned. These people were doing things for the first time, things no one had done before. The rest of us, we’re your average citizen simply on the way from one place to another. Going along to get along might be the way to think and act.

Life is a work in progress, not a perfect state of being. Relax, enjoy the journey. When you figure out where you’re going, the destination will be still be there.

Published in: on August 26, 2008 at 9:05 am  Comments (3)  
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