I had redundant posts concerning using water transport for automobiles. I've turned this one into mostly boats and the other one into mostly barges.
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| Dan Strayer posted [There are quite a few comments about sallvaging cars of the wrecked City of Bangor by driving them 200' on the ice to the shore. It hauled cars inside as well as on the deck using an elevator. But cars are lighter than ore or coal and it did not handle as well during storms.] Scott Sherwood shared 1932 Mark Garner shared a Loukas Ketsios post Neal Luoma posted a brown tinged copy The Boating Site posted 1926 Cargo Ship Transporting New Cars On The Great Lakes. Gilles Desautels: Probably from Detroit to Buffalo. Julie Waller Fletcher shared |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted Automobiles being unloaded from the deck of a ship in the harbor of Duluth, Minn. on May 1, 1929 (Minnesota Digital Library Collection). The cradles or tracks used to guide and hold the tires of the vehicles are visible on the deck with hatch covers underneath. The cars are being individually driven backwards to the bow of the vessel where there is a temporary ramp down to the dock. According to the collection notes, the Western Transit Co. is off loading the automobiles. The photograph was taken by Hugh McKenzie (1879-1957) and the original is housed in the Northeast Minnesota Historical Collection of the Kathryn A. Martin Library of the University of Minnesota Duluth. Additional Historical Information – Automobile Carriers of 1929 During the 1920s, it was not unusual for Great Lakes bulk freighters to carry the occasional deck load of new automobiles. In addition, there were shipping lines that purposely converted bulk freighters into specialized automobile carriers. In 1929, the largest fleet of automobile carriers in the region was owned and operated by the Nicholson-Universal Steamship Co. of Detroit, Mich. The shipping line was created in 1927 to acquire the fleet of the Nicholson Transit Co. of Ecorse, Mich. after William Nicholson agreed not to engage in the transportation of automobiles on the Great Lakes for period of 20 years. [The description continues with a history of some of the ships and nine URL references.] |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted An image of the freighter William H. Wolf upbound with a deck load of automobiles at the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on May 25, 1935 (Image Source: National Archives – Records of the Chief of Engineers – Construction and Renovation Photographs of St. Marys Falls Canal and Locks Collection). During the 1920s and 1930s, it was not unusual for Great Lakes bulk freighters to carry the occasional deck load of new automobiles. Cars were individually driven on and off the ship using temporary ramps. Cradles or tracks were laid on top of the ship’s hatch covers to guide the tires of the vehicles and hold them in place. Information Source: http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../shipping-cars... [The description continues with the history of the freighter.] [This is when I realized that I had two pages on the subject of shipping cars by freighters. I was adding this photo to the other webpage and this comment taught me I also had this page.] |
The caption below says barge, but this sure looks like a freighter.
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| Glen Miller posted A barge full of brand new Plymouths and Dodges arrives in Chicago from Michigan in the late 30's [A comment narrows the year to 1936 or 37. Another comment speculates that this is on the Calumet River, with which I agree. Remember this is decades before auto-transport rail cars were invented. Driving them onto a ship deck had to be a lot easier than stuffing them into boxcars. A caption below says they are taking advantage of the otherwise empty deck on bulk carriers. The standard cargo for this boat would be in the cargo hold.] Mike Breski posted A barge with new Dodge/Plymouths arrives in Chicago from Michigan, 1939, Chicago |
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| Melissa Lyons posted Classic Buicks being transported on the Ohio River by the barge fleet in 1918. This photo shows, two barges loaded with automobiles ready to leave for Southern points along the Ohio River. It was the first time that automobiles were shipped this way. Because of rail transportation difficulties the Ohio River has become a vital carrying line to the South. Date Taken: 5/13/1918 This incredible photo is a first for me as I had never seen one like it before. With the Riverboats, Bridges and the skyline in the background it makes for a great scene of early 1900s American life. Michael Tillman: The 2 bridges in the background are the Central Bridge from Cincinnati to Newport, Ky and the L&N bridge also from Cincinnati to Newport. Andy Ippolito shared |
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| Richard M. Gaskill posted July 26, 1949 Southeast Missourian The towboat, Commercial Tennessean, stopped in Cape Girardeau overnight for engine repairs while on the way from Memphis to St. Louis with a loaded automobile carrier type barge. The barge, three decks high, was carrying 137 new Ford automobiles for delivery to St. Louis, from where they were to be distributed to the dealer trade. After repairs the tow was to proceed today. (G.D. Fronabarger photo, unpublished) Andrew Weustoff shared John Alaniva That's the equivalent of more than 9 tri-levels! Tim O'Connor Automobiles were shipped on the Ohio River too. I have a paperback book "New Car Carriers 1910 to 1998" from Iconografix. There's some eye popping weird stuff in there! |
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| Route 66 Postcards posted We didn't know that the Ford plant in Route 66 city of St. Louis shipped their 1949 Fords via barge. This photo record shows it is at St. Louis, Missouri. It appears that they are be pushed up the river by a tow boat. The resolution of this photo is excellent. There are a couple of convertibles in this photo. Is this the Mississippi River or Missouri River? The St. Louis Assembly Plant was an automobile factory owned by Ford Motor Company in Hazelwood, Missouri. It was opened in 1948 and was closed in 2006. This photo is courtesy of photographer, Arthur Witman and the State Historical Society of Missouri. Sean Buckner: Seen pictures of 59 Chevy's on a barge transport going down the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee Ford wasn't the only one using this type of transportation. John Chase: Chrysler also shipped by barge back then. Max Wawrzyniak: From the late '40s on St. Louis was considered the #2 car city, right behind Detroit, because it had Ford, Chrysler and GM plants. From the late '40s until the very early '60s it was VERY common to ship new cars by barge. While there were dedicated car carriers such as pictured, it was also very common to ship cars on other types of barges. For example, those being the days before pipelines, a large amount of the gasoline and diesel fuel used in the St. Louis area came up the river from Gulf coast refineries in tank barges which were off-loaded at oil terminals in South St. Louis, East St. Louis and also Wood River. The empty tank barges would then be moved to the cobblestone levee and cars would be loaded onto the decks for shipment back south. Empty covered hopper grain barges would have cars loaded onto the steel lift covers for shipment north, and then after the cars were off-loaded up north, grain would be loaded into the barges for shipment to the Gulf Coast. When one sees aerial photos of the St. Louis Riverfront from the '50s one will note many, many parked automobiles. These are not the cars of tourists or downtown office workers- they are new cars awaiting shipment. Back in the late '80s/early '90s I knew an old man who had been employed in the loading of all these cars. Ronald Howard Covert: The Hazelwood plant built Mercury cars not Fords. Louisville Kentucky was Ford production for the south half of America. Mark Dinzebach: St Louis Assembly (Hazelwood) produced Mercury's. I believe these 49 Fords were produced in Memphis. Leonard Sandvik: At this same era, they were Assembling Fords in Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota also! Art Tidesco: Got the full production pallet there, 2 door, 4 door, woody and convertible 😎👍 Haden White: Guntersville Alabama on the Tennessee River’s southern most bend received river shipped cars during 1950s. Some of the residents of the area, especially farmers, acquired leased auto carriers for the few years. The nearby receiving areas included Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga as well as Tennessee valley areas. Christopher Simmons: The first Ford plant in St.Louis was at Forest Park and Sarah opened 1914, expanded 1917. The military used it during WWII. Now it's apartments now. |
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| Route 66 Postcards commented on their post 'AUTO BARGE' AT CAPE GIRARDEAU, ENROUTE TO ST. LOUIS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, 1949 American automobiles were shipped on specialty barges following World War Two, plying large rivers like the Mississippi and Ohio, serving assembly plants of the valleys. The Ford Motor Company moved new models along the Mississippi River, including northward from its Memphis plant to St. Louis, where a massive assembly line operated in North County. The reason Ford shuffled autos between Memphis and St. Louis was unclear in an e-search of historic newspapers. Possibly, the cities manufactured different car models. In July 1949, the Ford "Auto Barge" docked at Cape Girardeau, Mo. [pictured], for engine repair of its towboat Commercial Tennessean. The three-deck barge stood loaded with 137 new Fords, 1950 models, on the wharf at Cape Girardeau. The barge capacity was 180 cars. Photograph by G.D. Fronabarger for the Southeast Missourian newspaper, with digital image for non-commercial use. |
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| Thomas Kempland commented on the above post I think that the Ford Factory in Hazelwood build Mercurys so the Fords came up the river to go to the dealers. |
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| Richard M. Gaskil commented on his posting Here are some Model Ts being loaded on barges.There was a time when Fords were shipped from St. Paul Minnesota by barge on the Mississippi. A freight elevator brought them from the assembly floor to river level. Bill Stuart They loaded on barge at Norfolk Ford plant at one time. |
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| Mike Budde commented on Andrew's share |
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| 1 of 4 photos posted by Neal Luoma The "Frontenac 2" I believe This is a follow up on an eariler post I made. I found a few more photos of that trip. Fred Bultman: Taking a deckload of cars to Duluth. |
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| Dan Meyers posted Here is a great book on these lakers if you can find a copy. Douglas N Karen Chandler: A girl I want to high school with, her father was a wheelman on the CCI Pontiac. He told us a story of leaving Detroit with better than sixty autos on the deck of the ore carrier, and got caught in a gale on Lake Superior. When they arrived in Duluth they had none on deck. From what he said, this was common. |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted An image of the Ford Motor Co. freighter Chester with a deck load of new automobiles circa 1931-1940 (Image Source: Wayne State University – Walter P. Reuther Library – Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs). The photograph may have been taken at the Ford Rouge River complex in Dearborn, Mich. Additional Historical Information Launched in 1931, the Chester was built at River Rouge, Mich. by the Great Lakes Engineering Works for the Ford Motor Co. The 300-foot vessel was designed to transit Lake Erie, the New York State Barge Canal and the Hudson River. [The description continues with more history about Chester.]Michael Meredith: Yes, Rouge River factory, taken from south side of Dix Street bridge. Judy Barnes-DePeal shared |
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| Kevin Lackey posted The Commercial Clipper on the Tennessee River in 1950. Bob Reynolds: They hauled cars from Cincinnati and Louisville to Guntersville, AL. Tennessee and Kentucky had very high highway taxes, and to circumvent that they shipped cars destined for the cities of Atlanta and Birmingham on the river. Carl Wallace: I remember that carrier, when we heard it coming we had to run to the River to keep the boats from sinking. There was one other carrier but I can’t remember the name. We could tell which one it was by the sound, either one threw enough waves to sink the boats that were tied to the bank. Larry Alt: the other was the Commercial Courier. Barry Griffith: The Commercial Clipper had a sister boat named Commercial Express. Their only difference was power. The Clipper had quad Detroit 6-71 engines where the Express had Fairbanks Morse OP engines. The Commercial Courier had a round pilothouse and built from a navy ship. |
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| Shelby Louden commented on Kevin's post |
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| Mark Fox commented on Kevin's post Commercial express.. I started my career on it as a landing/office barge... Wooten River Service 1978 the strb. Wheel was still on it.. When high water came it turned and would scare the crap out if you.. [It appears the lift span has been moved from the north side of the canal to the south side. 3D Satellite] |
great post and information. Thx much.
ReplyDeleteSo very interesting! Photos are fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with all of the tips and important source you've posted here. Keep going because you definitely bring a new voice to this topic.
ReplyDelete