In a recent column we detailed the innovative tunnel hull, screw wheel steam towboat James Rumsey, built by Charles Ward Engineering Works, Charleston, W.Va., in 1903. Against all odds,… Read More
Old Boat Column
A look back into the rich history of the inland waterways transportation industry. From the earliest steam paddlewheelers to the grand sternwheel and sidewheel packets, and the eventual transition from steam to diesel, you’ll find fascinating stories and photos of a different steamboat every week.
October brings thoughts of fall, including brightly colored leaves, pumpkins, fodder shocks and other signs of comfort. Of course, there are other fall thoughts that are somewhat scary,… Read More
From the beginning of World War II, the inland shipyards of the United States had been almost totally committed to building vessels for the war effort. Few commercial towboats… Read More
A book titled “The Little Engine That Could” came out in 1930 “as retold by Watty Piper,” a pen name for Arnold Munk. This beloved tale for children tells… Read More
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, several towboats in the 3,000 hp. class were built with hulls that were relatively wide for their somewhat short length. This was… Read More
The last column dealt with a towboat built in 1955 for Sioux City and New Orleans Barge Line that was named Kansas City and operated on the Missouri River… Read More
Sioux City and New Orleans Barge Lines, Inc. (SCNO) was formed in the early 1950s for the purpose of towing between those two cities, with an emphasis on the… Read More
In recent columns, we have looked at radical new designs for barges and then a towboat. This column will again detail a vessel that was designed with the idea… Read More
Dravo Corporation’s Neville Island, Pa., shipyard was a large producer of many types of vessels during World War II. After the Ernest T. Weir and Albert E. Heekin were… Read More
In the November 10, 2025, issue of The Waterways Journal, this column touched on the history of Hillman Barge & Construction Company. In 1903, Pittsburgh Steel established a repair… Read More
