The famous steam boat Mississippi Queen has made her last trip to a Louisiana scrapper.
The pieces are going to (where else?) China. Reminds me of Japan buying all that scrap prior to WWII and then sending it back in bombs and ammo.
Anyway, here's a link to the story:
http://www.wbrz.com/news/workers-tearin ... riverboat/

-Jim Herron

Whoa, I'm shocked to not only hear of its scrapping but discovered that the American Queen is laid up and for sale. So there's no overnight riverboat service anymore? What the heck happened?

This is just sad. I'm guessing the economy can be blamed.

It's been discussed here before on the Delta Queen thread(s), but I think one reason both the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen were not sucessful is that they were both too big to be profitable. Turns out that the Delta Queen was the right size to run a profitable riverboat.

Even before the economy tanked, the copany that operated these boats had been in financial trouble, and in the end was just running the Delta Queen.

I hope they save the steam engines from this boat. They could be useful someday in the future.

When I first moved to St. Louis in 2004, I was down by the river on a Saturday night and watched the Delta Queen pull off from the wharf and head upriver, with the steam calliope playing as it passed under the Eads Bridge. I never thought such a sight would be extince within my lifetime.

I'm really glad I went to Tall Stacks in Cincinnati in '95 and got to see all three Delta Queen Co. sternwheelers, including riding the Race for the Golden Antlers on the Belle of Louisville against the Delta Queen. This was the first big event for the American Queen, and I chased it from Wheeling to Cincinnati over a two day period. I discovered that chasing a boat can be more difficult than chasing a train, often there are fewer places to access a riverbank than there are to get next to a railroad.

A number of river boat enthusiasts I talked to were not fond of the looks of the Mississippi Queen, especially the long windows at the stern. Just a matter of taste, I guess. This was right after the end of the NS steam program, and I was pining away for a steam fix of any kind, so that is why I chased the AQ and went to the festival. It was a good time, and now I've got some truly historic photographs a lot sooner than I would have expected.

Here is a link to more on the story of why, but it still leaves a bunch of unanswered questions. It does provide information on what happened, and why. Also gives background that led up to the financial problems. Pictures accompany the story.


http://maritimematters.com/2011/04/wind ... ankruptcy/

Some pictures of her condition prior to scrapping:

http://www.steamboats.com/museum/mississippiqueen.html

It would have taken $40M to return to operation a boat many said was too large to turn a profit on the Mississippi.

Like others said, I hope they salvage the steam engines and other machinery.

Were the engines and wheel on the Mississippi Queen made new when the boat was built, or are they repurposed from an older (scrapped) vessel? Noticed that the Steamboats dot com site mentions another boat being built in Maryland--will it be steam powered or some sort of hybrid plant?

Guess those really aren't questions for a railroad preservation board-but if the steamboat world is building new engines for vessels (of course much easier than a railroad locomotive) then that is a portent for us.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Something is telling me, like her sister American Queen the engines in the Mississippi Queen are from a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers "dust bin" dredger.

They are from the towboat "Jason."

I thought the Mississippi Queen engines were new-built for the boat? American Queen has vinatge steam, but diesel Z-drive does most of the work.

Wesley

Not according to what I have read. The Natchez, another "new build" steamboat, has the engines from a 1925 steam pushboat.

From Steamboats.org:

The MQ's were made for her from plans from a previous set used elsewhere.

The AQ steam machinery is from the Corps dredge KENNEDY. When the DQ Company was shopping for engines for the AQ, they looked at the MISSISSIPPI's which are owned by New Orleans Steamboat, but opted for the KENNEDY's.

The NATCHEZ' engines were bought and removed from the Ohio River towboat CLAIRTON. They were built in 1925, the NATCHEZ in 1975.

Wesley

There is a new sternwheeler being built now for the river trade. However, it will be diesel powered. Strangely, they have chosen the name "Queen of the Mississippi" for it. Seven night cruises will be in the $4,000 range, per person, double occupancy. At those prices, they may have a tough time making it work.

The three Queens were last operated by Majestic American Line (MAL) who had no prior experience in running Ohio and Mississippi river boat cruises. They mismanaged the operation completely in their short operation (2-3 years). First, they sidelined the MQ and said it was getting a major overhaul and remodeling. It never happened and the boat sat out of service and growing mold and rust everywhere. The DQ and AQ did ok but the company did away with their union crews in 2007 which made enemies out of the unions.

When the DQ's exemption from the Safety at Sea act came up for renewal in 2008, the union pulled the strings on their favorite congressman James Oberstar to deny the renewal. Oberstar controlled the funding appropriation for the Coast Guard and the DQ's exemption was tied into that although there was no federal money involved. He even refused to allow the DQ exemption to be voted upon by removing it from the bill. The DQ was therefore forced into retirement on Oct 31, 2008. Since then, it has been leased to a company in Chattanooga for use as a hotel. If you go there, please spend a night aboard it. It has been maintained in nearly serviceable condition and efforts are still underway to get the exemption and put it back in service. This is more possible now with Oberstar losing his re-election last year.

The company raised prices for their cruises a couple of times during their operation but began losing some of it's patronage because of that. By October, 2008, they were far in the red and retired the AQ a few days after the DQ. The AQ is in good condition and is for sale. It is stored at Beaumont, TX.

So, the things that sunk the overnight steamboat business were 1, mismanagement, 2, higher prices and 3, a vengeful union and their puppet congressman.

I made cruises on the DQ in 2001 and 2006 and the AQ in 2005 and 2007. All were excellent. If either goes back in service, I hope to go again. I have no interest in the new boat due to it's diesel drive. Real is real and a fake is a fake.

I produced videos of the DQ's 75th Anniversary cruise and it's final cruise from Cincinnati to Memphis in 2008 plus one of the AQ on a 7 night trip from St. Louis to St. Paul.

-Jim Herron

Jim and all,

Looks like the AQ was recently sold by the Maritime Administration to a company in New Albany, IN to use on river cruises:

http://steamboats.com/wordpress/

If true, it's good news.
David