Former Straits train ferry Chief Wawatam's triple expansion steam engine, if anyone's looking for parts ?


lamontdc@adelphia.net

> Former Straits train ferry Chief Wawatam's
> triple expansion steam engine, if anyone's
> looking for parts ?

The destruction of the "Chief" was a true tragedy. I only got to witness her under steam once, but I will never forget it. My wife and I were at St. Ignace on vacation last month and our ferry to the island made a stop at the railroad dock. Very sad indeed.

Don C.

milw261@sbcglobal.net

That's actually only one of three triple expansion steam engines that were on board the Chief. It's located at the Algoma Steel Export dock, on the Canadian side above the locks at Sault Ste. Marie. Another one is sitting at the Purvis Marine dock below the locks. The third engine, which had been used to drive a propeller in the ship's bow to help with icebreaking, is now enshrined at the Manitowoc Marine Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Sure would have been nice if the whole boat could have been preserved.


rjenkins@railfan.net

Folks,

Not all is lost; the engine from the forward ice-breaking engine room was purchased by the Manitowoc Maritime Museum (Wisconsin) and is on display in their newly expanded building there.

Yes, the Chief was amazing! I believe she was the last hand fired coal burning steamer in North America.

Everybody I know who saw her in action will never forget it!

Ted Miles
Ted Miles

ted_miles@nps.gov

> Former Straits train ferry Chief Wawatam's
> triple expansion steam engine, if anyone's
> looking for parts ?

I was mentioning to Ted Miles off-line that in searching the HABS/HAER website, I found out that the very derelict remains of the former Western Pacific, former Southern Pacific steam ferry SIERRA NEVADA are also still with us. The ferry was preserved intact at Ports of Call Village in San Pedro, CA, but she sank in a 1978 storm. Apparently, her propulsion engine, pumps, and other machinery were raised, and are stored at the Seaplane Anchorage, Terminal Island, Los Angeles County, CA. The HABS/HAER website has several pictures of the main engine and a picture of it's Worthington bilge steam lizard. She would also seem like another ideal candidate for the Portola Railroad Museum.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

HABS/HAER website
james1@pernet.net

> I was mentioning to Ted Miles off-line that
> in searching the HABS/HAER website, I found
> out that the very derelict remains of the
> former Western Pacific, former Southern
> Pacific steam ferry SIERRA NEVADA are also
> still with us. The ferry was preserved
> intact at Ports of Call Village in San
> Pedro, CA, but she sank in a 1978 storm.
> Apparently, her propulsion engine, pumps,
> and other machinery were raised, and are
> stored at the Seaplane Anchorage, Terminal
> Island, Los Angeles County, CA. The
> HABS/HAER website has several pictures of
> the main engine and a picture of it's
> Worthington bilge steam lizard. She would
> also seem like another ideal candidate for
> the Portola Railroad Museum.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a

Just saw the Chief's one triple at the Manitowac Marine Museum. Quite possibly one of the best exhibits of its type that i have ever seen. To bad the State of Michigan didn't see fit to do this in Mackinac City or St. Ignace, but that's the State of Michigan for you.

TJ


Port Huron Museum
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

As I understand it, there were four bidders when the Chief was put up for sale in 1988. Three of them would have had her preserved intact in some form or another in either Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. Purvis Marine had the high bid at something like $120k, and the rest (and the Chief) is history.

rjenkins@railfan.net