unfortunately this has been tried over the years. Any money they have been able to raise goes to the sky high dock fees leaving nothing for projects.

Smaug, who is guarding the piles of gold that would only take a few coins off the top to fully restore the United States, would not approve.

Brian Helfrich

Perhaps using the model that the T1 Trust - and the various Great Britain new build steam engines - would be more successful.

Unfortunately, there's an issue that would severely interfere with the recreation of just about any ocean liner of the past.

The cruise industry of 2024 is heavily focused on ever more gargantuan ships, offering all manner of more attractions and stratified offerings of increasing luxury (for different price tiers, of course). The ships of the era of ABC's "The Love Boat" (and all the ones actually featured on the show of old) have all been scrapped after being sold "down-tier" to operators in other countries. They were neither big nor luxurious enough to survive.

In the hospitality industry in 2024 (and that's what we're discussing, not the transport industry), you can sell "quaint" and "historic," but only with substantial upgrading and luxury "escape" added. People will want "throwback" accommodations, but only with wi-fi, satellite TV, modern mattresses, fine wine/craft beer/gourmet cuisine, etc. People SAY they want the old-time experience, but in reality they don't. The Grand Canyon Railway is an example--they started with all open-window-coaches behind steam; not it's all they can do to sell one open-window car per 10-15 car train. I expect that Colonial Williamsburg or Tombstone, Arizona don't have an accurately "period" amount of horse manure in the streets.

If one were to build a replica "RMS Queen Elizabeth," the "SS France/Norway," or "SS United States," the amount of "creative adaptation" that would be required to satisfy modern cruise passengers would make such a ship not a "historical replica" but a "creative adaptation."
(And BTW, read through the histories of those ships, and you'll see several more variations of the SS United States' travails. The SS US has just kicked the can down the road for longer.)

A friend of mine and fellow rail enthusiast/preservationist (he bought a switcher for his company based on its Milwaukee Road heritage) just visited aboard and shared photos:

https://www.facebook.com/JohnRust2024/p ... skeSwJy1al

Great photo. Looks like a good supply of Vitamin L.

The link does not open.

Just got him to re-set the post to "public." Try now.

And you thought painting the roof of your railroad car was a chore?

Feel like a drink?

These are very welcome pictures. The reality of the aging and wear comes through shockingly. The iconic bar could be saved and integrated into another restaurant type facility. It would take a crew of hundreds to maintain her exterior even after it was restored.

I'm one of those folks who doesn't know diddley about big ships, but hates to see this one towed out to sea and scuttled. Just going by weight alone, I figure that restoring the SS United States would be about equivalent to restoring my Porter saddletanker times FIFTEEN HUNDRED. Yup, it would be like fixing up 1500 lokies all at the same time. Anybody up for that ??

All you need, Sammy, is just 1499 more old men who want to fix up an old ship. :)

I saw the SS US this morning, sitting at her pier. She's in remarkable condition for a steel ship that went out of service 55 years ago. There's been movement on her legal case.

The Conservancy and Oppalussa County have agreed she is going to Florida to be an artificial reef. It's not a done deal; the pier owner has to come aboard and the Federal Judge has to approve the deal.

Phil Mulligan

A contractor has already started work to prepare the ship for towing to Norfolk where the liner will be prepped for sinking. Last week the anchors were removed and stored on deck.

Shame to see all that recyclable steel and iron going to waste.

I have never understood why, if the Intrepid is not in chronic danger of sinking, the United States socked next to her would have to be.

That's the logical place -- and perhaps the logical approach to docking and caretaking -- for that historic ship.

Have her on external display until you progressively rebuild interior spaces for museum purposes -- or hotel space.