ACL expansion

No.2 Fuel Fired Boilers

Anyone really interested in bringing the D.Q. back would be well advised to consider replacing the current boilers with New #2 fired boilers.
Chief Fred Rich researched this and showed cost recovery in appox. 6 years. Less maintinence, cleaner, single fuel for all systems, greater efficency with newer tech. Some cost recovery for less deck cleaning.
The steam is the same regardless of the fuel. just one more idea to throw on the table.

It also does not have to be heated, resulting in greater crew comfort/morale.

Jim,

Sadly enough, the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE Marketing Department removed any historical or engineering-related material from their advertising a couple of years ago...focusing on meal rides and not the boat herself. Perhaps this was not to detract from the SPIRIT OF JEFFERSON...which they must run to make ends meet. They focus their education on their product thoward you when you are aboard. They are more than glad to point out what she is and why she is important. But, as a way to get you on her...they dropped that.

I would agree with you, in that for me and many other mechanically-minded people, steam is what it is all about. Perhaps in the Marketing world, they see it different because of some demographics database they have procured from a computer in Walla Walla, Washington or some other place that has its fingertips on the pulse of the direction of the world!

Travis

Fred Carmichael;19825 wrote: Anyone really interested in bringing the D.Q. back would be well advised to consider replacing the current boilers with New #2 fired boilers.
Chief Fred Rich researched this and showed cost recovery in appox. 6 years. Less maintinence, cleaner, single fuel for all systems, greater efficency with newer tech. Some cost recovery for less deck cleaning.
The steam is the same regardless of the fuel. just one more idea to throw on the table.

or take it one step further with bio-fuel capability!

it runs on "clean & renewable" soybean oil, or alike...

Travis Vasconcelos;19827 wrote:

I would agree with you, in that for me and many other mechanically-minded people, steam is what it is all about. Perhaps in the Marketing world, they see it different because of some demographics database they have procured from a computer in Walla Walla, Washington or some other place that has its fingertips on the pulse of the direction of the world!

Travis

Trav,

Since, as far as I know, there is only one "pure" steamboat among the six boats that MAL attempted to run, that consideration as a marketing tool for the entire fleet was, and would be, moot. (I think there was a seventh, but she was never a viable part of the operation.)

The good thing is that any fleet that includes the Delta Queen would be able to promote her as another alternative experience. But as an overall marketing tool, I really don't think the majority of the niche market knows or cares to know, what drives the boat. Whenever I was asked about the paddlewheel on the Empress, I told the truth about it's largely decorative purpose. I usually got a shrug of the shoulders in response. An ugly truth perhaps, but it is what it is.

But diversity is good. Each of the boats has her own personality, appealing to different people for different reasons. The DQ experience was pehaps the most unique among them all, but the AQ, MQ, EON, CQ and QOTH each made her own way in her own way. The fact that we all have our favorites is testament to that. If they all were the same, it would not matter much which on boat we, or the pax, rode.

Dontcha think?

Paul

As a crewman on a steam excursion boat for several years I can tell everybody that, with the exception of a few fans, passengers could care less about what makes a boat go. Those few fans will travel 'round the world to find a steam-powered boat and pay any price to ride, but the average and typical passenger is simply not interested. After one mixed drink and ten minutes they don't even know they are on a boat!