AQ's Woes

In that case I'm glad I got to see the AQ rolling her wheel, under steam power, upbound past my landing on Monday.. Hope it won't be the last time to see that this year.

That has to be the strangest-built Wheel I've ever seen... must be something amiss in the design. Unusual stresses on the Shaft....

Word coming across the sternline telegraph today is that the poor old gal is having more troubles. She is sitting in Maysville with Z-drive problems. Hopefully, the required parts to fix the drives will arrive soon, the Z's repaired, the U.S. Coast Guard giving their blessing , and that she'll be sailing the 410 miles remaining to the Iron City.

and even more...

Well, at least you guys on the Ohio will see her in one condition or another. Right now we are getting inundated, yet again (my basement is flooded which is where the litter boxes are - can cats swim???) and they have just announced a flood crest prediction of 22 feet here for Saturday. And more rain is on the way. If that level is reached, it will be the second worst on record, and just yesterday we were expecting minor flooding. The AQ's first UMR trip is scheduled through here on July 19th, and for that to happen, the river would have to drop at least 12 feet to give her any chance under bridges. And if we do get that high crest, river traffic will be at a standstill because the locks will be closed down with water over their machinery... in other words, it looks like she'll be on the O-hi-o for a while, unless they'd opt to lay up to fix the wheel, which is doubtful. Of course, with no wheel and now z-drive issues.....
I have no idea what the QoM's schedule is/was, but she'd be in the same boat, so to speak, regarding bridge clearances, etc.
What I find even sadder is that this flooding is affecting the small boat owners like Padelford, TWILIGHT, and St. Louis...

Travelpulse reports that she´s on her way to Pittsburgh. The z-drive has been replaced. The paddlewheel... not.

I wonder how many accept the offer for a free ride as back to back... When I book Cincy-Pittsburgh I have made my travel arrangements. And maybe I don´t have more free time either...

Carmen

Yeah, how 'bout that. Boy the crew must be busting a gut making thise poor unsuspecting passengers think they are having a good time.

*Was this thread 'edited/cut?*
Steamboating colleagues:
Chances are something may have happened with my computer/internet connection. Previously I read Frank Prudent's initial posting AQs' Woes dated 6-27-2014. In opening/reading I now see no additional appearances of some (6) follow postings. Is it just on my end or have any of you also noted this? Is there a reason? Any problems with the AQ are public record. Word here by business B=Mail is the AQ is doing well with fine bookings. I wish her all the very best. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Shores of mighty Lake Michigan for the summer.

Dale, I notice the same thing until I login, then all the following threads reappear. I would beg to differ that any problems with the AQ would be public record though. They are a privately held company and the only thing that would be public is what might show up in a USCG report. Anything more detailed would be considered internal operating information that they could distribute at their own discretion.

Public/Private Funding

Don't forget --- wasn't the company started using public and private funding? The City of Memphis threw several million into the pot to aid the project with the improved riverfront in Memphis and so forth. Their support was just as crucial and those of us fortunate to have cruised on the AQ these past two years have them to thank because of their support and obviously that of the fares paid to help her operate.

That all aside, below is a photo (grainy but photo nonetheless) of the dear lady and her consort shoving her along. Great crowds along the banks here on the upper Ohio to see her through. Estimates of around 75-100 people were at Hannibal Locks and Dam strung along various parts of the lock wall around 10pm tonight when she passed.

Nothing has been edited or cut in this thread!

I´m sorry, but sometimes the message board software does this and we haven´t found out the bug yet.

As soon as you´re logged in you see the whole thread and all posts again.

It´s the same for me :-(.

Carmen

Display Mode option allows viewing of affected threads

When this message board bug happens for me, it permanently affects the entire message thread, whether I logout/login or not. I'm not able to see any postings in the bad thread, except the very first posting.

How I Fix It:

The only way I can look at all the postings within these "bad" threads is to change the "Display Mode" option to "Linear".

Sometimes "Hybrid" display mode will also work. I prefer "Threaded" display mode, but it seems to be the mode that is affected by this problem..

-Steve

I have a question....when the steam engines are not functioning as they are now, do they have to keep steam on the boat? If they do, what operates on steam besides the engines, whistle and calliope?

Steve, yes, when the bug hits you can only see it with the linear mode and being logged in.

Carmen

None of the comments posted after Frank's initial post are showing up on my computer. Is there a way to fix this?
-JH

Again, I have to tell the story about my Dad who worked for Union Carbide Metals and what he said about the paddlewheel when the boat was in Marietta on the inaugural. I had to bring him down to the boat in Marietta as he was in a nursing home (nothing wrong with his mind, just his body). Anyway he took one look at the wheel and he said, "That wheel won't last because it has a weld in the shaft, you can't weld the shaft because of the torque" - or something like that. He had worked on paddlewheels before as the go to person with Jim Sands and the Valley Gem. He is gone now but he predicted the woes of the paddlewheel due to his knowledge of metals.

Interesting point that Mariam brings up from her late Father. I know nothing of the AQ wheel shaft construction and have no insights or theories. Maybe those in the know could post where the crack was the first time and where the crack is this time. Could there be a correlation between the two locations that could lead to an answer?

I remember reading many years ago the book "The crookedest Railroad in the world" where the railroad was having a great difficulty with axles. breaking on the logging cars......without attempting to locate the book and making a direct quote I believe the answer they found was making the center of the axle slightly tapered from the center out (i.e very slightly thinner at the center). Maybe one of our California friends in the Bay area has the book closer at hand than I do as I write.

Yes, the do keep steam up.

AQ s Woes

Has anyone any further information on the state of the Paddle Shaft on AQ....is the vessel likely to be returning to steam propulsion soon? I am due to sail on her in October... hopefully as a Steamer and not powered by Z-drives!

Patrick,

the last we heard from AQSC is that they hope to reinstall the paddlewheel by the end of this month. No further news yet.

Carmen

This afternoon one of the AQ's mates mentioned to me while standing on Cincy's Public Landing that August 16 is the planned on date for the shaft to be returned to the boat. If that's correct, it means that the operation will take place in or around St. Louis according to the current schedule. I didn't have time to ask if the shaft will be new or the old one repaired.

This was taken last Sunday morning about 10AM, about a mile and half below lock 25 at Winfield MO. It's sad not to see the big red wheel.