DQ Pilothouse

Mark, one good picture of the pilotwheel is in The Saga of the Delta Queen by Fred Way. I know there are others, too.

The big wheel was replaced with steering levers in the 1950's. Letha Greene tells the story in Long Live the Delta Queen.

Both books are great reading, and a must for any fan of the DQ.

Mark: Here's an image of the DQ pilothouse with the pilotwheel still in use. Today the wheel is displayed at the Ohio River Museum, Marietta, Ohio.

I believe the wheel was replaced with steering levers in the winter of 1953/54 after the Greene Line sold the GCG. This means the DQ operated over here about 6 years with the old pilotwheel.
Keith did you notice that the whistle pull was on the port side of the pilothouse in your picture? I wonder if they had one on the stbd. side too and if they did how were the pulls connected to the whistle valve which was always located right under the whistle which was always in front of the smoke stack on the boat's center line?

Jim, I wondered the same thing about the whistle pull. It's interesting to see what little we've seen in pics of the evolution of the old gal's pilothouse. We see the Kirk-Habicht telegraph is in place in Keith's photo. I had always heard that was salvaged off a ship in New Orleans that was destined for the scrap yard. What year did they go to the telegraph and get rid of the old style bell pulls? When were those old-fashioned searchlight controls replaced with the more modern ones? Knowing how frugal the Greenes were, I'd bet the "new" steering levers came off another boat. Which one? It would be neat to see pictures year to year showing all the changes and improvements.

Also, I think it may have been discussed before, but what year did they move the bridge wings to come straight out of the pilothouse instead of off the roof, and install the doors on the sides of the pilothouse? Was that a year of wholesale pilothouse changes?

Another Question

Wasn't the DQ wheel once in the DQSC office in Cinncinnati? When did it move to Marrietta?

I was always told that the steering levers came off the GORDON C. GREENE. As far as I know the engineroom telegraph was put on in NOLA after the boat's Panama Canal crossing. Before that the boat didn't have old timey bells, but an electric system which Tom Greene didn't trust.
Shipyard might be better able to pinpoint the date, but I believe the wing bridges were moved to the side of the pilothouse around 1960. I know when we went on the Pittsbugh trip in 1958 the bridges were still behind the pilothouse.
Believe it or not but just this morning I was doing some internet snooping for a project I'm doing for Howards and came across some old movie footage to the DQ/STOCKTON race. In it they had a view of the DQ's pilothouse interior and, yes, she did have whistle pulls on both the stbd side and the port side. Wonder what happened to the one they removed?

Jimmy,

The whistle pulls were cut down to just one when the wheel was removed. It was located above the Pilot's head for ease of access. Wasn't the wheel removed after the steering cable failed under the Greenville bridge in 1953? The second whistle pull was given to Virginia Bennett in the late 1960's as a gift. She then gave it to the MQ when she came out in 1976 so the MQ would have something from her sister. The whistle pull was stolen from the MQ in 2008 while she languished at the Perry Street Wharf in New Orleans and no one seems to know where it ended up. I don't know if Virginia is aware it has been stolen. She would be heartbroken if she knew it, I am sure!

The wing bridges were moved to the sides of the Pilothouse in 1961, according to legend I have heard from CCH.

The electric telegraph system was a strange thing I have only seen one picture of. It is on the UofW LaCrosse Steamboat Photo website and you can see it in the corner of one of the pictures. It looks almost like an early electric rheostat type of device. From what I can gleen from this picture you turned it and in the Engine Room they had a panel which showed a lit up request for what ever you set it on in the Pilothouse. I never saw the Engine Room end, just heard about it from Bill Bauer back in the 1970's. Seems he said something to the effect he heard about it from one of the Chief Engineers of the boat in her early Greene Line days.

Travis

Interesting! Sounds like the telegraph system may have been similar to what the MQ originally came out with and similar to what the NATCHEZ uses today? Did the DQ come up the river on her first trip to Cincinnati with the "new" telegraph, or was that installed at Dravo?

I do know the Greenville Bridge incident kind of helped the steering change, according to Letha Greene's book. Was it solely Greene Line's decision, or could the USCG have been involved? If a similar situation happened nowadays, the CG likely would require some change to be made. How about back then?

Bob: There are pictures, taken by C.W. on that "delivery" trip to Dravo in 1947 and the "new" telegraph is very much in evidence. In some of the images, Capt. Fred Way is at the wheel.

DQ Pilot Wheel

Some may remember the DQ Pilot House Wheel was displayed on the ceiling outside the entrance to the Cabin Deck of the MQ. My recollection is that "someone" decided that it was dangerous and might fall on someone's head so it had to be removed. Shortly after that it ended up in Marietta at the museum.

Mark: You are correct in that the DQ pilotwheel was on display in the office of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, on Fourth Street, in downtown Cincinnati. When the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN came out in 1976, the pilotwheel became an overhead fixture in the main stairwell from the main deck, with "can" lights installed between the spokes. I have slides of it, SOMEWHERE, installed aboard the MQ!

I was told that the wheel suffered in the weather and it was decided to donate the historic artifact to the Ohio River Museum at Marietta. The pilotwheel, along with the tall chair from the pilothouse, were delivered to Marietta aboard the DELTA QUEEN.

Delta Queen Photos

The University of Wisconsin LaCrosse has spectacular pics of the Queen including the wheelhouse in their " Historic Steamboats Collection ". I didn't have much knowledge of the Queen other than viewing her when she came thru St. Louis. This collection of pics helped me to get an understanding of what a truly magnificent vessel the Queen was. I can see why so many contributors to steamboats.org with intimate knowledge of her operations are so proud of being a part of the memories.

It wasn't for some years after the MQ came out that Virginia "loaned" the the whistle pull from the DQ to the MQ. I can state with certainty that it was sometime after the MQ sank and interested passengers were were no longer able to visit the pilothouse while she was operating.

My father always maintined that the electric engineroom order system on the DQ when she came around from California wasn't working and nobody could get it to work. So the Greene Line had to figure out a way to get it to work or replace the original system as soon as they could. I don't doubt that one bit, as Dad was good friends with all of the Greene Line engineers.

Fred Way wrote that the new engineroom telegraph system was put on at Avondale while the DQ was being prepared to head to her new home. Somewhere, he wrote that there was a bluewater ship that was going to the breakers, and if the DQ people hurried they could get the telegraph of the breakers bound ship. Fred Way said it never ceased to irk him that when he would look at the indicator he nor anyone else got the name of the ship it came from.

Indeed, Mike! I have always maintained that, throughout the DQ's long history, there are various "eras" of officers, crew members, events, etc. Each era has its own special memories for those who worked and/or rode the boat during those times. Collectively, the DQ has a BIG family!

Keith, do you have any idea who the gentleman at the steering levers is?

Mystery Pilot

Bob, I have no idea as to the indentity of the man at the levers. I've shown the photo to several from that "era" of the DQ and they didn't know. Perhaps it was a passenger "posing" as a pilot. Dunno!

*Mystery man looks familiar but...?*
Hi, Mike, Bob & Keith,
The mystery man from way back then in the DQ pilothouse was a familiar face around the GREENE LINE and boat then. I recall him well but, alas, the name has slipped into oblivion. No doubt Jane, Tom, Gordon Greene cjoould possibly nail him down. Bill Judd may know with certainty. Virginia Bennett still has a mind like a steel trap and could possibly make an ID. Pilots would come and go as we all know. His name on the tip of my tongue but I can't get it out.

Keith correct about the "different eras...people coming and going" on the boat over the years. And each different 'era' believes they saw it all.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati