DQ's Officer Quarters

I've got a picture of some gaming machines on the GCG, so its possible...

Paddlewheel Mechanics

Here's a link to pics of some of our paddlewheel mechanics at work. We've completely replaced all 240 bucket boards at least three times, and there are no better wheel-workers on the river. Each new deckhand must learn the correct names for each part of the paddlewheel, and if any of our crew would go over to the Queens, and a few have, they'd feel right at home working in the wheel or handling the swinging stage, as they speak "steamboat" and would understand the Mate on deck.

Willie and Buster's Whirlwind Tour of the World

the '65 leaflet shows all that beautiful wood around the grand staircase painted lime green!! It also shows the gift shop in the same place it is today, and a few cabin deck rooms opening onto the deck too.
S'
David D.

"Sam", my fellow steamboaters and I spent many hours "working the wheel" of the Delta Queen; a very physical task that involved a lot of climbing, stretching, pulling and twisting. I often have to laugh when I think about working "in the Wheel", maybe we could do a new exercise video, "working the wheel, to get fit and trim!"

A Pink Paddlewheel?

Cap'n Mike and Fellow Steamboaters,

As hard as wheel work is, it is also refreshing and rewarding, and I never heard anyone complain about having to get in there and getting things done. A good deck crew takes pride in the job, and would rather work in the wheel than anywhere else, on board, it seems.

Our wheel was pink when we bought the boat in 1996; as she was the New Orleans (pink) FLAMINGO. Talk about tough paint! Instead of trying to paint over the super-slick pink stuff, we changed out all the 240 bucketboards, instead.

The company had us paint the wheel a dark maroon, and it took pleading with different four General Managers before one finally allowed us to change her to bright Paddlewheel Red with white "go-faster" circles.

Although I pretty-much grew up in a paddlewheel, I earned my PhD in PW Science on the DELTA QUEEN the time we backed into the bank coming out of Cannelton Lock. The specialists on my crew were Watchmen Greg Menke and Jamie Hansel and Deckhand Ed Duemler. Greg is now, of course, Captain Greg Menke, and Ed and Jamie would have made fine captains had they decided to stick to steamboating instead of venturing elsewhere.

My First Paddlewheeler.
http://groups.msn.com/WillieandBustersWhirlwindTouroftheWorld/paddlewheelhouseboatmarjess.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1103

Toward sixty years ago there was a sternwheel steamer that wintered in Cincinnati. They were getting ready for a season opener in early February and were doing wheel work of some kind. I never heard that anybody moved the wheel and doubt that there was steam up at the time, but one worker fell in the river and was drowned. Next time I saw them working they were all fitted out with life vests that might have prevented that death. I do not know that the person drowned did not have on a vest, but strongly doubt it. When did it become the rule for deckhands etc to wear them? Cap'n Walnut

Judy Patsch;14532 wrote: Here is a clearer scan of the forward section of the Cabin Deck in 1960, showing the Souvenir Stand and Hostess Office. Also the postcard to which Keith referred, of Happy Briscoe in the Souvenir Stand (110). Keith is of course at work and unable to access his files today, while I lounge leisurely in retirement with my filepiles accessible... I have a couple of 78s I bought on Ebay featuring Happy, Harmon, and Mary Greene Cleary. A couple of songs which come to mind are: Down in the Paw Paw Patch and City Skyscrapers.

How fitting that my parents stateroom of choice (110, the Wisconsin Stateroom) was once the souvenir stand!!!

PFDs

In the early '70's we had 'em standing by, but rarely used them unless we were in a real bad situation, but now, where I work, you best be wearing a work vest or Personal Floatation Device (PFD), if you're on the landing barge, seawall, or outside the bullrail on the boat-- and that includes the bow, fantail, paddlewheel, or in the rescue boat, and anywhere else a body might fall into the drink. Failure to do so, and the offender can be held accountable, as we say. I can't imagine not wearing a PFD.

Now that I spending more time around amateur boaters, I'm surprised how rarely those folks wear their life jackets, and that includes children. The exception being the Steamer MISSIE.

Yeah well when I was decking it happened one time because the engineering crew moved the sign and forgot to put it back and it was scary for sure. But on the MQ we all had our own personal work vests. You picked one out, sized it to fit you, and marked it. Mine had a skull and Crossbones on the back. Oh and Craig Hall was one of the finest people I ever met.