Topic starter
01/12/2007 11:37 pm
I stumbled across this listing by accident. I worked as a fireman on the Erie Steam Tugs while I was going to collge in the early fifties. I am interested in finding either pictures or illustrations of the type of tugs I worked on. I would like to be ableto show my unbelieving children and grandchildren those pictures Thanks, Chuck Tatham.
02/12/2007 6:37 pm
Hi Chuck,
Not sure that I know what an "Erie Steam Tug" is. If it's related to tugs used on the Erie Canal you might want to check out this link.
http://www.tugboatroundup.com/mod00001200004.html
http://www.tugboatenthusiastsociety.org/Pages/tugtypes-railroad-01.htm
P.R.Baker
03/12/2007 9:20 pm
Hi, Chuck, Pete & steamboating colleagues:
Interesting posting Charles made RE: 'Erie Steam Tugs.' Pete did a fine job with the 'link' provided.
Those out there in the know correct me if I'm wrong. I seem to recall in New York years back on a few of the passenger liners seeing in the harbor some jaunty tugs doing this n' that. I vaguely remember seeing ERIE painted on them. Could the ERIE tugs I saw in New York back then been linked to the ERIE & LAKAWANNA [Sp?] RAILROAD?
Cheers,
R. Dale Flick
03/12/2007 11:22 pm
Several railroads had tugs in New York, including but not limited to Erie, Lackawanna, Erie-Lackawanna (after their merger), New York Central, Pennsylvania RR, Lehigh Valley, New York Susquhanna & Western, Jersey Central, Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal and probably others.
04/12/2007 2:39 pm
There was an excellent book came out 2 years ago "Tugboats of New York: An Illustrated History" and if you haven't seen it, do so! Great photos, very well researched and lots of human interest, too. Amazon has it at this link. That oughta tell the younguns something. You can almost smell the coal smoke (and the, um, harbor).
A related, and similarly excellent, book is "Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deckhand", which Amazon has here.
Both really give the rest of us a little idea about what it was like to be there.
Rog