Live from the LOUISVILLE levee

Judy,

Here come the pictures!

As you can see...David Morecraft and his son were able to get up to the whistles of the calliope. They worked on one of the whistles which was kinda squealy and needed attention. The Aurora Effect was adjusted, too! Thanks to David Dewey for getting the engineers involved so this could happen!

Thanks to Jim Reising for suggesting and taking the picture with Dave at the whistles and me at the keyboard. 10 years from now when I am looking back at these pictures I would have thought of that!

Under the sheets on the deck are the antlers. They were returned to the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE for safe keeping until the DELTA QUEEN returns to race the BELLE in 2010!

You can also see the crowd on the landing for the ceremony.

And here are even some more pics of the Louisville festivities! After the festivities we played the calliope for a half hour...here you can see Dave at the keyboard.

When the DELTA QUEEN left was when the tears flowed...you can see some of the posters the passengers and crew held. I talked to many people on the wharf who were hearing about this situation for the first time. You wouldn't believe how many people showed up to see her leave. At one point the crowd on the Texas Deck bow were chanting "Save the DELTA QUEEN" and the crowd of over 200 on the wharf joined in with them. It was VERY emotional to hear and be part of that impromptu event....which said it all!

And the last of the pics from today at Louisville......fare well DELTA QUEEN....as you go you take alot of future dreams. Till we meet again I bid you fond adieu.....for we shall all ride the river again on her decks in time!

Thanks for the quick pix posting... shortly after Keith's call, Pat Traynor called while they were in McAlpine. She was in her room thawing out, but she went up to the calliope so I could hear Bill once again play You Are My Sunshine. After the calliope concert, the whistle blew three times, lost it again. That whistle...

As Franz said "How dare they take the DELTA QUEEN from us". I don't blame congress, I blame MAL because all along I felt that with the right contribution or the right arm twisting by the right people the exemption could be had. No, I don't think MAL ever had a clue as to what they had in the DELTA QUEEN nor the many wonderful people they have affected. Had any executive of MAL been there today they would have seen how much joy and happiness their boat brings to people. But, that's been the trouble all along, MAL showed no real interest. They just didn't get the importance the boat has to the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys.
Eventhough the weather was not good today, the City of Louisville put on an going away party and hundreds of people were on the wharf to see the boat depart. All the TV stations had coverage, but just like this Spring when the Derby Festival dedicated a Derby lunch to the DELTA QUEEN, MAL showed just how interested they are in the boats by ignoring these events.
How dare they take our boats from us!

Amen. Bingo. You hit the nail on the head.

Eggsactly!

Eggsactly Jim! While they did put a Save bit on their website and made claims to be trying, that was just to appease those idiot zealots on .org and throughout the country who thought the DQ was worth saving. But they obviously never did want it. Their grand announcement last Aug. 1 about all the farewell activities: look who has put them on, not MAL but the communities or JoAnn and friends. Now that they have milked the citizenry of every buck they could for the high-priced full-boatloads of "Last trips", let's hope they sell her to someone who cares about a real live steamboat - but given their track record, that's probably asking too much. As I said earlier, dammal.......................We could all accept her demise when her time came, but this is a premature death and so unacceptable.

I used to get a big kick whenever I talked face to face with any of Majestic's big mucked-mucks on the DQ and AQ. If they weren't smart enough to put two and two together after introductions and my PSSOA nametag stuck in their face, the conversation would be gently steered by me to the subject of this forum and what they, the Majestic wunderkind, thought of it...

You know, All Majestic's office people that I talked to universally referred to us by the same nickname...

dot.arrrgh

And Jim, you are so correct...Again, talking with Majestic's people, as late as this past spring, the Delta Queen was still being referred to as "that old boat", "not adaptable to today's market (that one got a small choke and giggle from me), "too small", "no attraction"...and yet this was at just about the time that the DQ was all sold out for a season that hadn't even started, that the Majestic guy dismissed as "pure nostalgia only", yet the "flagship" cruise on the AQ we were taking at the time was only half full. They were clueless, absolutely clueless, and I told the Majestic head honcho so. Very heated discussion...that after the fact I was very embarrassed about, but thinking back about it now, I'm proud of that moment.

I also remember that during my heated discussion with the Majestic guy, the subject of the Delta Queen stopping came up many times. I suggested that if, heaven forbid, the Delta Queen doesn't get another exemption, Deb and I would like to suggest that Majestic transfer the Delta Queen's calliope, whistle and bell to the Flagship the American Queen.

"What the Hell for?" or something to that effect...

Cute, huh?

HAY ALL ::

Despite the rain and the 50 degree weather it was
SO good to see everyone on the DELTA QUEEN ,,and how wonderful to spend the day on the GRAND LADY Herself,,,.! Lots of pix and video taken, heres some,,...

The frist pic is Travis playing Happy Birthday for Phillip Johnson 🙂 with my son Zach, taking pix of Travis,,,

Second is David Dewey putin a little shine back on the DQ'S CaLLiope Whistles,.

And third is a closeup of the DQ'S bucketboards,, 🙁

Got more to upload,,,...

Dave,,,... Gee ,,, my pix came out backwards,,, sorry about that,. How,,?

JUDY,,,...

THAT WHISTLE;;

"Know what you mean,,.!
I still got goose bumps from lastnight,,...

DAVE,,,...

Louisville Press Conference

This is a photo of the great folks with there signs positioned perfectly for the TV cameras during the press conference.

Another pic of people on the levee and more

Many of you have correctly detailed the paths taken to be where we are now and who has led us here. Our opinions of our Congress and Majestic American Lines and their CEO mirror most of yours. We hope that someday soon that our national treasure finds an owner who will treat her like royalty. Our best wishes go out to the employees and crews of all the boats who have had to endure the current owners. SAVE THE QUEEN!
The first picture is from Friday, in Louisville. The second shows her coming out of the Cannelton Lock on Saturday morning, and the third is from the landing at Hawksville, Kentucky as she passes by Tell City, Indiana, on her way to what we hope is a short winter lay-up in NOLA.
Don and Connie Culver

Hey all,

Here are some links to local news coverage of the DELTA QUEEN in Louisville last Friday

Louiville's Delta Queen fans gather to say farewell | courier-journal | The Courier-Journal

WHAS11 - Video On Demand | WHAS11.com | News for Louisville, Kentucky

Pop Up Video

Unfortunately, our local CBS affiliate WLKY-TV 32, for what ever reason did not cover the DELTA QUEEN last Louisville stop.

~Travis~

Well gang, here is my two cents on her departure from Louisville now that I have had some time to download the photos....

...After a quick call to work because I was "sick" (steamboat sick ya know) I gathered some things and drove down to the wharf. Surprised to see the Queen landed just behind the Belle was interesting, as it was the exact same spot I set foot on her for the first time in 1994 as an 8 year old boy. My father always took me down to see the boat every time she came in, and back then it was easy to walk on. I remember the charm, the food and the people. Everyone, crew and passengers alike were so nice and showed me their cabins. Years passed and the Queen and I would meet again and again, but after a while only from the shore. It wasn't until the Steamboat Race this past April before I got to experience that steamboatin hospitality again when I run into Pat Traynor, Gayle Hindman and Barb Hamister on the wharf. A boatride and a few short roadtrips later I have met some of the greatest people and made some of the best memories. As Pat Traynor told me, "this boat brings people together" as she looked back on the many great friendships she has made through the Queen. I have learned anywhere you find a steamboat, you're sure to find real, genuine, great folks. Over the past year I have been on the Queen at every short stop within driving distance and chased her too with some of the finest "river rats" around.

Anyways, enough rambling and back to that day...the day was filled with lots of conversation, stories and strolling the decks. Jumping back and forth from the Belle to the Queen was like being in steamboat heaven (two of the finest vessels in existence in my mind). Then to top it off Travis played a little Happy Birthday tune for me, even after the ladies had all sang to me in the forward cabin lounge earlier. To hear the calliope play it was almost like the Queen herself singing, pretty cool (Thanks Travis!). Like Keith Norrington, I had kept composure all day, and it was a high spirited event, but when she blew that departure whistle and belted out "My Old Kentucky Home" I couldn't hold it back anymore. I have heard that sound so many times, and the thought of that being the last was just to much to fathom, which is why we MUST SAVE THE QUEEN! I have faith she'll be back and I'll here it again.

I almost drove down to Grandview the following day, but the departure from Louisville was so amazing, the crowd chanting in support, the lights, the emotion, the whole mood was so great I decided that I would let that be my goodbye (for this season!). Long may she sail! Here's some pics to enjoy..

1) Pat Traynor, Barb Hamister, Alan Bates, Pat Carr, Gayle Hindman, Myself
2) Two real steamboat!
3) Night time departure

More photos from Louisville!...