Topic starter
01/03/2011 9:18 pm
There is a video on YouTube that shows the MQ departing Wellsburg WV in high wind. The boat got blown upriver and had to be turn the other direction. While the boat was heading downstream, steam can be seen shooting straight out on both sides from the base of the stacks. I have never seen it do that before. Could anyone shed some light on this. Sorry I dont know how to post a link but its listed under "Mississippi Queen departs Wellsburg WV, part 2".
02/03/2011 1:48 am
Mike,
She popped her safety valve. Because of the high wind, I imagine they were double gonging her and made too much steam too fast. Those are definitely the safeties...I have been on her when this has happened. They are rather noisy, too!
If you listen to the calliope towards the end of this video, the calliopist plays a rather inspired tribute to 90's artist Madonna with a version of the song "Material Girl" in the concert. Rather interesting selection...I have done such myself!
Travis
02/03/2011 4:54 am
That seems like it would be terrifying, if you didn't know that the safeties routed up the stacks. I would think that, as a steam engineer, the last thing you would want to see would be steam coming out of where it's not supposed to! Wish I could get the audio on this video to work. The video in question is here: YouTube - Mississippi Queen departing Wellsburg,West Virginia part 2
Topic starter
02/03/2011 2:01 pm
Part 1 of this windy event shows how far the boat gets blown upriver. I'm sure an experienced pilot would not have paniced but if it was me, I would have needed a clean pair of shorts.
02/03/2011 3:42 pm
Terrifying is standing on the bow of the MQ as a deckhand while trying to get up above the Natchez bridge in high water and the whole boat shaking because she was giving it all she had and you're looking at the bridge pier which is not moving an inch. We finally backed down and took another shot which turned out to be more successful.
02/03/2011 3:58 pm
Natchez was another good place to get pasted to the shore by wind. One day we backed the DQ all the way down through the bridge before coming ahead. This kept us from getting blown back into the shore, or the MQ, as was often the case, and alleviated the pucker factor.