Topic starter
13/02/2012 12:05 am
For no particular reason other than the AQ is in NOLA undergoing work at the Perry St. wharf, I thought I'd post some work that was done early in her life at the Robin St. wharf. I didn't take time to find the date, but when she came up here for the first time, she still had the original tall stacks with the golden rings. On one of my NOLA visits, and I want to say it was Easter 1996, Doc and I went over to Robin St. to visit. Lo and behold, they were shortening the stacks that very day. Again, just going by my memory, they did it on a turnover day, or possibly had one extra day in port to do it. But it wasn't a long operation. We always talk about the height of the stacks, but what struck me up close was how WIDE they were - Doc or I would have been able to stand up inside one (of course we didn't try because you can see the yellow tape and steamboaters would never think of crossing yellow-taped areas)...
1) look closely and you'll see the second stack downriver on the wharf too
2 and 3 are of that stack
Travis or someone with the history correct the date of this operation, please.
Topic starter
13/02/2012 12:08 am
More stack shortening shots
From the pilothouse back down to the wharf... Note one of the gold rosettes in the last closeup
Topic starter
13/02/2012 12:20 am
Really tall vs. tall
Here she is approaching Muscatine on her very first UMR trip, with the original very tall stacks with golden rings, and then in August 1996 as she approached Caruthersville with the altered version.
Topic starter
14/02/2012 1:57 pm
50% right
I just got confirmation from a friend and lurker that the stacks were indeed shortened in April 1996. So I was right on that. However I was wrong that it was just a one day operation. She said they left on a 3 day trip with the top of the stacks still on the wharf. I suppose that wasn't too bad on board, nothing like if she spewed soot like the DQ... wouldn't those gold rings have looked nice as a border for a flower bed in someone's yard???? I wonder what happened to them, and to the 10 ft. sections of stacks - probably the scrap yard in both cases.