Video of DELTA QUEEN Non-Pax spaces

IT SURE don't look like the engine room I was in just two weeks ago,,...

Hello,, "Wheres the Telegraph",,,??

Power on

Since I can only get 3 seconds at a time on my dialup, I have only seen the Crew Mess video, but I note that the lights are on. I'm presuming these shots are current, taken during this layup at Perry St. So she must be hooked up to shore power, correct? Since we always saw the chandelier in the MQ's Paddlewheel Bar aglow, she too must be under shore power. This is a good sign, because that obviously would not be possible stored in a barge fleet.

Judy;;
Cheek this one out ,,you can see out the Texas windows looks like the MQ on her port side ,,, not sure but you can see some skyline to , I've not been in NOLA for a long time , so I could be wrong,, ..You would know better than I,,.. GOOD LUCK,,....

YouTube - Delta Queen Tour of the Texas Lounge

Judy,

They have shore power down there. The Fire Box Video shows the port generator room and all is quiet...so she has to be on shore power. Unless the MQ has her gen sets going...and they are steam...so I don't imagine they are doing that!

~Travis~

I'm sure that shore power access is part of the docking fee... wonder how much of the MQ's fees they've paid these 2 years? If it were $200 a day, the bill would be about $146,000.

A few more...Some of the music that goes with these is eerily appropriate. Especially the first one below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FQpEzI5_GU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wHuXrtUwLs

I don't know who this Jammer guy is, but I'm gratetful. The tour through the Betty Blake is very revealing...all pictures are gone, which we heard about, but the banjo stayed...I also noticed that all the furniture is still there except one piece, the original table from the California days.

The other things I noted: The bare steel surfaces (piston rods, crossheads, etc.) do not appear to be covered in grease to protect them from rusting. The oil separator appears to be full of water (& oil). So what else didn’t get drained? I wasn’t able to see the boiler level in the glass during the boiler room tour—but note that it appears the boiler room engine telegraph is still in place—is the pilothouse one in place?
S'
David D.
PS On our last night, I pointed out that table to Linda and asked, "And what will happen to this table?" Hmm. Parts of that trip were very hard, although there were sure many memorable times.

Videos

1. What is the story behind the banjo?
2. I would be concerned about the security all of those brass gauges.
3. Is the fire protection system still working?

In many ways the boat apears to just been left as-is with no attempt to secure it for layup. The images remind me of photos of SS Norway after it arrived at Alang. Scary and sad. PM replies welcome if you prefer not to respond to this thread.

Wesley

Bruno Krause;13843 wrote: The tour through the Betty Blake is very revealing...all pictures are gone, which we heard about, but the banjo stayed...I.

B,

The banjo always stays.

Paul

Hey all,

The banjo is mounted on the starboard aft area bulkhead inside the Aft Cabin Lounge (Betty Blake Lounge) and is a gift from John Hartford.

One of my guilty pleasures as walking aboard this deck is to strum the banjo as I walk by. Bob Schad used to tune it once a cruise....I am sure there are many of us who have an association with this prized instrument!

~Travis~

Yes Travis for the many of us "old Steamboaters" that knew John personally that banjo was very special. And Betty Blake was an awesome person as well. She was a bit of a partier too and once when I was a watchman on the MQ I had the honor of carrying her to her cabin and putting her to bed. The next day she came and found me and thanked me for taking care of her.

I've communicated with Jammerjawz, and he is happy you are enjoying his videos! He wants you to know that shore power is hooked up, and he has given very strict instructions to the watchmen. They are to watch for any signs of leaks, trespassing, fire, deterioration, etc., and are on a regular schedule of rounds. They are to let NO ONE on board. He says that ventilation is running in most areas, heat in the boiler area, etc. He is making sure that the boat is being cared for, and that given the tools he has, he will try to prevent any problems. He is happy to take requests! 😉 As I mentioned before, this is a guy who genuinely loves the DQ and the MQ, and will work hard to do what he can to protect both boats.

This is a great relief to many of us Mary ty so much for that information.

Mary,

Pass these requests on...I would love to see the boiler room of the MQ, the engine room of the MQ, the calliope bar (and keyboard) of the MQ AND DQ...to see if the keyboards were left on or taken off. The one area that would be interesting, purely from a former crew standpoint, is the crew and officers mess of the MQ as well.

Please thank Jammer Jaws for making these videos for us to see and for watching over these beautiful and historic steamboats we all love so much!

~Travis~

Yeah, in one of his videos he says he used to work on the DQ, and help rebuild part of the whistle earlier this year. Great news they have people who care about the boats watching them.

Oddly enough I listened to his UTube stuff and His voice seems to be vaguely familiar or maybe its just me. In the immortal words of Capt. CS Rip Ware, words which I heard a couple Hundred times, "Stuff like that".

Anonimity requested

Please remember this person is doing us and the boats a great favor and he wishes to remain anonymous. Any more guessing on his identity, please do by email if necessary. We need all the help we can get and don't need to run off anyone.

D. Q. Engine Room

I have been in Indianapolis taking care of personal business since getting off the D. Q. When I left, the #1 Boiler had been drained, #2 was suppose to be. The cross head slides and piston rods were greased, I did them myself. There were still a number of items to be done but I had to leave.
The Chief was to remain on board until she was off Gen. power and had plans to attend to many items still on his list.
I also am the one who took down the gages for safe keeping. I'd tell you where they are stored but then I'd have to kill myself. I won't give some people that satisfaction.
I also toured the M. Q. The crew mess and whole boat are in very rough condition. I understand that under all of the mess in the boiler and engine room are engines and boilers which were left in ready to run shape. It looks like the boat was just left in the middle of an honest attempt to refit her and make an operational boat. The lack of attention has taken it's toll.
Back to the D. Q. There have been efforts to keep the boat warm and ventilated. Not as much as needed in a perfect situation but better than nothing. She is not in condition for long term storage but should require little effort if she is returned to a layup or keep running status within the next few months. I feel if she sits for the whole winter it will required much effort to bring the plant and systems back up to operating condition. How much damage is done by uninvited guests will also play a part in this.
I am in the process of relocation and job hunting (Shameless plug for any employment offers or directions). Needless to say, I may be out of touch for awhile but still thinking of the boats and the many friends, old and new, I have made over the years due to Steamboatin'.

Yes, indeed--please, no speculating on his identity! I spoke with him last night, and he is very pleased that you are enjoying his videos. He is filming your requests, so watch for new videos. He had no idea that they were getting airtime from this forum! The watchmen are keeping up with things like greasing the crossheads, though not as often as would be done by an engineering staff, of course. And this is how seriously they take this job: they found some food left behind inadvertently, and are making sure nothing stays--no food for the little critters that would surely wreak destruction on the boat. They take this mission very seriously. Thank you so much--this guy has been my hero for awhile--even more so now. I am very serious about this, everyone--we are SO LUCKY that this guy is watching our boats!

Just a couple of requests from one who produces videos:
1. Move the camera slowly and give each scene time to register with the viewer.
2. Please narrate or use subtitles to tell us what details you are showing.
Even so, thanks for posting those videos. It shows places most of us have never seen.
-Jim Herron

Thank you, Fred, for posting and for your work on behalf of the boat. Good luck in your job search!

Fred,

Please allow me to "echo" Bob's appreciation for your postings, and for your tender loving care of The Legendary Lady. It was good to visit with you, if only briefly, when the DQ was here at Louisville on October 24th. Good luck with your job quest, but I sincerely hope you're soon back "on deck" aboard the DQ!

Keep up steam!

Dont worry Mary and folks I wasnt trying to guess or find out who he is I was just saying the voice seemed familiar which could mean hes been around for a while which would be a very good thing. Either way he is appreciated by all who are truely care and are concerned.

Rest Assured

the DQ has been secured as if going into any other layup. In the videos you can see there are some things that appear to be missing, these things were actually carefully dissasembled and put away so they would be safe. All of the pics in the Betty Blake lounge are locked away. There has been a genuine shift in the duties of the watchman on the MQ. With the MQ most duties were related to making sure the MQ was secured to the dock and keeping rainwater out, etc. Now the focus is making sure that no one is allowed oneither vessel, rounds are made several times a day on both vessels, humidity control equipment are operational on the DQ, etc. The machinery has been well lubricated and greased where it needed to be. Electrical equipment has had lights installed to dispell humidity for layup. I can personally assure eveyone that the DQ is being watched VERY closely and if anything changes we will know about it. Hope this reassures anyone concerned about her, God bless.