Posted on 07/20/2015 5:59:52 AM PDT by iowamark
Watch your heads! Check out this video showing the American Queen, the largest steamboat ever built, passing under the Illinois Central Railroad Bridge in Cairo, Illinois while southbound on the Ohio River with only 6″ minimum clearance.
“We topped around above the bridge and backed down through it with the throttles ready to go ahead should anything go wrong,” a source told gCaptain. “We have several close bridges but that was the closest.”
Built in 1955 by McDermott Shipyards, the American Queen is an authentic recreation of a classic Mississippi paddle-wheeler and really is powered by a genuine steam plant. The vessel is currently operated by the American Queen Steamboat Company.
Good thing they let the air out of the tires.
With all the rain we’ve been getting here in the Ohio Valley they likely will not make it next time.
Wow.
Good one!!!
UK Daily Mail July 18 2015
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3166235/All-hail-American-Queen-Step-steamboat-transport-time-Mark-Twain-costume.html#ixzz3gR7VGFN2
“All hail the American Queen! Step on the steamboat which will transport you back to the time of Mark Twain - where everyone is in costume”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/travel/video-1200084/A-tour-largest-steamboat-built-American-Queen.html
A tour of the largest steamboat ever built, American Queen
I wonder if they have active systems on board to monitor clearance, or if they depend on the river monitoring systems.
I was on the upper deck of the Carnival Destiny when it passed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge leaving NY. There seemed only inches to spare that time too. In fact, it looked like it was certainly going to hit the bridge, and then magically passed under it. I learned later that somehow when the ship moves faster, it draws itself down into the water and that can be calculated precisely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.