Lehigh Valley Tugboats

[mxdata]

I understand that the former Lehigh Valley tug CORNELL is still operating, now in the NY City area. The former LEHIGH (which became the SWAN POINT) was reportedly cut up for scrap. Has anyone else heard of the present condition and location of any of the other 1950s Jakobson Shipyard boats or their predecessors?

[CAR_FLOATER]

Good evening, Mxdata.........

Yes, the Cornell is still operating, and it's one of two Jakobsen LV boats out of the six still with us today......The other is the Capmoore, apparently alive and working in Boston...The Hazleton just went (or is at least on it's way) to the great tugboat graveyard in the sky.

Hopefully, the new owners of the Cornell will repaint here into here former glory, as I believe they are more than aware of her historical significance.
Other Jakobsen boats (NH and Erie alumni), finds the NH's Bumble Bee working in Boston, and the Erie's Hornell working in Savannah, GA.

My info comes from issue #39, the latest issue of The Tranfer, which is the official newsletter of the Rail-Marine Information Group.
If you aren't familiar with it, you can visit their web page at -
http://www.trainweb.org/rmig/
as well as the affiliated Railroad Marine Operations Yahoo! Group at -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/railmarineops/

Hope this helps!

Car Floater
S. Plainfield, NJ

[scottychaos]

I recieved an email about the Cornell a few weeks ago!
I need to update the info about her on the survivors page..
Here is the gist of the note..(im not quoting it directly, only because I didnt specifically ask for permission to use names...but I can share this info..)

Cornell sold to "Nautical Solutions"
non-profit group.
brought the tug down from Boston, she is currently tied up in Wilmington, DE.
Plans are to open the vessel to public tours and short cruises.
looking for a more suitable docking facility and will probably move her down to the Chesapeake Bay in the near future.

Scot

[mxdata]

Thanks very much for your updates on the Lehigh Valley Tugs! The CAPMOORE was the least altered on the boats when I saw her a few years ago in Baltimore. I will have to watch for her in the Boston area.

For the benefit of any viewers who have wondered where CAPMOORE is on the railroad, he was usually in the offices of the LV Marine Department. Captain Moore was the head of the department, who retired around the time the tug was being built. There are photos of him and the then-new tug in the GM Cleveland Diesel Engine Division DIESEL TIMES issues in the early 1950s.

The last thing I heard the former Erie Railroad tug MARION was still working, now based in Maine. She had been operated by Boston Towing (Boston Fuel Transportation) up to a few years ago. Eastern Towing in Boston has the ex-New Haven Railroad tug BUMBLEBEE up for sale at the moment, it has been advertised in the local newspapers. All these boats were designed by Joe Hack and built by Jakobson Shipyard.

[mxdata]

Additional Note - Had an additional verification this evening CAPMOORE is indeed operating in Boston. It turns out that I know the owner, so I will try to visit there and report back on this vessel in a future posting.

[CAR_FLOATER]

That's great news, mxdata!

Try to get some pictures! I know I'll be making a road trip to Delaware this summer to check out the Cornell.
So, are you a fellow LV marine nut like myself, or are you just interested in marine equipmnet in general?
I am in the process of building an HO layout receating the LV's float bridges and yard in Jersey city in the 1950's.
As soon as Railroad.net allows for uploading of pictures, boy do I have a lot to share!

Clear sailing,

Car Floater

[mxdata]

My interests take in just about any large transportation equipment that has a diesel engine, but former railroad tugs are very high on the favorites list!

[mxdata]

Still haven't made it over there to look at the CAPMOORE and now we are into the hot gooey weather. I still have this on my project list as an item to do, hope to get to it soon.

[CAR_FLOATER]

Mxdata........

I too have a visit to go see the Capmoore on my "to do" list.......I was actually considering a group trip of sorts of like minded LV/NY Harbor fans to be "sponsored" by my Rail-Marine Information Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/railmarineops/ on Yahoo.........
I don't know if you are a member, but stop by and take a look.......
I will be posting a message on the list in the near future once I have info on prices, dates and location for a tour and/or trip on the Capmoore.

Clear sailing,

Car Floater
MP 28 on the NY Division

[mxdata]

I finally had a chance to get over to see the CAPMOORE. The tug is presently out of service due to a mechanical problem. She is still in very nice structural condition, although her paint has faded and is peeling in some places. It appears that Moran had her blasted down to the metal and re-primed regularly during her days with Curtis Bay towing as the HAWKINS POINT, so although her present paint job has deteriorated, the vessel has very little rust evident for a tug now over 50 years old. She is moored against the former New Haven Railroad tug BUMBLEBEE, which provides an interesting contrast in details as they are both TAMS designs by Joe Hack, but have differences in both hull and superstructure. She has lost her high towing mast which was replaced by a stubby stick on the pilothouse, and her big topside vents were also landed. When I previously saw her as HAWKINS POINT in Baltimore many years ago she was very little changed from her days on the Lehigh Valley. If you disregard the faded paint, this vessel is in extremely good overall condition for her age. The metal looks in almost as good shape as the former Virginian Railway tug W. R. COE (N&W tug R. B. CLAYTOR) now named the ETHEL TIBBETTS, which also works in the Boston area.

[scottychaos]

thanks for the update MX!
do you have any photos of the Capmoore?
(or at least one for the survivors webpage!
thanks,
Scot

[mxdata]

Unfortunately no digital photos, most of the photography I do is for published projects so I am still working with Kodachrome and Fujichrome slide film. Will see how they came out in a couple days.

[mxdata]

Here is an update on CAPMOORE. The vessel is still out of service at the Autoport in Charlestown, Mass. The main reduction gear has a wiped bearing. She is moored with the former NHRR tug BUMBLEBEE (CROSS HARBOR I.) which is being used as a parts donor for the ex-Moran tug CYNTHIA (CYNTHIA MORAN). Eastern Towboat also has the ex-Erie RR tug AKRON, which is operable.

Doug has been trying to sell the BUMBLEBEE (and maybe CAPMOORE too if anybody is interested) as houseboats, and there have been a few people taking a look at them, but no buyers to date. It is unlikely the tugs will last much longer because the price of scrap steel is quite high right now and I do not know how much longer he can afford to keep them on hand as spare parts sources when they are worth a lot more as scrap. ETB is not a museum, it is an active marine towing company and they have to be able to economically justify the vessels.

Of the two boats the ex-NHRR BUMBLEBEE retains more of her railroad tug appearance, still having the original high towing mast. Both tugs have the original high pilothouses. CAPMOORE is in the best structural shape, really the only problem topside is that the paint has faded. She was previously owned by Moran and they did a nice job of keeping up the hull and superstructure.

So there you have it, two prime museum displays looking for permanent residence. Anybody interested? Time is running out.

[scottychaos]

thanks mxdata!
I just updated the survivor page with the Capmoore info:

http://www.frontiernet.net/~scottychaos ... other.html

Scot

[boatbuilder1969]

My wife and I are contemplating buying her to restore. She is in Baltimore. Looking a bit tired. I may move her to Tampa Florida. She can hang out with the rest of the seniors LOL.