Carferry and Carfloat Operations

[HO-Velo]

‘Modeling Mississippi carferry operations’ in MRR’s June issue grabbed my attention. Also, the Ste. Genevieve instantly reminded me of Bear’s finely crafted Makwa. Easy to see why the ‘boat job’ is a fav among crews during the author’s operating sessions.

After seeing some absolutely beautiful images of CP’s Slocan-Roseberry and Milwaukee Road,s Puget Sound (later to be Seattle & North Coast) carfloat operations I was hooked on rail-marine.

Unloading and loading my carfloat in prototypical fashion provides more than a half hour of relaxing fun. But the fun and interest begins with sorting and making up a string of cars that fit the carfloat tracks in a balanced order. A carferry or carfloat build can be a fun project and when complete an engaging rail interchange. Regards, Peter

[_JaBear]

Gidday Peter, thanks for starting a topic that I find particularly interesting, and for the compliment regarding the freelanced “Makwa,” I just hope my hat still fits my swollen head!!

I had seen this photo back when I started researching railroad car ferries, but recently thought it would be eminently suitable for the “Who let the Bear near here?!” series.

Ann Arbour No 4 by Bear, on Flickr

It depicts the ANN ARBOR No: 4, built 1906, four tracks, 22 railroad car capacity, capsized at its slip at Manistique, Michigan, 29 May 1909, as a result of improper loading procedures. With 24 loaded ore cars to load, the switching crew had started off correctly, first loading half of one centre track, then all the other centre track, then the rest of the first centre track. The next move was to load two cars on the outside port track, then four on the outside starboard track, but instead of using idler flat cars, pushed a cut of eight ore cars on to the port track. The heavy ore cars caused the ANN ARBOR No: 4 to list, a broken coupler making it impossible for the switching crew to remove the ore cars. It took 10 minutes for the ferry to list enough so that all the ore cars came off their tracks, crashing to the port side, causing the ferry to immediately sink, lying half submerged on her port side. At least the slow motion of the capsize allowed all the crew to get off without loss of life.

Her upper starboard side hull plates were removed which allowed the wrecking tug Favorite to remove the ore cars after which the ferry was righted, then repaired, going back into service 4 months later.

In 1937 the ANN ARBOR No:4 was sold to the Michigan State Ferries, and renamed CITY of CHEBOYGAN. Sold again in 1958, her engines were removed, was renamed EDWARD H. ANDERSON in 1960*,* and used as a potato processing plant barge.

Was finally sold to be scrapped by Italian shipbreakers in 1973.

Information from “The Great Lakes Car Ferries” by George W. Hilton, and the “Great Lakes Vessel History.”
https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/a/ann-arbor-no-4

This comprehensive site, though about New York Harbor Rail/ Marine operations, shows how car floats should be loaded/unloaded.
http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html

Cheers, the Bear.

[HO-Velo]

Wow! Bad day for the Ann Arbor and crew. From what I gather CP steam locomotive #3512 remains at the bottom of Slocan Lake after a carfloat accident on New Year’s eve 1946. No loss of life and apparently not determined whether the carfloat was taking on water or misbalanced loading.
Regards, Peter

[BaltACD]

Stability calculations for loading on water vessels is critical. Mess them up an capsizing is in your future. Golden Ray, Brunswick, GA September 2019

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/golden-ray-101-1616162656.jpg?resize=2048:*

[dti406]

Our club has a car float and the operator’s first duty is to remove the cars prototypically balancing the load while also using the idler flats to keep the locomotive off the apron. Next the operator has to find all the cars that go on the float and place them on the float so the float makes the scheduled sailing.

I got in trouble from the dispatcher as I did all the other switching in the wharf area before unloading and loading the float, I neglected the note at the top of the switch list to do the float first. But it worked out okay as we were well ahead of time that most of the other operators who had done this job.

Rick Jesionowski

[_JaBear]

BaltACD, it’s sad that mankind sometimes struggles to learn from others earlier mistakes.

I find it far too easy to disappear down rabbit holes when “researching”, what I call, interesting topics.

Regarding the loss of CP#3512, there were several mentions of the barge being “leaky.” I have read the New Zealand Railways locomotives, rolling stock, and infrastructure was run right down due to the stress of the work done during WW2. I am only speculating the same applied to all the Allied Railroad systems, and that the barge was in not as good condition, as thought?

I also wonder how the Mississippi River Car Ferries coped with flooding events?

A question for Peter and Rick and indeed anyone else who operates a car ferry. One difficulty I’m having working out, is that having loaded the Makwa, on the layout, do I have it set up on a wheeled trolley and “remove” it from the layout and unload, then load it using the five-finger method, or do I just use the five fingered method on the layout?

Cheers, the Bear.

Makwa by Bear, on Flickr

[dti406]

Bear the car float never moves, we 0-5-0 the cars between operating sessions. If you notice there is one turnout on the float and since it is electrically operated would be difficult to move.

Rick Jesionowski

[HO-Velo]

@_JaBear

A question for Peter

Hello Bear,

Diving expedition photos show CP#3512 looking in remarkably good shape lying under 600 feet of lake water for nearly 80 years.

Space limitations quickly nixed any ideas about my having a mobile carfloat. The static carfloat is the switching layout’s only rail connection to the ‘rest of the world.’

A cycle begins by manually pushing an ‘outgoing’ load of cars off the carfloat, over an extended yard drill track and into a hidden ‘fiddle/staging’ yard.

After ‘outgoing’ cars are removed from the track a string of ‘incoming’ cars are made-up with thought given to balanced loading and facilitated switching after unloading.

The ‘incoming’ string is then manually pushed back over the drill track and loaded onto the empty carfloat; ready for prototypical unloading and loading via locomotive and ‘reacher flatcars’.

Allowed for a dedicated track next to the carfloat berth to hold the string of ‘incoming cars’ while loading the ‘outgoing’ from main yard.

Clear as mud. Regards, Peter

[_JaBear]

Thank you for your replies, Gentlemen.

I knew while building the Makwa that with the railings, superstructure, and even leaving out the stays, that I’d have trouble removing cars by the 0-5-0 method especially with my clumsy paws, though that would have been really easy compared to trying to place cars back on the tracks, so I think that an adaption of your solution, Peter, will suit me fine. (BTW it was very clear.)

Cheers, the Bear.

[Les_Mavor]

My modelling results will never compare to the excellent views we see here, but the pleasure of working a cross-lake ferry connection is an important part of my meager modelling efforts. With encouragement from Ted Rafuse’s superb book “Coal to Canada”, the Port Hope ON - Charlotte NY Lake Ontario ferry provides a bridge route from New England lines to the Upper Mid-West, adding valuable traffic to augment the infrequent activities of the struggling Bracebridge and Port Hope Railway and Navigation Co. The view I (hope) to attach depicts the ferry switcher pushing her spacer cars onto the ferry to lift another pair of in-bounds. Great relaxation, and an excellent way to generate make-up and mainline activity. It is June, 1959, and the passenger steamer Martha Smith rests in mothballs, awaiting an uncertain future. les@sceniking

2025-06-01T04:00:00Z

[HO-Velo]

Thanks Bear, Cut off the sharp end of a skewer, drilled and inserted a ‘dental brush’ for uncoupling, the other end is flat and works good when judiciously placed as my ‘pusher’, a true multitasking tool.
Regards, Peter

[HO-Velo]

@Les_Mavor

My modelling results will never compare

Don’t know about that, I sure like what I see and hoping for more. Thanks and regards, Peter