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Ice delays opening of Lake Superior & Ishpeming ore dock
Can the ore trains be moved over another railroad further away, so they do not have to break the ice?
Hays and Hoyle,
Here’s a guess: 'cuz they have in the past; in the past when the 'Lakes were part of the public transportation system, government-run ferries, for instance, it was the USCG’s responsibility to keep the lanes open.
What you’re implying is that Peterbilts and KW’s should pay an additional fee to have the state DOT’s plow snowdrifts off I-#-Wherevever. That’s if the Lakers should pay extra to open lanes and harbors.
Digression terminated, what blew the fuse in my brain was this boat, the image of it, half loaded on the port side being turned and repositioned to load the starboard side of the holds…or: vice versa.
Top of my list of subjects is the visualization of the list of a half-capacity load on one side of a 1000 ft long boat…and the boat being moved…to load the other side of the. beam…
Private icebreaker is over $1000/hour. The freight that the lake boats haul amounts to 3% of the GNP of the US. The steel mills need the product…very costly to shut down a blast furnace because of lack of raw materials. These are scheduled shipments.
Lots of good info at Boatnerd.com. Canadian Coast Gaurd sending in their large ice breaker to help out on Lake Superior.
Mr Falconer, yes CN can haul the Marquette Range ore to Escanaba about 50 miles south. It is on Lake Michigan which has been less icey lately.
William I was thinking the same thing.
I can’t speak for US practice but for several years Canadian shipping companies got charged for the service only if they requested it from the Canadian Coast Guard. In situations where icebreakers are normally used to keep shipping lanes open there is no charge. This works for the entire Seaway from Quebec City inland, or did so until recently. Port authorites who requested CG assistance to keep a port open may be charged as well. I may stand to be corrected on this by someone who works in the maritime sector but my understanding of it is that user fees may apply in many instances.
This in line with many Canadian government policies which require taxpayers (including corporations)to pay user fees for services which their tax dollars have already financed in large part.
Icebreaking services are not free. Try hiring a private icebreaker (they exist)and see what the charter rates are.
Francis. I live on the Great Lakes and have seen these vessels load. The operation at Marquette is really something. These 1000 footers are unique to the Great Lakes. Outside of having to turn the boat to finish the loading, its really not that much different than the other ports. The boats all have ballast tanks to balance themselves out when loading. So you needn’t worry about one of these monsters turning over.
Why are we, the taxpayers, funding the icebreakers of the USCG anywhere? Do the lakeboats pay any of the costs?
How do the coal unloaders work? I take it they are not Hullets or whatever those large machines are called!
Mr Brown, most Great Lake bulk carriers are self-unloading.
Francis yes that is what I am saying let them Peterbilts and KW’s pay their fair share.
@Francis Carlin - they use ballast water tanks to keep the list managable.
@Hays - why do we, the taxpayers, fund the highway system, the airports and airways, the harbors and navigation? It’s part of being a citizen of this country, or any country that engages in commerce and trade.
Mr Mallard, thanks for not ducking my question.
“Ballast tanks…keep the list manageable…”
I’m not a (maritime/mech.) engineer, but I was one ocomotives, leading to these ?s
Permanent ballast tanks? On both the port and starboard beams? Equivalent water volume to manage the list? Or, part load, with tanks being filled, turn the boat, then while part loading the other beam, mty the tanks on that side while filling the otherside’s tanks, and then continuing loading the other side. Then…dang it…Tx gov. quote…“Oops”
I don’t know how to spell the square dance caller’s command, the common: dough, si’(senyor), Doh. see Do
Global warming I hear you say??!
Global warming I hear you say??!
Global warming I hear you say??!
Global warming I hear you say??!