Tug Boats and Car Floats on the New York Central

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Besides being avid model railroader, I also like to create radio controlled models of tugboats and other working harbor vessels.

I would like to find pictures and plans for the old NYC steam tugs that were used to tow the car floats across NY harbor.

Also any info on the barges that carried the cars would also be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Charles Burnaford
charlesb255@bellsouth.net

2

If you have any other interest in NH tugs the NH Navy is here too…[;)][:)]

I can’t help much with NYC tugs, though I know they shared the harbor. The barges had multiple tracks and since loco’s were too heavy for them, idler cars (empty flats or gondolas) were put between the engine and cut so the cars could be moved onboard safely.

3

Working purely from half century old memory here, so there are probably some dimensional errors:

All of the railroad-owned tugs in New York Harbor carried the road’s herald on panels on both sides of the tall, slender (steam boiler) stack. I believe most had reciprocating steam engines, since they chuffed and puffed like steam locos.

Car floats had either two tracks with a narrow covered floor-level platform between, or a third track that had reduced clearance at the float ends. I remember them carrying five cars on each side, so they were probably about 220 feet long. The ones with center tracks carried three standard cars or 4 hoppers on the centerline.

The tugs ‘towed’ from the side, and frequently ran with a float on each side.

4

See if this helps;

http://www2pb.ip-soft.net/railinfo/car-floats/nyc-carfloats.html

Some of the links are great.

5

Charles,
You might also be interested in the Rail-Marine Interest Group :
http://www.trainweb.org/rmig
And, you might find this article citation from the Index of Magazines of interest, although it’s about the NH, not the NYC :

The New Haven’s navy Trains, August 1943, page 32 How the New Haven moves freight across New York harbor ( FERRY, NH, TUG, TRN )

Hope this helps.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

6

Charles,
Again, while not NYC, you might be interested in the tugboat plans available
at John Fryant’s Paddle Wheels and Props :
http://modelplans.steamboats.org
as well as the Modelboat.com* 1/8" scale kit for 1900 era sea-going tug “Lackawanna” used to haul barges of anthracite from Pennsylvania to the south and northeast:
http://www.modelboat.com/model17.html
(Amended)
Actually, I believe that kit is produced by Bluejacket Shipcrafters :
http://www.bluejacketinc.com
which also sells it.

Bob
NMRA Life 0543