Liberty Ship Cruise This September

[crueby]

Hey all,
Something I've been looking forward to, a cruise on the SS John W Brown, a WW-II Liberty Ship. They have just put up the link to buy tickets, they have them on sale till May 31st when the price goes up. It sails out of Baltimore Harbor on Sept 17 2023, cruise is from 8am to 4pm. They have all sorts of stuff happening during the cruise (flybys, attacks, demonstrations) plus you can go down and watch them running the triple expansion main engine to power the ship, plus I believe they have a steam steering engine ( ).   Sounds like a lot of fun, just got my tickets.
Here is a link to the page about the cruise, other pages on the website give more details on the ship and its history. There are only a couple of these ships still operating.  I found out about the ship last year but too late to get on the cruise so I've been checking their page occasionally waiting for reservations to open up.
https://www.ssjohnwbrown.org/living-history-cruise
For any other of us steam nuts it should be a fun cruise...
Chris

[vtsteam]

That sounds like a great time! 

[TerryWerm]

I am truly envious but cannot swing such a trip this year. I trust you will regale us with tales of your exploits during your cruise, including a little bit of video of the engine in operation.

I had the opportunity to tour the SS Jeremiah O'Brien a few years ago at pier 45 in San Francisco. I was fascinated with the entire experience and yet at the same time was struck with how small it is compared to modern cargo ships. If any of you ever have the chance to tour one of these ships, underway or not, do it!! They are an amazing piece of history and a great example of WWII steam power. The O'Brien is still operational and actually sailed to England and back in 1995 to take place in events surrounding the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The O'Brien is the only ship to have ever left the mothball fleet at Suisun Bay under her own power.

For those who are unaware, the engine of the O'Brien was utilized to generate the video of the running engines in the movie 'Titanic'. The engine in the O'Brien is not nearly as large as those of the Titanic, but it is of similar design, thus it worked well for the video shots.

The entire history of the Liberty Ships is absolutely fascinating. These ships were produced quickly and in large numbers (2710 from 1941 to 1945) to support the war effort during WWII. They were manned not by soldiers or Navy men, but rather my merchant mariners, with just a small crew of military men charged with protecting the ship using the 4-inch guns that were mounted on them.

Anyway, I digress. If you want to read more about the Liberty ships, you can start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_ship

Now, it is time to get back to my task for today.

[RReid]

My understanding is that the Escort Carriers of the type that my father served on were little more than Liberty ship hulls with a flight deck welded on. At least the deck framework was welded on, the flight deck surface was Redwood planking.

[gerritv]

Envious. although I did spend 6 days crossing the Atlantic on a converted Victory ship in 1953, Rotterdam->Halifax. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Groote_Beer

A few years ago toured the SS American Victory in Tampa. Impressive conservation effort.

gerrit

[crueby]

Envious. although I did spend 6 days crossing the Atlantic on a converted Victory ship in 1953, Rotterdam->Halifax. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Groote_Beer

A few years ago toured the SS American Victory in Tampa. Impressive conservation effort.

gerrit

I wasn't aware of the 'Victory' ship class, just looked them up, very interesting. A replacement for the Liberty design, the Victory was slightly larger, and faster due to much more powerful steam turbine engines instead of the Liberty's steam compound piston engines.  Excellent!

[Twizseven]

That trip looks just up your street Chris.  I dread to think what you will see on that trip and then start making the following day.  I do not know how you manage to produce the models you do at the rate you do.  I reckon those elves are really real life slaves ready to do your every bidding, whilst you sleep they slave away.   

Colin

[crueby]

That trip looks just up your street Chris.  I dread to think what you will see on that trip and then start making the following day.  I do not know how you manage to produce the models you do at the rate you do.  I reckon those elves are really real life slaves ready to do your every bidding, whilst you sleep they slave away.   

Colin

One of these days I am going to wake up tied down like Gulliver in the stories!   




I do have a copy of the Navy book on maintenance for the engine in the Liberty ships, which includes moderately complete measured drawings... 

[Midland60]

Great opportunity! I can only thank the Liberty ships, their crew and admirers as they kept us supplied during the war. My godfather in Connecticut used to send us parcels of goodies, condensed milk, smoked ham and one christmas a Lionel lines O gauge loco. Saw one in a case in the Sacramento rail museum. Enjoy your trip!!!
D
PS A war time baby in London with the bloody jerries dropping bombs us all the time!!!!

[internal_fire]

I wasn't aware of the 'Victory' ship class, just looked them up, very interesting. A replacement for the Liberty design, the Victory was slightly larger, and faster due to much more powerful steam turbine engines instead of the Liberty's steam compound piston engines.  Excellent!

There was a converted Victory ship on the Great Lakes in the 60's and 70's (and maybe longer). It was called Cliffs Victory since it was owned and operated by the Cleveland Cliffs company. It was a bulk carrier for iron ore and similar products.

In its heyday it was the fastest freighter on the Great Lakes, with a speed of 17 knots or so. Most freighters at that time plodded along at 10 to 12 knots.

In my somewhat earlier days I saw it operating several times. A totally unique appearance compared to other freighters. The engine room and associated cabin were just aft of midships while virtually all other freighters had the engine room at the stern. The pilot house and associated cabins had been moved forward to look like all other Great Lakes freighters at that time.

Gene

[crueby]

I wasn't aware of the 'Victory' ship class, just looked them up, very interesting. A replacement for the Liberty design, the Victory was slightly larger, and faster due to much more powerful steam turbine engines instead of the Liberty's steam compound piston engines.  Excellent!

There was a converted Victory ship on the Great Lakes in the 60's and 70's (and maybe longer). It was called Cliffs Victory since it was owned and operated by the Cleveland Cliffs company. It was a bulk carrier for iron ore and similar products.

In its heyday it was the fastest freighter on the Great Lakes, with a speed of 17 knots or so. Most freighters at that time plodded along at 10 to 12 knots.

In my somewhat earlier days I saw it operating several times. A totally unique appearance compared to other freighters. The engine room and associated cabin were just aft of midships while virtually all other freighters had the engine room at the stern. The pilot house and associated cabins had been moved forward to look like all other Great Lakes freighters at that time.

Gene

Did a search on it, found several pages including this one - good looking ship!
https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/c/cliffs-victory

[internal_fire]

Did a search on it, found several pages including this one - good looking ship!
https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/c/cliffs-victory

The photo on the top of that page is not Cliffs Victory, but rather the Daniel J. Morrell. The Daniel J. Morell is famous in its own right, for a sad reason. It sank in a storm about 10 years before the Edmund Fitzgerald, taking all but one of its crew.

Gordon Lightfoot did not write a song, so most people have never heard of it.

There are lots of photos of the Cliffs Victory. One that shows the aft house position is at https://greatlakesships.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/1969_cliffs_victory_lelievre_01.jpg

(I have one I took in 1966, but it is so faded that it isn't worth posting. Must have used non-Kodak film.  )

Gene

[RonGinger]

Many years ago the JOHN BROWN came to New London CT. It happened to be the same weekend as the Mystic Seaport Antique Engine show, so it was arranged that the exhibitors had an open invite to tour the ship on Saturday evening. I visited the ship with Ray HasBrouck, a well know model builder.

Ray had been an engineer on a Liberty during the war. We spent an amazing evening in the engine room with Ray explaining the engine and Boilers.

One thing I will never forget. Ray described his first experience of shipping out. He had completed his training and was assigned to his first ship, at about the age of 19. He arrived at the ship and climbed the gangplank with his duffel over  his shoulder. He was met at the top by a man that asked him if he was the new engineer. When Ray replied  'Yes' the fellow replied "Good, I'm out of here" and promptly headed down the plank.  That was his hand-off and welcome aboard.

Ray tried to explain his feeling as he headed to the engine room with his responsibility to go to sea. I cannot imagine the feelings he must have had, as still a teen age boy, to take that responsibility and sail out into the Atlantic as a U-boat target.

Can you imagine something like that today?

There were 3 of us with Ray that night- Dave were you one of the group?

[crueby]

Gene, Funny that you mentioned Kodak film, since I was employed there for 30 years. Recently the consumer film division here in Rochester is hiring a lot of people, apparently  film is in demand again as people are leaving digital for film as a hobby! Amazing how trends come and go. A decade ago around the bankruptcy, Kodak shut down and even demolished a lot of the buildings and laid off tens of thousands. We went from 60 thousand workers to just a couple thousand, now they are hiring and training a whole new generation.

[internal_fire]

Gene, Funny that you mentioned Kodak film, since I was employed there for 30 years.

Yes, I knew that. 

The real problem was that I was using Ektachrome instead of Kodachrome. I have old slides that were shot with Kodachrome that are still very good, while most of the Ektachrome slides have shifted and faded into oblivion.

Gene

[Chipswitheverything]

I recall seeing the Jeremiah O'Brien when it was berthed over here at Southampton docks in England, in 1995, as part of the D-Day commemoration held then.  Though as Terry says, it doesn't compare for size with some of the modern vessels, I was amazed that such considerable ships could have been produced during wartime in such quantity and with so rapid a building time. Dave

[Art K]

Dave
That sounds like a fun cruise. I half expect your next build to be a Liberty ships engine! The one I remember is the freighter Col. James M. Schoonmaker in Toledo. We used to see it on the opposite bank of the Maumee river from the NAMES show. Didn't do the tour though.

[steamer]

Been on that cruise!   and it was worth every penny!

Dave

[crueby]

I'm really looking forward to the cruise!  A couple years ago I got to take a flight in a B-17 bomber over in Ohio, this will be my first trip in a big steamship (been on the much smaller Sabino quite a few times), still looking for a tank ride somewhere (driving Lombards is close but not the same).

[gerritv]

The RCAC museum in Oshawa, ON has regular demos. And at some events rides are available in a variey of vehicles. A very large collection, with a lot of working armour. My brother donated a WWII White half track that should be operational again soon.
Basically straight across the lake from you :-)
https://www.ontrmuseum.ca/tankmuseum/

I flew in a B17 in Sarasota and in 2021 in the Lancaster in Hamilton. Amazing experiences, makes you appreciate what all those young men did even more.

Gerrit

[AVTUR]

Coming back from Australia in early 1994 I stopped over in San Fransico for a couple of days during which I went round the Jeremiah O'Brien. I think she was moored close to Fisherman's Wharf. The volunteers were preparing, with great exitement , for their voyage to Normandy. However I also got the feeling that some thought it would never happen. At the time I was suprised that the engine was a triple expansion steam engine. Thinking about it now this makes full sense since petroleum based fuels in the UK were needed for things like tanks and aeroplanes. Both countries had plenty of coal.

Yesterday I looked through the photographs I took on that holiday. I do not have one of the ship, just an awful lot of Australia.

I know the Kaiser yards built them but am I correct in believing it was a UK design?

AVTUR

[crueby]

Thanks for the link Gerrit!!  On my trip list now!   

[crueby]

Avtur, from what I have read, the liberty ships were based on a British design, Ocean class, which was modified for faster construction and for American shipyard practices.

[steamer]

The Obrien has oil fired boilers.   

[gerritv]

Thanks for the link Gerrit!!  On my trip list now!   

You're welcome to drop by for a coffee on the way through St Catharines :-)

Gerrit

[crueby]

The Obrien has oil fired boilers.

So does the Brown.

[crueby]

Thanks for the link Gerrit!!  On my trip list now!   

You're welcome to drop by for a coffee on the way through St Catharines :-)

Gerrit

Would be great to meet you!
Going to go up for the show in July, looks like a fun museum.