SS Alpena - The Oldest Laker Entertains the Crowd With Her Steam Horns

[@IsaacNeeder]

Love seeing an old steamer still around in some way. That red and black smokestack against the grey white hull so lovely. Hope she stays around for a long time to come.

[@1Long2Short]

I hope so too! 🙂

[@rogwarrior1018]

What a beauty! She is as pretty as can be. All lit up and those steam horns are awesome such a different type of sound. Shout out to the folks who go down to watch these ships come in (I'm jealous) and welcome her crews. May the Alpena grace us for years and thank you to the Inland Lakes Mgmt company for keeping this grand old girl riding the waves.

[@1Long2Short]

She is indeed a beauty. I put about 360 miles on my car to capture her on video. 😁

[@RockinwithWalker]

Good to see a classic steam whistle still around!

[@LongIslandRailfanner]

That ain't a Whistle, that's a steam horn!

[@geographyRyan]

Love the Alpena so much, hopefully whenever she is retired she gets to be preserved.

[@gregmctevia5087]

Beautiful old ship. Outstanding presentation.

[@1Long2Short]

Another one of those darn night videos! 😆

[@jeanhutchinson6198]

I love the shadows of the crowd on her hull. Great video! Someday I hope to get to Duluth to experience the ships coming through the canal myself.

[@1Long2Short]

I keep meaning to show more of the crowds in my videos, but at least I got their shadows this time. 😄

[@rogwarrior1018]

Oh yea, that is in my bucket too.

[@jeffdayman8183]

The Alpena - from a time when steam horns and other equipment was vapourware- and it was a good thing! 8^) Nice to see the USCG small boat in action too. Great video!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks Jeff! I figured someone might want to see (and hear) the small boat in action.

[@karenyork2172]

The grand old lady of the lakes. What a beauty!

[@xXdetroit15Xx]

It’s always good to see Alpena!

[@relentless3735]

The shadows on the ship from the lighting are astonishing as well. What a beauty 💯 Thank you. 👍🏼💕💜 from Michigan.

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks for watching!

[@carcar78]

Beautiful!

[@hmhsbritannic1292]

I love seeing old steamers that are still around, shes very beautiful ship, i love the red & black smokestack

[@johnborst857]

Stunning artistry! May it illuminate the mind of many.

[@1Long2Short]

Thank you!

[@oceansoul3694]

This is a great video, beautiful old lady of the lake still swishing on down the line, I love it. Nice catch of the small plane between her tall lights after she went under the ariel lift bridge too. What a great evening, so glad you were there!!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks Lisa! Hope you’re doing well 🙂

[@oceansoul3694]

@@1Long2Short 32 inches of heavy wet snow, I've had serious cabin fever, can't dig out ❤‍🩹so it's melting, discouraging but all is well!

[@1Long2Short]

Woah! 32 inches of snow already. Wet snow is the worst. ❄️

[@oceansoul3694]

@@1Long2Short Absolutely. At least my barn and house are ok. This is April snow, not November. Strange weather!

[@1Long2Short]

Strange weather indeed. I still have my summer hanging baskets outside my front door. They have refused to die, even when temps went down to 29 a few nights ago. I’ve never had them last this late in the year.

[@101769able]

excellent footage thank you

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks!

[@Cooper-BK]

Gotta love the classic ladies

[@boltz4030]

She's a beauty. Good vid!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks!

[@lonemountain3049]

thanks for sharing👍

[@1Long2Short]

You’re welcome! 🙂

[@Jfk3434]

I see her and smile ❤❤❤

[@davidvaughn7752]

Wow! 1942! That's so cool! Served since the war while her sisters are now tuna cans. Sort of sad but glad to see her still going. Steam horns sound really neat! Thank you for sharing this! Loved it!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks for watching!

[@KenHartman152]

Love that ship!

[@BlueWaterRailfan]

It's nice seeing the Alpena making more trips to Duluth this season!

[@1Long2Short]

Coming back tomorrow too! 🙂

[@BodyChamp96]

Shes absolutely gorgeous

[@jameslackner9319]

Great looking ship! Love the bikes hanging on the back “patio.”

[@waltersims493]

From Deb…Alpena at night…spectacular…love the red on her stack…nice horn too. Enjoyed this!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks Deb! I like the red stack too. It contrasts nicely with the light green paint.

[@chuckg6039]

What a nice video! I always enjoy seeing the two bright range lights. Especially the one mounted very high behind the funnel. Happy you got to catch your first night time arrival.

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks Chuck! There’s a crow’s nest just under that rear light. I bet that would be an interesting place to ride, especially in bigger waves!

[@johnandrews3568]

Best active horn on the Great Lakes.

[@morticiaaddams7866]

My second favorite behind the Barker

[@greggrauscher34]

Thanks for another great video! I was looking forward to this one. Such a beautiful ship all lit up, even her smoke stack looks lit up. She looks good for 80+ years old. i consider myself very lucky to have seen her in person, Labor Day weekend in Milwaukee when she was moored by the cement silos there. But she never visits my neck of the woods (Welland Canal) so watching these videos of her, as well as other ships I rarely get to see is a real treat!

[@1Long2Short]

Thanks! I seem to recall the Alpena made a rare trip through the Welland Canal around 6-8 years ago. So maybe you'll get lucky someday!

[@greggrauscher34]

@@1Long2Shortthat would have been cool to see. Interestingly, the other day I came across a pic online somewhere of her in the Welland Canal back when she was still the Leon Fraser.

[@OscarVaughn]

Thats the sort of ship id love to have a trip on. I dont care where id just love to see it in person and take a ride wherever it was going

[@DavidSquires-iy4uv]

The, Steamer,Alpena is looking good 👍 👀 👌 for her Young Age. Especially, when's she's all,litup.And, the SALUTES 🫡 ARE VERY LOUD AND CLEAR SALUTES 🫡! Hopefully, The Alpena will have a lot of more Sailings,ahead of her. 6:32

[@1Long2Short]

I hope so too! My philosophy is to see them while you still can… or capture them on video while you still can! 😉

[@orionharmon6017]

That dual horns sound similar than I expected.

[@lagodifuoco313]

Still the coolest ship on the lakes in every way.

[@LongIslandRailfanner]

I love Alpena, she's my Favortie Great lakes Freighter, sorry James R Barker but who needs diesel when you got steam!

[@MultiPurposeReviewer]

I didn't realize/had forgotten that she was older than the Lee Treggy. I generally think of the Lee as being the grandmother of the lakes.

[@1Long2Short]

I tend to think of Lee as being “built” for the lakes in 1960… while Alpena has been on the lakes her entire career. But Lee certainly had an interesting history before coming to the lakes. 🙂

[@edwardpate6128]

Hard to believe she was originally 120 feet longer!

[@bluerazor7049]

She also sounded her pilothouse mounted air horn.

[@1Long2Short]

I was wondering if that might have been the second horn. 🤔 Makes sense.

[@bluerazor7049]

Yeah, it's a KM-185. I know they're playing with it right now but it's probably used for fog signaling.

[@cris_261]

Seeing how there's double A and triple A class lakers, was there an A-class laker at some point?

[@1Long2Short]

I’n not sure. 🤔

[@geoffreywallace9432]

Sounds like batteries lol.

[@pabthespanish]

Beautiful ship, wish i went to Duluth to witness these ships myself, great video man. By the way, do you use a scanner to hear the communications between the ship and the bridge? If so, which one?

[@1Long2Short]

It’s worth making the trip if you get the chance. For the scanner, I use the online site Broadcastify.

[@harryscott9533]

🤓🙋‍♂️❤👍

[@1Long2Short]

🙂

[@rystrains.6405]

she always comes to green bay i never get chance to see her

[@TrainsAreReallyCool]

2:13 Did she get a modern horn somewhere else, or was one of the 300s replaced?

[@williamcarl4200]

I could visit. Wave an American flag and wish them fair winds and following seas. I spent 20 at sea, but not one minute on fresh water.

[@1Long2Short]

I bet you have some stories to tell!

[@dgkmiata]

Is the bridge lowering and raising just for traffic control or security or what?

[@1Long2Short]

The bridge is the link for road traffic to reach Minnesota Point. The bridge lifts to let the boats through the canal, but mostly stays in the down position to let road traffic flow.

[@rogwarrior1018]

The ships pass under it. It is a pedestrian bridge when it is down.

[@rickmassey1272]

IMAGINE A NOVEMBER BLOW such as the1913,'40,'75,'89....😞.Does the U.S.COAST GUARD actually test the evacuation capability of these large ships. Actually take a ship out into lake superior or any area subject to large volume of wave actions and reproduce actual emergency scenario where the crew has to get into lifesuits,get to the lifeboat, deploy and man,crew the lifeboat... ABANDON SHIP TESTS ???

[@owenjones9659]

Was it just me or did the horns on the Alpena sound out of tune?

[@gaspowertoys]

I agree. Probably fouled to some extent or mechanical issues present. We can appreciate the glory of the healthy Leslie 425 and 300 steam whistles which the Fitzgerald, Ryerson and other old steamers employed.

[@1Long2Short]

Yeah, I figured they were a little fouled. Would love to hear the Ryerson’s horns in action someday, but I fear it will never happen.

[@rogwarrior1018]

It could use a tuning BUT it is an amazing sound and the last of it's kind on the Great Lakes.