Upper Mississippi River.... Barge at Lock and Dam 11

[@denn606]

Very nice, brings back good memories, my dad was a 30 year man with the Corps, first at Genoa, WI. Lock #8, then Promoted to Assistant Lockmaster at Lock #6, Trempealeau, WI. I was born in Genoa, and spent my childhood in Trempealeau, I was a very curious little boy and watched almost every lock through I could as we, (my family) lived in one of the Government houses at the Lock, I saw some very interesting things take place, tows hiting the wall, lines snapping, towboats getting sidways, my dad even saved a family as a cabin cruiser was swept under the main gates, I was allowed access to anywhere on the dam even the controll house, I was very respectful and didn't touch anything I wasn't supposed to!

[@raylz19]

We used to love going to Dubuque and watch the tows and personal watercraft locking through. I wish I knew about Eagle Point Park back then. A much better view from up there. Thank you for the video.

[@kathrynspieker6189]

Brought our boat from Mpls to Cairo, Ill on the Miss. Nice to see the locks again!!!

[@terrellprice8013]

I Worked on all the navigable inland waterways on the Mississippi River system from 1959 until 1966 the year I graduated from college owing $150.00. The river provided me with funds to establish a base for the rest of my life. Now that I am 78 years old and had the sense to invest all my retire with Berkshire Hathaway 27 years ago, money has never been a problem with me. Life is simple, people make it a lot harder than it has to be.

[@erikb8877]

Ha! Back when the barges were made of wood and the men were made of steel.

[@jeremyburris6563]

Being a former towboater seeing this video takes me back to when i was a mate for steel city and inland marine i miss the money but not the ruff times that came with it

[@erikb8877]

jeremy burris Steel City...bet that sucked

[@erikb8877]

The boat pushing the barges is 6000 horsepower and built by St. Louis Ship sometime in the 1980's. It is a carbon copy of the boat I rode for many years. The red and white tug is the Lisa Marie(at least it used to be) formerly named Pro Tow, and is used to help guide the barges into the lock chamber safely. The Pro Tow was sunk by heavy ice near Burlington IA in 2012(?) on its voyage from Paducah KY. Over the next couple years, it got a new bottom and stern. I personally did a lot of work on it before it was sold to the present owner.

[@kishikoko]

Thanks you for the history... much appreciated.

[@travisb8342]

The red and white tug in the auxiliary chamber. The bigger one of the 2 is the James Brennan owned and built by JF Brennan

[@erikb8877]

@@travisb8342 you’re right! I stand corrected. It’s been a while since I’ve seen either. Someone just sent me a pic of the Lisa Marie frozen in the ice at the marina sitting very low in the water. It will probably sink...again

[@jaypek43-Phil]

Great quality video, man!

Growing up in that most beautiful area created a love for and respect of nature that drives my life. River floods are devasted our off-channel property so we upgraded to cruisers moored at Dubuque Marina just past Lock 11 where this is filmed. The bluffs overlooking the locks are frequented by eagles similar to Starved Rock lock on the Illinois River which I also visit for hiking. Our great and powerful rivers deserve respectful admiration. Commercial traffic supports all the navigation and provides us with unmatched area recreation. Go there, see it, enjoy.

[@jaypek43-Phil]

Interesting! They split the tow up to get through the lock! So...how do they power the first half of the tow to get it out of the lock? Is there a tug we don't see in your video?

[@kishikoko]

I made the video a long time ago, but I don't recall seeing how it was done.

[@erikb8877]

The lock uses the current and change in elevation to "flush" the first cut when transiting down. When they are going upstream, there is a winch on the lock wall used to pull the first cut

[@chuckfischer7202]

During my short time on the river, I saw competing tow operators co-operating to push/pull barges in or out of the lock. Sections of the tow were run aground or left drifting. There were battery powered running lights on the barges, to help find them. Often there were men on the loose barges. The barge round-ups took place night or day, whatever the weather. Sometimes took hours. Barges would be strewn far and wide, tow boats are not speedy. That was a nice easy connect in the video, out on the river, in the dark, away from the eyes of the lockmaster, they were usually rougher. You would hear the warning, 'look out for the bump'. Meant grab ahold of something, the ice covered steel deck was about to move a couple of feet under your feet. That was 50 years ago, might have changed.

[@erikb8877]

@@chuckfischer7202 the only time I have seen that done is in very heavy ice. That is almost never an issue at this particular lock because it closes before ice is an issue. Once upon a time, Alter Barge Line was the only company that would intentionally send their boats into heavy ice.

[@chuckfischer7202]

@@erikb8877 I only worked one winter season. Accidentally caused the displeasure of a cajun relief captain. It was a bad time for ice. Stranded a couple days when the boat's hydraulic wheelhouse froze in the raised position between two bridges in Chicago. Single line ice breaking through Peoria Lake. Boats were tied off above the locks trying to use wheel wash to move the ice away. Locking down nothing but ice, no room for the barges. Got off at Alton, Capt. yelling something about the way I made coffee. Ice jams stopped everything about a week later. That was all I saw, figured it was normal.

[@Peaceduetostrength]

brings back so many memories. very boring making a double locking on the upper

[@jamescline6937]

Not if your a deckhand busting his butt on that rigging.

[@mikeabresch3827]

And it is being film from eagle point park its beautiful there

[@shipchannel9893]

nice video👍👍

[@kishikoko]

Thank you 👍

[@25nakeddog]

is aep hiring exp hands im trying to get back on the boats and having no luck plus there is a way to make the coupling up faster with lots of rags and spectra lines like we use to do almost forty min in lock with my method

[@erikb8877]

Your probably having no luck because you sound like a know-it-all. Pretty arrogant to think a deckhand with a few years experience is going to show everyone how to do something. Maybe you do have a better way but you failed to understand how much tradition is on those boats. Things rarely change, if they ever change at all

[@SuperLegoDesigner]

Do u know what the name of this song is??!!

[@TIKIMAN198]

Holy shit.... You have one VERY nice camera...

[@frankbruning6998]

Hello from Germany

[@kishikoko]

Hello there!

[@frankbruning6998]

@@kishikoko Good morning from Germany

[@mikeabresch3827]

My home town Dubuque IA

[@whlhousejocky]

any one heard from marktwained or Shonda lately ?

[@jaserestaba619]

perfect

[@donelder8338]

Why do they call them tow boats, they don't tow they push

[@erikb8877]

It's a secret reserved for a select few. It's a small club and you ain't in it. 😁

[@whlhousejocky]

Ole RoseBud made the first cut in this vidio

[@jamesveals100]

....

[@dennislee444]

stop calling the boats a barge. there towboats

[@erikb8877]

Only if you learn correct spelling 😉 *they're

[@duereer]

21st Century and the Americans still have no winches on their barges! Unbelieveble that they still work the way they did in the 19th century!

[@erikb8877]

Artco/ADM and the old Cargill barges have hand winches. In my experience, winches can’t get couplings as tight as a good old fashioned barrel ratchet and a 35. A loose coupling is a weak coupling.

[@erikb8877]

James Fox Armchair? Lol Lazy deckhands love winches.

[@erikb8877]

James Fox Retired USCG licensed Chief Engineer and Master here. Spent my fair share of time on deck as well.

@@erikb8877 No wonder you know what's up. I am fascinated with big ships & their engineering, plus off-shore sail racing. Nerves of steel you folks have. Job requirement.

[@erikb8877]

James Fox Naw, mostly pretty routine. 99.9% boring, 0.1% sheer terror. I can handle a 1000’ footer but I would be completely lost trying to operate a 20’ sailboat. I’m still pretty young and have always wanted to learn. Sailing from Duluth MN to the Atlantic is on my bucket list.