20180716 Sam M. Fleming "stuck" near Hollywood Casino

I had been following Sam M. Fleming on Ingram's web site after I chased it from Joliet to Lockport on 20180708. It had gone down to the Peru area, but on the morning of July 16, I noticed it was a little downstream of the Brandon Lock. Since I spent more time trying to get more photos of it, I wanted to dig deeper into its specifications because I think this is the largest pushboat I have seen with a retractable pilothouse.

20180708 2774

Satellite

Since I started tracking it on 20180708, the furthest I have seen it from the Chicago area, where a retractable pilothouse is needed, is a little downstream of Hennepin. In fact, it been there for over a day now. This morning (July 16) it was still at milepost 205.4, and, as I write this (5:35pm), it is still at 205.4. But it also spends time on the Ohio River per Flickr photos by Joseph Schneid  at mile 619 and at Louisville. So it does do line haul work. Joseph's comments provides the stats for me:

Sam M. Fleming
0590071
Length 144 feet - Breadth 35 feet - Twin Screw GM 12-645E7B, 4300 hp
Built 1977 by Nashville Bridge Co., Nashville, TN Falk red. 4.48:1. Kort nozzles.
Retractable pilothouse
Originally William F. Earthman
Renamed Sam M. Fleming 1995
Owned by Ingram Barge Co., Nashville, TN

I discovered that he got this information from TowBoatGallery. That is good to know. I looked at several web sites to find information. Most of them claimed to be tracking sites, but the data was way out of date. One was as old as January!

I noticed in Joseph's photos that Sam displays the Ingram logo whereas in my photo it displays Inland Marine Service, but it is still listed on the Ingram web site. Gary Whittington also caught it on the Ohio River with the Ingram logo at Paducah, KY.

A retractable pilothouse for a line haul pushboat is rather rare. It has such a long deck house because the living quarters for tow crews have to be included in that deck. Normally a line haul pushboat has several deck levels and the higher levels have the captain's quarters, galley, bunk house, etc. I wonder were else on the inland waterways there is a height restriction of about 16.5' to justify a low-profile line haul pushboat. Because of their very distinctive profile, I have found two more to research: Mr. Chuck and Ned Merrick.

Satellite

I mentioned in the first paragraph that Sam was downstream of Brandon Lock. When I checked again around noon, I noticed it was in the same place --- near Hollywood Casino. Until I noticed Hollywood Casino, I thought the Des Plaines River downstream of Brandon Lock was just industrial. It looked like maybe I could get a view of the tow from the casino's parking lot. Since it appeared the tow was going to stay there for hours, I went there to see what I could see. In particular, I wanted to know how big of a tow it was pushing. I assume it left Peru with a 15-barge tow and dropped barges off along the way.

Between the parking lot and the river was a heavy treeline. But then I discovered a concrete culvert that created a gap in the treeline so that I could get this shot.

20180716 2877

I could tell that the tow was three barges long and 3 barges wide at the front --- two tanker barges and a covered hopper barge.

But I could not tell if it was three barges wide at the middle and rear. If it was, then the starboard barges were loaded barge and did not have covers because I could see them in the photo if they were empty and/or had covers.

The significance of the starboard rear spot being empty is that the pushboat could move into that spot when going through a lock.

I went down the road to the loading dock on the west side of the casino to see if I could get a better view of the pushboat. Given that the following are the only two views I could find, the answer is no.

On my way back home I stopped at the visitor center for Brandon Lock. I first noted that the construction office trailer that had been parked in the parking lot was gone, but the Manitowoc 777 crane was still parked by the lock. This photo was taken legally from the sidewalk that goes up the bank to the visitor center area.

Next I took my camera into the visitor center, which a sign at the gate forbids. I wanted someone to come out to talk to me so I could ask when they expected Sam to lock through. No one came, so I took a photo of a little Grove crane at the southwest corner of the lock. (Closeup below)

Since I still wanted someone to come out and challenge me, I took a shot of the 777 as well. It is parked on a barge.

It has been parked there long enough that Google has captured an image of it.

3D Satellite

I gave up trying to attract someone's attention and went home. But I think the small crane construction activity explains why Sam was stuck downstream at least half a day.

I repeat the above noonish position that was almost identical to the morning position for easy comparison with later positions.

Satellite

After I got home, I sampled its position around 6pm. My first thought was that it had headed downbound. But then I decided that it just wasn't using a lot of fuel for "station keeping."

Satellite

I took another look around midnight. It confirmed that it was waiting to go through the lock but the caption was not bothering about accurate station keeping.

Satellite

During the night, it finally was allowed through the lock and made its deliveries and picked up a new tow because the next time I looked, it was back downstream of Hennepin.

Before and during most of the day of 20180719, 205.4

I don't see anything on the satellite image at 205.4, but there must be a new loading dock or something because this is the second time I have caught it spending quite a bit of time there, and then it heads back to the Chicago area.

But when I looked at 8:51, it was at milemarker 216.3. So even though a direction icon on their web site still showed that it was downbound, it is obviously headed upbound.

2133: 217.4
2313: 221.2
0034: 225.1

Satellite

0104: 226.4  When I looked at this position, I noticed two 2x3 tows in the image. So they do some rather small tows on the Illinois River as well.
0224: 226.4  Are they stuck in a queue for Starved Rock all the way back here??
0455: 229
0753: 231  in Starved Rock Lock
1134: 242
1242: 244.3, I happen to notice that the icon has been changed to upbound.
1303: 244.3 Looks like they are waiting for the Marseilles Lock.
2321: 269.4
2354: 270.1
20180721
2255: 278.2 upbound
20180722, I was out of town
20180722
1719: since 0500 it has been setting at 278.2
2209: 271.4, the icon is showing upbound, but the mileage difference indicates downbound
20180724
0008: 269.4, icon is still upbound
0236, 03:52: 266.4
0500: 264.3
1045: 249.1, someone finally changed the icon to downbound
1247: 245.2, it looks like it has been waiting for its turn to go through the Marseilles Lock
1436: 245.3, still waiting for the Marseilles Lock
1830: 233.3, it looks like it is waiting for the Starved Rock Lock
2047: 231, it is in Starved Rock Lock
2142: 230.2, must have gotten out of the lock just a little bit ago
2306: 225.2
20180725
0045: 219.3
0500: 208.5
0711: 209.4, they have an "In port" icon, but it is still showing downbound. Marquis Energy talks about exporting DDGS and eth
anol using the Illinois River, but the satellite image shows Marquis Marine transloading grain from truck to barge. A photo shows transloading barge to truck with a clamshell crane.

1349 198.3, lots of barges being loaded with aggregate. And they have there own little pushboat.
1532: 185.1, so I guess they just happened to be passing by the above aggregates barge loading facility
1823: 174.3, it looks like it might not be coming back to the Chicago area like it did before.
2028: 164.1

2220: 158.1 I wonder if the river's water level is high enough that it can skip the lock. This satellite image shows the river level is so high that it covers  the lock walls. That means the wickets are down so that they can use the river channel.
20180726
0500: 144.3
1038: 141.2, so why did it take over five hours to go 3 miles? I don't know where the second wickets dam is on the Illinois.
1529: 153.4, So it was at 141.2 for so long because it was getting a new load for Chicago? If so, it must be a new business because I don't see a loading dock on the satellite image.
20180727
0017: 166.5
1403: 205.3
2102: 222.4
20180728
0500: 225
1019: 234.1
2218: 248.3

Obvously, it is not going to make it back to the Joliet by July 29. Since I'm going to be out of town next week, I'm going to quit following Sam for a while because I won't have a chance to chase it in the Chicago area. So it is time to publish this look at Sam's trips on the river.

Update: actually, it looks like it spent some time at Ingram's Channahon fleeting area, then headed downbound. You don't need a retractable pilothouse for that.

20180804 1322: 208.1 on the Upper Mississippi with a downbound icon
20180806 0907: 182.1 after spending a couple days upstream of Alton, it looks like it is headed down the lower Mississippi River. The are now just three boats on the Illinois River, Brian A. Napack is the closest to Chicagoland at 179.
20180807 1718: 194.3  It has been setting here since at least 0500. The icon indicates upbound.
20180808 2255: It has been setting at 194.4 since 0500.
1836: 11.3, it has started back up the Illinois Waterway
20180810
0234: 53.1
0500: 61.1
1117: 80.7
1535: 85.2, just 5 miles in 4 hours? I looked for a lock, but I did not find one.
20180811, stuck at 85.2 or 85.1 all day
20180812  1048, 2124:  85.1
20180813
1708: 85.1
2320: 81.8
20180814
0254: 81.8
2010: 85.1
1843: 85.1
2129: 85.1
20180816  1045: 89
20180817
0018: 124.3

1113: 151.6, lots of tows in this area. A fleeting area?
1452: 151.6
20180818
0711: 192.8
1809: 218.9
2339: 228.6
20180819
1256: 231.8
2137: 255.5
20180820
0500: 245.1
0635: 236.7and icon shows downbound, at ADM Growmark
20180821
0500: 228.3
1034: 221.7, Brian A. Napack (no photo) is at 268.5, but the next day was down to 250.5 with a downbound icon; Marge Mcfarlin (retractable pilot house) is at 278.5, but the next day was down to 221.8 with a downbound icon; five are on the Illinois Waterway. Since I'm out of town, I'm going to quit following the tows for a while.

Erna E. Honeycutt

20180829  Sam is at 234.8, but the icon shows it is downbound. However, Erna E. Honeycutt is at 238.2 and upbound. So I will start tracking Erna now.
2151:  277.1
20180831
0500:  278.1
1119:  272.1  So it changed tows at the Channahon fleeting area and is heading out of the area. This makes sense sense it is the purpose of a fleeting area to have a tow assembled by local pushboats so the line-haul pushboat has a quick turnaround. The local pushboats will then disassemble the tow and distribute the barges delivered by Erna. When the leaves are off the trees, I'm going to have to make a trip along Front Street to see what I can see.
20180903 1140:  Brian A. Napack is the furthest upstream at 251
20180904  At 0500 it was at 278 and at 1808 it was back down to 245.9. So it must have also swapped tows at Channahon.

Marge Mcfarlin is now the furthest upstream at 253.2
20180905 11:47 278.7, but thunderstorms are on the way. Wow, by the end of the day it was all the way down to around 266
20180907 1239:  Dale Heller is at Channahon, but it is raining today.

20180708 Sam M. Fleming Pushboat Chasing (passed Al Weaver)

While I was researching flanking, I came across a web site for Ingram's pushboats. I searched for all of the pushboats that were running on the Illinois Waterway. The one at the highest mileage marker was Sam M. Fleming. Fortunately, Ingram's web site offers a link to its position on Google Map because I didn't have any clue about miles on the waterway.

A couple of highlights of the photos below:

Sam M. Fleming

Position: Mile 279.3 on the ILLINOIS WATERWAY

Net Tonnage: 474

Engines: GM 12-645-E7B

Boat Height: 16.6FT (Highest Fixed Point: 42.1FT)

Length Width: 144X35FT

Boat Draft: 10.6FT

Locate this Vessel on Google Maps

David Gulden posted
WILLIAM F EARTHMAN now the SAM FLEMING

When I first checked Sunday morning (Jul 8 2018), it was just below Brandon Lock. When I checked after I got up for the day around 1pm, it was just south of US-6 at the Joliet fleeting area. So I wondered if it was dropping off a tow and picking up another to go downbound like I have described for the Leo G. Lutgring. I decided it was worth driving to Joliet to check it out. To make a medium story short, I not only did not see Sam (I recently read that proper usage is to use the first name.) in the fleeting area, I so no barges there.

After stopping to take some photos of the completed new Joliet train station, I noticed in the distance that the blue Ruby Street Bridge was up. So I quick headed to that bridge to see if it was approaching the CN/EJ&E Bridge. I did not see the tow upstream.

20180708 2737

I checked out the river overlook in Route 66 Park. Unfortunately, it is now like the Newburgh Lock Overlook, they need to offer someone free firewood if they would cut the trees.

On my way into Lockport, I turned onto the old 9th Street. I discovered that the Old 9th Street Bridge, which I have used in the past, is now closed. So I continued on to Lockport, hung a right into the public parking lot south of 9th Street before the CN/Metra tracks, confirmed Embers Tap House had WiFi, and had a nice meal while I confirmed that the tow was at the Lockport Lock. I killed time exploring the area trying to find somewhere to view the canal. You can tell that the current 9th Street Bridge was built a while ago because it has no accommodations for bikes and pedestrians. The road near the canal's controlling works doesn't allow you to see the wake and propwash of a tow.

I went back to Embers and spent some time in their "waiting to be seated" area, which was empty, reading Facebook and checking the location. Everytime I checked, it was still in the lock. So I gave up and headed home. But as I crossed 9th Street Bridge, I saw a couple of guys walking across the old bridge. Once again, fisherman teach me how to access a waterway.

So I went back to that bridge and parked behind their Jeep, grabbed my canvas chair, a magazine and my camera; and I walked across the old bridge.

As I had crossed the current bridge, I grabbed photos to the north (upstream) and south (downstream). (I'm not taking my eye off the road. I just hold the camera one-handed and shoot at 18mm. Then I use Gimp to rotate and crop the part I want. And I'm driving a minivan so I can sometimes get a decent image above the handrail.)

20180708 2743rc, looking North
You can see a downbound tow on the right passing "double parked" barges on the left. We will see much more of that downbound tow shortly.

Looking South
The small 1x1 downbound tow is waiting for an upbound tow to clear the Lockport Lock.

There is a curve in the canal, so one cannot see all the way to the Lockport Lock from the 9th Street Bridge, but there was no upbound tow in sight.

After I walked across the old bridge, I discovered there is an area by the canal with no tree line right under the new bridge.

5:14:47  In addition to a bird taking off, I saw not only the tow that was parked on the east bank, but an upbound tow.

 5:14:51 And the tow that was coming downbound is going past me.

 5:15:14

 5:15:23

 15:16:21  Below I digitally zoomed in for a close up of AL WEAVER.

5:16:24  I realized that the downbound tow was parking by the side of the canal.

5:16:26  And that the little tow that had been parked had left.

5:16:29  I took this photo because I noticed the significant propwash. Actually, I probably heard the diesel engines and that alerted me to take a closer look at the stern of the pushboat.

5:16:44  A lot of water moved, but the tow did not move downstream. It must have been shoving the front end of the tow against the canal wall because it will be parking for a while.

5:17:03 Here we see all three tows, a glimpse (note the green cover) on the left of the tow that just parked, the upbound 2x3 tow in its entirety, and the little downbound tow to the right of the old grain loading facility.

5:17:20  Note the parked tow has retracted its pilothouse. I realized that the little tow I had seen parked earlier when I was crossing the 9th Street Bridge was waiting its turn to go through the Lockport Lock. After the upbound tow had cleared the lock, the little downbound tow could leave for the lock. And this big 2x3 tow behind it had to park and wait for the little one to lock through. The good news is that the little tow will fit in the 600' lock without any disassembly. When the 2x3 tow reaches the lock, it will have to remove the pushboat from the barges and pull alongside them to fit into the lock.

5:17:59  The upbound tow makes steady progress.

5:19:10

5:19:37  Clearly, a 2x3 tow.

5:20:14

5:20:21  There is enough action I don't want to read my magazine, so I took a photo of the abandoned grain loading facility while I was waiting for the upbound tow to pass.

5:21:02

5:21:26  Then I got excited when I could read the name of the pushboat: Sam M. Fleming for the Inland Marine Service. It is interesting that it does not carry an Ingram sign. So I got the answer to the question I was after, how big of a tow was it pushing up the canal --- 2x3.

 5:21:49

5:22:11  I then switched to video.

(new window)

5:22:59 You can tell from the relatively small propwash that the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal normally has a slow current.

5:23:23  And the Al Weaver is still parked with its pilothouse retracted.

I stopped and went out on the 135th Street Bridge, which not only has a pedestrian/bike lane, it has a nearby trailhead parking lot. But the tow was too far south to wait for it. I went home and periodically checked its location using the Ingram site. The furthest upbound I caught it was in the Cal Sag close to Donegal Excavating.

Satellite

I suspect it delivered barges to Ozinga because when I checked later it was downstream at the following location. The pilot house had to be retracted for every bridge going upbound starting with the BNSF/Santa Fe bridge in Lemont.

Satellite

I noticed the "dot" was close to a lot of empty barges. Then I determined that this is Illinois Marine's Channahon fleeting area. When I checked again the next morning (20180710 7:00am), Sam was still here.

I checked its location periodically over the next several days, and Sam made a trip to the Peru area and then back to the Chicago area. Once it spent many hours (more than a day?) just upstream of the Brandon Lock.