Memphis, we’re gettin’ us a steamboat!
Image via Wikipedia*
I am sure you have heard the news. In conjunction with the Beale Street Landing project, a private company, bolstered by tax dollars, is bringing a steamboat to Memphis for overnight river tours. The American Queen is a big boat – 418 feet (127 m) long and 89 feet (27 m) wide, with 222 state rooms for a capacity of 436 guests and a crew of 160. The American Queen cruised the Mississippi River system for a while, but tourisim was not lucrative enough to keep the owner, Majestic America Line, afloat. She was returned to the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) who held her $30 million mortgage, in November of 2008. She is currently in storage (mothballed?) in MARAD’s fleet in Beaumont, Texas. If you are a fan of steamboats, Steamboats.org is the site for you; here’s their write-up on the American Queen.
When the Queen was owned by Majestic America Line, they apparently did a nice job of marketing the steamer to luxury tourists. Here’s what’s left of an ad on a travel website that shows deck plans. A review of a cruise on the American Queen paints a romantic picture. This video shows the grandiose appointments of the boat when it was in its prime.
According to a very interesting post on steamboats.com (not to be confused with steamboats.org), this is the current resting place of the American Queen, the MARAD fleeting area in the McFadden Bend Cutoff SE of Beaumont. According to the post the AQ is the 4th vessel from the left, with pointed bow facing SSW.
The post describes the ship’s journey to the mothball fleet, and offers some interesting mechanical insights. For instance: “Although the American Queen’s stern paddlewheel is indeed powered by a genuine steam plant, her secondary propulsion and much maneuverability comes from a set of diesel-electric propellers, known as Z-drives, on either side of the sternwheel.” Also some interesting photos of the boat that weren’t meant for tourists, like the mattresses thrown and stacked in the grand salon.
The steamboat will be the icing on the cake for Beale Street Landing. It is my understanding that the City Council has approved public funds for our steamboat, and there are some private funds involved too. It will really pump our economy, with hundreds of jobs, and the City will get revenue from docking fees. And tourists will come from near and far to to admire Beale Street landing as they get on board for a magical river cruise to New Orleans or St. Louis. Wow, I can almost hear the calliope.
Photo Credit:
*American Queen in front of Eads Bridge By Thegreenj (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Related articles
- Sold! Classic Paddlewheel American Queen Returns To Service (gcaptain.com)
- Sale of the American Queen as described in a river transportation trade publication (workboat.com)
