Rail-Marine Lines

[Archimedes77]

I am in the planning stages of a layout. I have always been interested in modeling a rail-marine line. I am researching proto-typical rail-marine lines, but so far the only one I have been able to find is the Ann Arbor RR. I have assumed rail-marine lines (with car barges) are not found along major river systems, as bridges solve the problem of moving rail traffic. Sea ports would not normally have a rail-marine line, which leads me to look at lines around the Great Lakes. Does anyone know of lines that employed rail-marine services? If I have to go freelance I will, but I would still like to base my layout on a proto-type.

[jrbernier]

GTW & PM/C&O also had car ferries across Lake Michigan. There were a number of barge operations in the NYC area.

Jim

[NorthWest]

Milwaukee Road in Puget Sound.

There were also a few in the Bay Area.

[mh1]

There were also rail/barge operations on the St. Clair and Detroit rivers between Michigan and Canada. These lasted up until early 1990s.

[mlehman]

Lots of stuff about NYC harbor/marine railroad operations out there. Here's a few links.

http://www.oldnyc.com/

http://www.trainweb.org/bedt/IndustrialLocos.html

Barge kits

http://www.laserkit.com/railmarine2.htm

A major rail-barge link is between Seattle (and other locations in Canada) and Alaska. It only begain operating in 1962.

http://www.oil-electric.com/2009/10/boxcars-go-to-sea-6-alaska-railroad.html

http://www.alaskarails.org/ARR-industries.html

["JaBear"]

to the forums.

Here’s a link that I’ve found useful....

 

http://teamtrack.soforums.com/t625-CAR-FERRY-around-MICHIGAN-State.htm

 

You’ll see that link and a few more here in this thread...

 

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/220945.aspx?page=1

 

... the more I find out , the more I need to find out.

Cheers, the Bear.

[herrinchoker]

Maine Central had marine ferrys operating on the Kennebec River at Bath Maine until the late 20s, cars were taken from Bath across the river to Woolwich, the line ran up to Rockland.

[dehusman]

Depends on your era. 

If you are modeling pre-1930's or pre-WW1 there were a lot of rail barge lines across rivers.  A few of the ones across major rivers lasted until the 1970's (e.g. MP at Vicksburg across the Mississippi).  A lot of eastern roads had ferry lines in the major eastern cities, especially New York very late, a few still operate as shortlines.

[JOHN BRUCE III]

There are currently barges carrying rail freight cars between Seattle, Prince Rupert, BC, and Whittier, AK, very active routes. Rail barges also formerly served Valdez, AK during construction of the Alaska Pipeline, as well as a paper plant railroad in Ketchikan. There is also a barge operation between Mobile, AL and Ponce, Puerto Rico, about twice a month.

 

UPDATE: I looked into this a little more and discovered that there is in fact other rail barge operation in southeast Alaska and coastal BC http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,258338

 

Until the 1950s, the Pacific Great Eastern (later BC Rail) barged all its freight between Vancouver and Squamish, BC. There is also rail barge service to Vancouver Island.

[Atlantic and Hibernia]

The newest Rail-Marine operation os CG Railways that carries freight cars over the Gulf of Mexico between Alabama and Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, every four days.  Shipping a freight car directly over the Gulf saves a lot of time as opposed to routing it through Texas and south through Mexico.

The sips involved are really quite large.

The URL for the company is:

http://www.cgrailway.com/

Good Hunting

Kevin

[7j43k]

Definitely not on the Great Lakes; and, sadly, not in current operation, but:

 

A few shots of rails on the (San Francisco) Bay

 

View of old Santa Fe slip in Richmond (CA) with SF in background left:

 

 

At Port Costa, a bit up the Sacramento River from the Bay:

 

 

The arrival point in San Francisco for ferrys leaving the above dock in Richmond:

 

 

And here we have a Western Pacific train at the Oakland Mole, where passengers will transfer to a people-ferry to cross the Bay:

 

 

Ed

 

 

[JOHN BRUCE III]

It appears that people have been continuing to research the Alaska Valdez operation, and it started in the 1960s, about when the earliest Alaska rail barge service started http://alaskarails.org/historical/valdez/RB/index.html but it pretty much went dormant after the completion of the pipeline.

[Archimedes77]

Thanks everyone...lots of great info. The era I am planning for is the transition era, maybe late 40s to early 50s. Because I am choosing the transition era, I should probably research if there was any appreciable changes in rail-marine services to meet the changes of steam to diesel locos, but I wouldn't think there would've been much if any changes since rail barges didn't move locos, only freight cars. I am also planning an urban rail-marine terminus, which is why I didn't want to settle on the Ann Arbor RR, which terminated at Frankfort, MI, too small for what I want. The Detroit and NYC prospects sound good enough to look further into.

[ericsp]

Here is the Google Street View of the barge in Whittier, AK.

[NP2626]

What was a rail ferry line which crossed Lake Michigan from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin on the S.S. Badger, a steam powered ferry boat (Ship) is still in service.  This vessel was a part of the C&O system and carried freight cars, which thereby missed the congestion of the Chicago area.  This vessel still plies Lake Michigan making 2 round trips across the lake per day.  It is around a 70 mile one way trip and takes 4 hours to complete.  The vessel now carries trucks, automobiles and passengers.  When you enter the vessel you can still see the rails buried in the asphalt from when she hauled rail cars.   At Ludington, her sister ship the Wolverine was still sitting awaiting whatever her fate may be.

It is a fun and interesting trip to make.  On her lee side, you may walk the deck and actually get a cinder in your eye!  I did!

 

This is not a car float; but, and actual ferry ship which would be fairly large even in HO.

 

[Bobster]

Greetings,

Sorry I'm late to the party, been out of town.  In the quick scan I did of this thread I did not see the Wabash Detroit River car ferries mentioned that connected US operations with the Canadian.

 

Happy modeling,

Bob L.

[Redore]

Incan Superior from Superior WI to Thunder Bay ON.

[PM Railfan]

Archimedes77

I have always been interested in modeling a rail-marine line. I am researching proto-typical rail-marine lines, but so far the only one I have been able to find is the Ann Arbor RR....

 .... Sea ports would not normally have a rail-marine line, which leads me to look at lines around the Great Lakes. Does anyone know of lines that employed rail-marine services?

Look under the C&O name for railferry operations. More specifically the 'Pere Marquette' rail ferrys (originator of the ferry operations). There is alot of info available from the C&OHS and the PMHS on this.

The PM was a Michigan Class 1 carrier which utilized large ferry operations on both sides of Michigan. When the PM was merged into the C&O in 1947, they inherited the ferry business aswell as the PM.

There are a few PM books out there that give detailed info on the scope of the service. If your interested in Great Lakes ferrys, the PM is a good operation to look at. Rail, autos, and people inclusive.

Heres a promo video from the C&O about the service. Skip to 1:15 to avoid the Beaver Cleaver salesmanship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf3hwxDJze0

 

PM Railfan

 

 

[fmilhaupt]

NP2626

{snip}

 At Ludington, her sister ship the Wolverine was still sitting awaiting whatever her fate may be.

{snip}

Minor correction: The Badger's sister ship is the Spartan.

Given the competition beween Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, in some circles it can be kind of an important distinction