Paddleducks
Old Yahoo Group => Yahoo Messages => Topic started by: Derek Warner on June 17, 2005, 07:37:36 PM
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Brett - another interesting one - is that a roll of canvas suspended just below the wheel house deck? - and would they have simply dropped it when inclement weather (rain) arose?
I visited PS Marion at Mannum earlier this year - she has a boiler room with twin cylinder steam engine atop of the boiler, but all exposed to the weather one could say in a similar manner to that of PS Adelaide, although Marion's middle deck floor provides greater shelter
But then again we should let our world wide PD group know that Adelaide (one hour from Goolwa or Mannum) is the driest capital city in Australia which is the driest continent in the world - maybe they just rolled the canvas down as protection from the cold winter winds? - regards Derek
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Hi Derek,
The logging barge is an original barge made for the purpose.
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Info on Redgum timber for foreign PD'ers
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Unlike other countries timber, eg USA, Canada, South America, etc cut
logs could not simple be left to drift down stream and be collected later.
Why ? Because Aussie Redgum does not float !!
Redgum is extremely hard wearing, low rot factor and very strong timber,
used for railway sleepers ( est life span > 100 years), cladding Paddle
Steamer hulls :-) , fencing posts, etc.
I had a look at the planking on the ADA ( 1898), which is on the Moama slipway
under restoration,
and inside core of the planks was still red.
Two type of barge were developed to cart redgum timber,
a) built a barge large enough to carry cut logs inside, eg like the ADA, although
such barges were often made of metal to take the loading abuse.
or
b) build a smaller "floatation barge" and hang the cut logs long side,
hence the cross logs on D26 ( in the photo ) with a few
sample logs chained to her. Some logs would be carried on top also.
Our foreign ( non Aussies) PD'ers might like to know that the barges
steering gear was a removable platform with a steering wheel set up like
the normal wheelhouse,
and fitted by chains onto the top of the loaded cargo and then
reconnected to the rudder using chains or cables.
Some poor "barge captain" got the job of standing on the load and steering
the barge as best he could, uncovered in all weathers, standing on the
load.
Another 'trick' was to load the barge first and to set her adrift, with crew, and
drag a very large chain
behind to help keep the barge in mid stream, the steamer would catch up later
and resume towing duties. Must not have done the bottom of the river much good!
The canvas roll
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Not sure of its purpose, I suspect that wind shelter the most likely. The
Adelaide was specially built for the timber trade and therefore its not
for cargo covering.
So endth the lesson.
Cheers,
Brett
Brett S Hallett