A.J. Goddard - Klondike Gold Rush Wreck Discovery

[herrmill]

Preserved is probably the best way to explain this sternwheeler that hasn't seen the light of day for 108 years.

The A.J. Goddard was a steam-powered paddleboat that towed barges on the Yukon's lakes and rivers during the Klondike gold rush of the late 1800s to early 1900s.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/11/photogalleries/091124-ghost-ship-yukon-shipwreck-pictures/index.html

Recently photographed for the first time, the gold rush-era sternwheeler was discovered sitting upright and remarkably intact in a lake in the Yukon Territory, Canada, in July 2008.

The sunken wreck of the 50-foot-long (15.2-meter-long), African Queen-like boat--built in pieces in San Francisco and later assembled in Canada--is the only known relic of such a unique, wilderness-ready construction.

[herrmill]

Interesting history on this boat & it's owner:

A.J. Goddard - Goddard was an engine designer from Iowa who saw an opportunity to cash in on the gold rush. With the help of his wife, Goddard planned to take two steamboats into the Yukon through the White Pass during the winter of 1897 so that they could take the first cargo down the river in the spring. Goddard discovered that this was not as easy as he thought. He and his wife were forced to move the vessels in bits and pieces across the narrow White Pass, a job that took the entire winter, forcing them to endure deathly cold and physical exhaustion. The Goddards' determination paid out in the end, as they established the first steamboat link between the gold fields and the Pacific coast.

More information on the Yukon steamboats including plans for A.J. Goddard can be found at:

http://www.inadiscover.com/projects/all/north_america/yukon_gold_rush_steamboat_survey_canada/introduction

http://thisandthatandmoreofthesame.blogspot.com

http://www.yukonalaska.com/klondike/bystate.html

http://explorenorth.com/library/bios/bl-goddard-c.htm

[R.G.Y.]

With the plans in the down load section who will be first with a working model? R.G.Y.

[herrmill]

There's a build already started in Montana that you can follow over at RC Groups.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13738679

It will be steam powered using a Midwest setup.