# Small Bulk Carrier 1960s Eastern US



## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

I looking for some ideas for a bulk coal carrier that could of sailed during the 1960s and could of served Baltimore, MD and received coal from the mines of PA and WV. Perhaps a converted Liberty or Victory ship. Something under 500 feet that will fit on my 1:48 (O Scale) model railroad. I have plans for Liberty and Victory ships for wartime use but not much information about their configuration after the war. 

My intention is to build an operating rotary dumper to load the model with fake coal. I am also modeling a coal mine which will actually fill coal hoppers to be transported to the port for loading onto a ship.

I possible ship is the Anasasstia which I think called at Port Covington at the Western Maryland Railway docks in Baltimore, MD. It is a Liberty EC2-S-C1 and 442 x 57 feet which is a perfect size. Even if I can only find plans for a typical small bulk carrier, other than Great Lakes boats, it would work.

Thanks so much.

Jay Beckham


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Hello Jay, that Anastassia looks german or dutch built in the 50's.

What you are looking for is a Liberty Collier, EC2-S-AW1.
Built at the tail end of the war for the Hampton Roads - New England trade.
( I'm lifting this from 'The Liberty Ships' Sawyer and Mitchell )
Midships bridge, engines aft, liberty hull.
24 built ... all name 'xxxxx Seam'

There is a good line drawing in the book mentioned... I'll take a photo and post soon.

Cranfield has a good photo of one here https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1214453/title/reading/cat/510


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Drawings...


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

More on Anastassia.... originally built for the Swedish Chicago Line..
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2862884


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Liberty Collier*

First thanks so much for the reply. It was very helpful. I have several scale drawings of Liberty ships. Do you think the hull designs are the same or do I need to find drawings for the EC2-S-AW1specifically?
For example i have scale drawings for EC2-S-C1.
I also know that the Smithsonian has drawings for that exact ship according to the Maritime Administration Ship Design Collection catalog.

Also I am 100 miles from the John T Brown Liberty ship and have a friend who is a docent on the ship. Also did a one day sailing on her.

So if the Hull drawings I have will work I can go that route. If not I can order from the Smithsonian or find maybe on line.

Again, thanks for your help.


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Sawyer and Mitchell devote 4 pages to the type plus the plans and history of the ships, when the book was published in the late 60's all but two had been scrapped or converted into barges (4).
I think one may still exist as a breakwater at Sept Isles... thread somewhere on SN recently... maybe someone else can find it....

Yes standard liberty hull just a bit longer overall due to 95' 10.5" long poop deck having a bit of overhang. Engineroom where #5 hold was, two hatches to a hold..

I'll have a shot at photographing the pages.... back soon


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

The Marine Electric was on the Hampton Roads to New England run. You will have to search for the plans though. There should be plenty of photos around of her.
Good luck
Bill


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Liberty Collier*

I found a used copy of the book on Amazon.

Jay


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Marine Electric*

This appears to be a tanker. My interest is in a Collier. Thanks, Jay


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Marine Electric was a bulk carrier in the collier trade. Her loss in the 80s is well do***ented due to hatch cover failure. She passed us a few times in Hampton roads.


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Marine Electric*

Bill
I stand corrected. However, one google search said tanker and others said bulk. Maybe two ships with the same name. I believe i used SS Marine Electric on my first search.

Anyway, 600 foot would be pushing it for the space I have available for a dock. So the Liberty Colliers at !450 feet fit my space better. Even at only 450 I am really pushing it to fit it in. In 1:48 scale it is almost 10 feet long. However, my layout is pretty big at 30 x 60 feet but the space for a port is around 15 feet, so 10 foot model is better.


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Golly... that is some railroad project... I hope we get to see pics....
It involves a port so is PC for SN 
There is a model section in the gallery.

Meanwhile... I had to wait for decent light...

the pages


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Book Excepts and Photo*

First thanks again.
The Photo of the ship is really great. First time I have seen a photo of a small collier from that angle.

Here are some links:
My Blog https://jaysoscalelayout.blogspot.com/
Join us at [email protected]

Also on Facebook (which I don't like) I have a group called Jay Beckham O Scale Layout. https://www.facebook.com/groups/284769466256881 is the link I think.

I will print out the text and that wonderful photo.

Jay


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Anastassia*

I understand she is a general cargo ship. So I wonder why she was docked at the coal pier of the Western Maryland Railway under the chute for the dumper. The pier is in Port Covington, Baltimore, MD.

I know I can't load her with coal. But sure is a beautiful ship.

Jay


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

The southern pier in Norfolk, at the N&W coal piers, had the truck dumper and the loader as well. Some time in the 90s the pier was deactivated and now only the dumper runs on it, the loader was removed. The new pier does all the loading and can take two large bulkers at a time on the north side and usually a vessel waiting to load on the south side. As far as the picture goes it does not look like N&W Coal pier Norfolk as there would not be any buildings in the background as seen in the photo. It was all scrub land then until the new APM container berth was built. Only large building on the Portsmouth side was the Cogentrix power generation plant. The tug Resolute was a Baltimore tug. Norfolk tugs would have most likely have been Curtis Bay towing or McAliister. Curtis Bay became part of Moran towing in the 90s.
The Port Covington dumper ran under the loader so it was a dual purpose pier. There are plenty of phots if you google Port Covington coal pier Baltimore Md.


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Dual purpose pier at Port Covington*

Bill B. What did you mean that the The Port Covington dumper ran under the loader so it was a dual purpose pier. 

Dual purpose in that it loaded different types of cargo?

Or two types of loaded the dumper and the tipper type coal loader?

Thanks so much

Jay


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

The ship loader straddled the truck dumper track. It is very clear on pictures you can find on the web. It means that while the loader was filling the ship the trucks were being sent down the dumper track at the same time. They only needed one pier for the loader and the dumper. Norfolk’s Norfolk Southern/N&W coal pier southern pier was the same. Hope that makes sense.


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Truck Dumper vs Ship Loader*

I am still a bit confused.
Truck Dumper: Unloading coal from trucks? Like tractor hauled dump trailers?
Ship Loader: Unloading railroad cars via a tipper or rotary into a ship?
And are we just talking about coal?

Attached is a photo of the Port Covington Coal Pier. On the far right is the rotary dumper (coal). In the center is a tipping type dumper (coal). The coal from both is moved via convener belt up to the top of the tipper where the large chute is lowered down and releases the coal into the ship's hold. 

The Anastassia appears to be at the dock next to the tipper. Assuming it is a cargo ship is it unloading some product or material or is it being loaded? If being loaded what type of cargo.

Sorry to be confused but somewhere I don't understand.

Thanks

Jay


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## jfbeckham (Aug 9, 2018)

*Photo of Anastassia in Port Covington*

Here is the ship next to the "tipper"


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

The truck dumper is an elevated railway that the coal train cars are put on. Once on they are inverted and the coal dumped out. The truck is then reinvented and let go whereupon it rolls downhill and then up the raised part at the end and will then run back down hill to the yard empty. It is shaped like a ski jump the coal cars are self propelled by gravity. The coal is dumped onto the conveyor belt. This is taken to the loader on the pier, which straddled the raised railway, and then down a chute where it is dumped into the vessel. The loader runs on its own set of rails and can move up and down the pier. Sometimes they have to move the ship. Norfolk pier has two loaders on the same pier. The car dump railway is on the old pier on its own. 
In a nutshell. The coal car arrives at the coal pier and is hauled up to the inversion shed. It is then rotated upside down and the coal falls out onto a conveyor belt and then Can either be dumped onto large heaps or onto the loader conveyor belt. Once the truck is empty it is put upright and sent off downhill where gravity takes over and it heads off towards the end of the pier where it will gradually lose speed as it climbs up the incline. Eventually it will stop. Once more gravity takes over and it rolls backwards down hill whereupon it runs onto an empty railway line. This is repeated for however many cars are in the train. Not all coal is the same grade and a vessel may load many different grades. Sometimes this entails part loading at one pier and part in another pier. 
i.e part load at Newport News pier IX or DTA then finish load at Norfolk N&W/NS. Or maybe part load in Baltimore and finish load in Norfolk. Sometimes they have to go to anchor partially loaded and await the remainder of their cargo. Once loaded if it’s a big ship then it may lay on the berth for high water or move around the pier to wait and so free up the berth. Having spent 30 years working many vessels at Newport News, Norfolk and Baltimore it is a very simple system. Norfolk keeps most of its coal in the wagons and loads directly from them, whereas Newport News tend to use stockpiled heaps. 
Not much more I can tell you so hope that helps
Bill


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