Two photos of the GE Class 70 Freightliner 70012, damaged in a fall on the BELUGA ENDURANCE last month, can be found on the law offices of Countryman and McDaniel's website. Note that you have to scroll through several of my uncredited photos to find the photos.
This is the second site other than my own upon which I have found photos of the BELUGA ENDURANCE and the GE Class 70 locomotives. This has led me to write the following photo use policy:
You are allowed to use any of my photos for personal use or internet display as long as credit is attributed to Jeff Thoreson. Any publication display requires prior written permission which may be obtained via email.
I write the Erie Shipping News as a labor of love; I have never received any monetary compensation for my writings or my photograph, nor do I have any desire to do so. I do this because I love to do it and it is quite disheartening to see other sites take credit for my work.
Showing posts with label Beluga Endurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beluga Endurance. Show all posts
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
GE Class 70 Locomotives in service in the UK
The new Freightliner GE Class 70 locomotives shipped out of Erie on the BELUGA ENDURANCE in December have gone into service. A photo of 70011 in service, hauling a coal train, can be found online here. The fantastic photo at that Fotopic.net link is by Martin Turner.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Layup Update; More Photos of GE Class 70 - 70012
EDGAR B. SPEER expects to be loaded and out of Two Harbors, Minnesota sometime tomorrow evening and down to Conneaut on Saturday evening. This will put the SPEER in Erie for layup sometime on Sunday.
PRESQUE ISLE is due into Duluth to load iron ore tomorrow and is reportedly due down at Ecorse, Michigan to unload on the 17th at 1100 hours. If this holds, this will put the PRESQUE ISLE in Erie, if all goes well and ice does not prove to be a problem, sometime during daylight Tuesday.
CASON J. CALLAWAY is due in Duluth to load iron ore ahead of the PRESQUE ISLE tomorrow and will be down to Ecorse, Michigan on the 15th, later in the day.
Another photo of GE locomotive 70012 can be found here. Reportedly, it will be reloaded on the undamaged BELUGA ENDURANCE when BELUGA ENDURANCE returns there after unloading in Ghent, Belgium in several days.
PRESQUE ISLE is due into Duluth to load iron ore tomorrow and is reportedly due down at Ecorse, Michigan to unload on the 17th at 1100 hours. If this holds, this will put the PRESQUE ISLE in Erie, if all goes well and ice does not prove to be a problem, sometime during daylight Tuesday.
CASON J. CALLAWAY is due in Duluth to load iron ore ahead of the PRESQUE ISLE tomorrow and will be down to Ecorse, Michigan on the 15th, later in the day.
Another photo of GE locomotive 70012 can be found here. Reportedly, it will be reloaded on the undamaged BELUGA ENDURANCE when BELUGA ENDURANCE returns there after unloading in Ghent, Belgium in several days.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
BELUGA ENDURANCE Video, Part One; Winter Layup Information
BELUGA ENDURANCE is shown in the video below while departing Erie on December 21.
Photos of the unloading, including a couple of the bent-up 70012, can be found online here.
To clear up the questions I have received, it is my understanding that as far as layup dockings are concerned, the EDGAR B. SPEER will be backed into the Old Ore Dock; the CASON J. CALLAWAY will be in the West Slip and the PRESQUE ISLE, as always, will be at the Mountfort Terminal. The PRESQUE ISLE will have the cofferdam installed on the starboard side by Lakeshore Towing so that the shaft seal on that side can be replaced.
Please note that photos are currently not appearing in posts below; this is due to a server change I am working on and will be remedied by Tuesday at the latest. I am also in the process of changing old photos on this blog (2006 and 2007) from the Webshots albums they were previously in to my own server.
Photos of the unloading, including a couple of the bent-up 70012, can be found online here.
To clear up the questions I have received, it is my understanding that as far as layup dockings are concerned, the EDGAR B. SPEER will be backed into the Old Ore Dock; the CASON J. CALLAWAY will be in the West Slip and the PRESQUE ISLE, as always, will be at the Mountfort Terminal. The PRESQUE ISLE will have the cofferdam installed on the starboard side by Lakeshore Towing so that the shaft seal on that side can be replaced.
Please note that photos are currently not appearing in posts below; this is due to a server change I am working on and will be remedied by Tuesday at the latest. I am also in the process of changing old photos on this blog (2006 and 2007) from the Webshots albums they were previously in to my own server.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Video: Locomotive Loading at the Mountfort Terminal
Below are two videos of the locomotive loading process at the Mountfort Terminal.
The first video shows a unit being shifted to the north track on the dock to be loaded on Sunday, December 19, and the second video shows the actual loading of one the next day.
I will post video of the BELUGA ENDURANCE arriving, and also departing, in the next few days.
The first video shows a unit being shifted to the north track on the dock to be loaded on Sunday, December 19, and the second video shows the actual loading of one the next day.
I will post video of the BELUGA ENDURANCE arriving, and also departing, in the next few days.
Friday, January 7, 2011
BELUGA ENDURANCE Arrives in Wales
BELUGA ENDURANCE arrived in Newport, Wales on the 3rd of January and successfully unloaded four of the five locomotives loaded in Erie last month.
However, while unloading #70012, the final locomotive, a cable on the ship's crane snapped, dropping the locomotive about 13 feet into the cargo hold of the BELUGA ENDURANCE. Reportedly damage to the unit includes cracked axles, crushed bogies, and a bent frame. There have been no reports as of yet of damage to BELUGA ENDURANCE. It's too early to say what will become of the 700012, but with that damage it seems likely that it will be scrapped and replaced with another unit.
This unfortunate incident has spawned a fan page on Facebook.
However, while unloading #70012, the final locomotive, a cable on the ship's crane snapped, dropping the locomotive about 13 feet into the cargo hold of the BELUGA ENDURANCE. Reportedly damage to the unit includes cracked axles, crushed bogies, and a bent frame. There have been no reports as of yet of damage to BELUGA ENDURANCE. It's too early to say what will become of the 700012, but with that damage it seems likely that it will be scrapped and replaced with another unit.
This unfortunate incident has spawned a fan page on Facebook.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
BELUGA ENDURANCE Departs
BELUGA ENDURANCE departed Erie at 0900 this morning after spending nearly an hour turning in Presque Isle Bay. The vessel is expecting to be at Long Point at 1015 and CIP 16 (Port Colborne) at 1330. The ENDURANCE will be changing pilots at CIP 16 today and will be taking pilots all the way to Montreal with a load of canola seed and flax seed from Thunder Bay and locomotives from Erie. The BELUGA ENDURANCE will be stopping in Montreal for bunkers (fuel).
Calling in at Long Point right after the BELUGA ENDURANCE, and also downbound, was the HERMANN SCHOENING, with a cargo of corn from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and also bound for Montreal to bunker. The vessel, drafting 8.00 meters on both ends, was altering course toward the Canadian shore so that it could get cell phone coverage to call the Seaway Authority for service. The pilot reported that every member of the ship's crew was sick with food poisoning symptoms and the ship will need to be fumigated before continuing its downbound transit.
Video will follow this evening.
BELUGA ENDURANCE heads into Presque Isle Bay to turn around.
Turning.
Outbound.
Another view.
Ice in the bay is reported at 5 to 6 inches thick.
In the channel the ice was not nearly as thick, having been broken open last night.
Close up of the BELUGA ENDURANCE.
Crew member on the BELUGA watches the vessel head outbound.
Ice on the vessel built up during its downbound transit.
Passing the Coast Guard station.
Stern view.
Next stop: Montreal.
HERMANN SCHOENING upbound in the Welland Canal bound for Milwaukee on December 12.
Stern view. Note the man on the ladder. The ladder was lowered here to check the vessel's draft markings, much to the pilot's dismay.
Entering Lock 2. On the 2010-built vessel's upbound transit, the bow thruster was not working.
Calling in at Long Point right after the BELUGA ENDURANCE, and also downbound, was the HERMANN SCHOENING, with a cargo of corn from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and also bound for Montreal to bunker. The vessel, drafting 8.00 meters on both ends, was altering course toward the Canadian shore so that it could get cell phone coverage to call the Seaway Authority for service. The pilot reported that every member of the ship's crew was sick with food poisoning symptoms and the ship will need to be fumigated before continuing its downbound transit.
Video will follow this evening.
BELUGA ENDURANCE heads into Presque Isle Bay to turn around.
Turning.
Outbound.
Another view.
Ice in the bay is reported at 5 to 6 inches thick.
In the channel the ice was not nearly as thick, having been broken open last night.
Close up of the BELUGA ENDURANCE.
Crew member on the BELUGA watches the vessel head outbound.
Ice on the vessel built up during its downbound transit.
Passing the Coast Guard station.
Stern view.
Next stop: Montreal.
HERMANN SCHOENING upbound in the Welland Canal bound for Milwaukee on December 12.
Stern view. Note the man on the ladder. The ladder was lowered here to check the vessel's draft markings, much to the pilot's dismay.
Entering Lock 2. On the 2010-built vessel's upbound transit, the bow thruster was not working.
Monday, December 20, 2010
BELUGA ENDURANCE Loads
The last of the GE Class 70 locomotives was loaded onto the BELUGA ENDURANCE this morning at about 1000. The crew of the ship has spent the rest of the day preparing the ship for its voyage. The BELUGA ENDURANCE has a departure prospect of sometime tomorrow.
The crane prepares to lift 70008.
Beginning to lift.
Turning the locomotive.
Lifting.
At deck level and beginning to swing the locomotive over the ship.
Close up of 70008.
Almost over the ship's hold.
The crane prepares to lift 70008.
Beginning to lift.
Turning the locomotive.
Lifting.
At deck level and beginning to swing the locomotive over the ship.
Close up of 70008.
Almost over the ship's hold.
LOADING COMPLETE ON BELUGA ENDURANCE
Loading was completed on BELUGA ENDURANCE at around 1030 this morning, and the vessel is currently preparing to get underway. BELUGA ENDURANCE should depart sometime today.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
BELUGA ENDURANCE in Port
BELUGA ENDURANCE, after enduring a slow transit across Lake Erie, arrived at the piers at 0720 this morning and slowly proceeded inbound to the Mountfort Terminal. At 0736 the vessel became stuck in the ice about 150 feet off of the dock.
Due to the miles of red tape that surround the U.S. Coast Guard's Operation Coal Shovel, the icebreaking operation for Lake Erie, the ENDURANCE had no assistance from Coast Guard Cutter HOLLYHOCK while arriving this morning. The pilot on the vessel had requested assistance from the HOLLYHOCK in breaking open the harbor so that the BELUGA ENDURANCE will have an easier time turning and departing tomorrow, to which the HOLLYHOCK told the pilot that they could not simply break open the harbor; the pilot needed to contact the Ice Operations Officer at Coast Guard Sector Detroit.
At 0900 the crew at the Mountfort Terminal began moving the five locomotives from the south track to the north track so that they may be loaded aboard BELUGA ENDURANCE and taken to Wales, which is the ultimate destination of the units.
The dock crew also used a backhoe to break ice around the dock for the BELUGA ENDURANCE, which took more than two hours to secure to the dock due to ice.
BELUGA ENDURANCE is expected to depart sometime tomorrow or Tuesday. HOLLYHOCK departed at around 1300 today.
I will post all of this video (there is nearly an hour worth of video of today's events) sometime tomorrow along with an update on the loading.
BELUGA ENDURANCE inbound.
Another view.
Cracking the thinnest ice in the harbor.
Stern view.
Stuck fast.
Working in the ice.
By moving back and forth, the vessel's pilot was attempting to break the ice between him and the dock, with some success.
Getting closer to the dock.
All of the locomotives due to be shipped are shown in this picture.
HOLLYHOCK working at Buoy 5.
Inbound to drop off buoys.
70009 being moved to the north track.
This front-end loader moves toward the railcar to start pushing.
Pushing it onto the north track.
HOLLYHOCK at dock.
Lifting a buoy.
Ice fishermen off of Dobbin's Landing. Ice is reportedly 5 to 6 inches thick.
At 1600 this afternoon loading had yet to begin.
Due to the miles of red tape that surround the U.S. Coast Guard's Operation Coal Shovel, the icebreaking operation for Lake Erie, the ENDURANCE had no assistance from Coast Guard Cutter HOLLYHOCK while arriving this morning. The pilot on the vessel had requested assistance from the HOLLYHOCK in breaking open the harbor so that the BELUGA ENDURANCE will have an easier time turning and departing tomorrow, to which the HOLLYHOCK told the pilot that they could not simply break open the harbor; the pilot needed to contact the Ice Operations Officer at Coast Guard Sector Detroit.
At 0900 the crew at the Mountfort Terminal began moving the five locomotives from the south track to the north track so that they may be loaded aboard BELUGA ENDURANCE and taken to Wales, which is the ultimate destination of the units.
The dock crew also used a backhoe to break ice around the dock for the BELUGA ENDURANCE, which took more than two hours to secure to the dock due to ice.
BELUGA ENDURANCE is expected to depart sometime tomorrow or Tuesday. HOLLYHOCK departed at around 1300 today.
I will post all of this video (there is nearly an hour worth of video of today's events) sometime tomorrow along with an update on the loading.
BELUGA ENDURANCE inbound.
Another view.
Cracking the thinnest ice in the harbor.
Stern view.
Stuck fast.
Working in the ice.
By moving back and forth, the vessel's pilot was attempting to break the ice between him and the dock, with some success.
Getting closer to the dock.
All of the locomotives due to be shipped are shown in this picture.
HOLLYHOCK working at Buoy 5.
Inbound to drop off buoys.
70009 being moved to the north track.
This front-end loader moves toward the railcar to start pushing.
Pushing it onto the north track.
HOLLYHOCK at dock.
Lifting a buoy.
Ice fishermen off of Dobbin's Landing. Ice is reportedly 5 to 6 inches thick.
At 1600 this afternoon loading had yet to begin.
BELUGA ENDURANCE Arrives
BELUGA ENDURANCE is now in port and docked at the Mountfort Terminal. USCGC HOLLYHOCK is also in port, offloading buoys.
A full report, with photos and video, will appear later today.
A full report, with photos and video, will appear later today.
BELUGA ENDURANCE, HOLLYHOCK DUE
BELUGA ENDURANCE is currently off of Erie; no word yet on when the vessel is heading in, but it seems as though it may be after daylight after all.
HOLLYHOCK is at anchor off of Erie and will be lifting anchor and getting underway inbound to Coast Guard Station Erie at around 0800. There the vessel will offload some buoys before heading out into the channel to replace buoys 1 and 5 with the winter ice markers. The HOLLYHOCK hopes to be underway and out of Erie by noon.
The pilot on the BELUGA ENDURANCE told the HOLLYHOCK's officer-on-duty that he would see the HOLLYHOCK inside the harbor, which indicates that the HOLLYHOCK may head in before the ENDURANCE does.
Check out the Erie Shipping News Twitter page, accessible by the link on the right hand side of the page, for up to the minute coverage as events unfold this morning.
HOLLYHOCK is at anchor off of Erie and will be lifting anchor and getting underway inbound to Coast Guard Station Erie at around 0800. There the vessel will offload some buoys before heading out into the channel to replace buoys 1 and 5 with the winter ice markers. The HOLLYHOCK hopes to be underway and out of Erie by noon.
The pilot on the BELUGA ENDURANCE told the HOLLYHOCK's officer-on-duty that he would see the HOLLYHOCK inside the harbor, which indicates that the HOLLYHOCK may head in before the ENDURANCE does.
Check out the Erie Shipping News Twitter page, accessible by the link on the right hand side of the page, for up to the minute coverage as events unfold this morning.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
BELUGA ENDURANCE ETA
BELUGA ENDURANCE is currently downbound in the St. Clair River. Assuming the vessel has no delays en route, the current ETA for the ENDURANCE is 0400 on Sunday in Erie.
Friday, December 17, 2010
BELUGA ENDURANCE Update
BELUGA ENDURANCE was downbound at the Soo Locks this morning. That currently puts the vessel in Erie sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning; this time of year, however, delays are quite possible due to ice conditions and availability of pilots, both of which are quite iffy this time of year. I will update tomorrow with a more firm ETA.
BELUGA ENDURANCE is one of a fleet of nearly seventy vessels, most of which follow this same basic design. Most of the fleet's vessels are 453 feet long and 69 feet wide. Each is equipped with two cranes, which is where the vessels vary; some are equipped, as the ENDURANCE is, with two cranes of 120-metric tonnes each, giving them a 240 MT lift capacity.
Others are equipped with cranes with 150 MT capacity each.
BELUGA ENDURANCE is part of the E-240 class of Beluga's fleet. In this class there are nine ships, including BELUGA ENDURANCE's sistership BELUGA ENDEAVOUR, which also has visited the Great Lakes this season. Twelve members of Beluga's fleet have traded onto the Great Lakes this season. A typical trip for the ships is to bring windmill components into the Great Lakes and leave with grain products or heavy lift cargo. Some, such as BELUGA ENDURANCE, leave with both.
BELUGA ENDURANCE was built in 2005 as a cooperation of Volharding Shipyards in The Netherlands and several Chinese shipyards. The vessel has visited the lakes several times since its launch. On this trip it brought windmill components from overseas and delivered them to Duluth, Minnesota before proceeding to Thunder Bay to load wheat prior to proceeding to Erie to load locomotives.
BELUGA FAMILY is a near-sister to the ENDURANCE. The only difference is that BELUGA FAMILY has two cranes of 150-MT each. FAMILY is shown here while downbound in the Welland Canal at Port Colborne, Ontario on November 7, 2010.
Another view. In this photo FAMILY is shown after having cleared Lock 8 and beginning a downbound transit.
Stern view.
BELUGA ENDURANCE is one of a fleet of nearly seventy vessels, most of which follow this same basic design. Most of the fleet's vessels are 453 feet long and 69 feet wide. Each is equipped with two cranes, which is where the vessels vary; some are equipped, as the ENDURANCE is, with two cranes of 120-metric tonnes each, giving them a 240 MT lift capacity.
Others are equipped with cranes with 150 MT capacity each.
BELUGA ENDURANCE is part of the E-240 class of Beluga's fleet. In this class there are nine ships, including BELUGA ENDURANCE's sistership BELUGA ENDEAVOUR, which also has visited the Great Lakes this season. Twelve members of Beluga's fleet have traded onto the Great Lakes this season. A typical trip for the ships is to bring windmill components into the Great Lakes and leave with grain products or heavy lift cargo. Some, such as BELUGA ENDURANCE, leave with both.
BELUGA ENDURANCE was built in 2005 as a cooperation of Volharding Shipyards in The Netherlands and several Chinese shipyards. The vessel has visited the lakes several times since its launch. On this trip it brought windmill components from overseas and delivered them to Duluth, Minnesota before proceeding to Thunder Bay to load wheat prior to proceeding to Erie to load locomotives.
BELUGA FAMILY is a near-sister to the ENDURANCE. The only difference is that BELUGA FAMILY has two cranes of 150-MT each. FAMILY is shown here while downbound in the Welland Canal at Port Colborne, Ontario on November 7, 2010.
Another view. In this photo FAMILY is shown after having cleared Lock 8 and beginning a downbound transit.
Stern view.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
BELUGA ENDURANCE DUE
Heavy lift/general cargo vessel BELUGA ENDURANCE, already loaded with wheat from Thunder Bay, is expected in Erie this weekend to load locomotives. I will update when I have a better ETA for the vessel.
This will be the first time a ship from the Beluga fleet will visit Erie. The BELUGA ENDURANCE is a sistership to the SEDNA DESGAGNÉS, which visited Erie in August of 2009.
SEDNA DESGAGNÉS inbound Erie on August 30, 2009. SEDNA is a sistership to the BELUGA ENDURANCE.
This will be the first time a ship from the Beluga fleet will visit Erie. The BELUGA ENDURANCE is a sistership to the SEDNA DESGAGNÉS, which visited Erie in August of 2009.
SEDNA DESGAGNÉS inbound Erie on August 30, 2009. SEDNA is a sistership to the BELUGA ENDURANCE.
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