Video: BUCKEYE Towed into Erie for Barge Conversion

At 0830 on Sunday, December 4, 2005, the OLIVE L. MOORE, assisted by the Ashtabula-based Great Lakes Towing tug NEW YORK, towed the BUCKEYE into Erie harbor to Erie Shipbuilding, where over the coming months the vessel would be converted into the barge LEWIS J. KUBER. Below is video of that event.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting more video from years past as I get it converted and uploaded. Next up will be a video from April 5, 2002 of the tugs IOWA and RHODE ISLAND moving the RICHARD REISS from the Mountfort Terminal to the West Slip. I hope to have that up by sometime next week.

In addition, I will be posting videos from as far back as 1993 as I get them onto the computer and edit them.

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OLIVE L. MOORE tows the BUCKEYE into the channel toward Presque Isle Bay, December 4, 2005.


Another view.


Close up of the tug OLIVE L. MOORE.


Close up of BUCKEYE. In a few months, the cabins will be completely removed and the barge will be unrecognizable as the same vessel it is on this day.


Great Lakes Towing tug NEW YORK, out of Ashtabula, Ohio, assisted the tow.


Stern view of the tow.


Close up of the BUCKEYE.


A few minutes later, on this cold December morning, the tow is in the West Slip.


NEW YORK holds the BUCKEYE alongside as Erie Shipbuilding employees moor the vessel.

Historical: BUCKEYE Conversion, Part 3 of 3

Today's entry in the BUCKEYE conversion gallery takes us from July through September 2006, when the barge LEWIS J. KUBER and tug OLIVE L. MOORE departed Erie Shipbuilding on their first trip.


LEWIS J. KUBER retains the Oglebay Norton name and colors on August 2, 2006.


On August 8, the name is painted on the port side of the barge for the christening ceremony that took place the next day.


The starboard side, however, did not receive the markings for some time.


Workers perform some welding on the stern on August 9.


By the morning of August 15, the name LEWIS J. KUBER had been applied to the bow; however, the Oglebay Norton fleet logo remained.


That afternoon, the markings were painted out.


Done working, a shipyard employee is hoisted back over the barge.


Mated with tug OLIVE L. MOORE on September 9. Four days later the vessel would sail in the middle of the night.


OLIVE L. MOORE in Erie harbor on August 24.

Historical: Erie Shipbuilding's BUCKEYE Conversion, Part 1

On December 4, 2005, Erie Shipbuilding's first project arrived in Erie. The former Oglebay Norton steamer BUCKEYE arrived under tow of the OLIVE L. MOORE. The steamer, over the next nine months, would be converted to a barge at the shipyard. This photo essay will take a look at the first months of her stay in Erie.


OLIVE L. MOORE tows the BUCKEYE into the channel toward Presque Isle Bay, December 4, 2005.


Another view.


Close up of the tug OLIVE L. MOORE.


Close up of BUCKEYE. In a few months, the cabins will be completely removed and the barge will be unrecognizable as the same vessel it is on this day.


Great Lakes Towing tug NEW YORK, out of Ashtabula, Ohio, assisted the tow.


Stern view of the tow.


Close up of the BUCKEYE.


A few minutes later, on this cold December morning, the tow is in the West Slip.


NEW YORK holds the BUCKEYE alongside as Erie Shipbuilding employees moor the vessel.


Conversion on the BUCKEYE is well underway by the time of this January 12, 2006 photograph. The stack has been removed and crews are cutting into the stern of the ship.


BUCKEYE is shown in this photo on January 19, 2006.


Stern view on January 19.


Stern of the BUCKEYE on January 28, 2006.


Conversion progresses on February 15.


On the morning of February 20, Lakeshore Towing's FLATTOP and DON HENRY break ice in preparation for the BUCKEYE's move into drydock late that day.

Watch for Part 2 tomorrow.

Historical: Erie Shipbuilding's First Drydocking

On February 20, 2006, Lakeshore Towing's FLATTOP and DON HENRY moved the BUCKEYE and JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR. into drydock at Erie Shipbuilding. Not only do BUCKEYE, which went in for conversion to barge LEWIS J. KUBER, and tug JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR., in for engine replacement, become Erie Shipbuilding's first drydockings, but also become the first vessels to use the drydock in nine years, since the LOUIS R. DESMARAIS was drydocked by Metro Machine in 1997.

Layups Past: CASON J. CALLAWAY Arrives in 2006

The CASON J. CALLAWAY is shown in the photos below while arriving in Erie on January 16, 2006 for winter layup.

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CASON J. CALLAWAY passes the Erie Pierhead Light inbound at 0758 hours, January 16, 2006.


A closer view of the CALLAWAY.


Stern view.


Passing around the PRESQUE ISLE.


BUCKEYE is shown while being converted to a barge as the CALLAWAY prepares to back into the Old Ore Dock.

Construction on Erie Shipbuilding rail siding to begin soon

Soon construction will begin on a $700,000 rail siding from the CSX Siding along the Bayfront Highway into Erie Shipbuilding. The at-grade crossing will allow Erie Shipbuilding to receive rail shipments of steel that they'll be needing for the new articulated tug/barge unit the company will begin building in early 2007 for their sister company, VanEnkevort Tug & Barge. Both VETB and ESB are owned by Dirk VanEnkevort.

The siding will cut approximately 240 truck trips per year from the Bayfront Parkway, and will allow the shipyard to reduce congestion on the Bayfront, as the rail crossings will take place at night and during weekends, and other off-peak traffic times. The CSX siding connects to the CSX Bayfront Trackage, which runs along the Bayfront Connector and connects to the CSX and NS railroad tracks that run east/west through Erie.

In today's JOSEPH H. THOMPSON/THOMPSON JR. update, the pair arrived in Stoneport at around 0300 this morning.

Erie Shipbuilding's website is now up and running. In addition to company information it includes some awesome photo galleries of their projects, especially the THOMPSON JR. So far, this is a list of the yard's projects, in chronillogical order:

-The BUCKEYE conversion into the barge LEWIS J. KUBER
-The THOMPSON JR. repowering
-The THOMPSON barge's five year survey
-The local sand dredge J.S.St. JOHN's five year survey

The St. John concluded her season on November 13 and is now in lay-up at the Old Ore Dock. She'll be back out in April.