Page 10: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1971)

St. Louis Ship Delivers

The 7,000-HP Myra Eckstein

T he towing knees on the Myro Eckstein, of special heavy de- sign, provide easy access to the barges in tow at any level. 12 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News

On June 10, 1971, the powerful new Myra

Eckstein was christened in St. Louis, Mo.

The 7,000-hp Myra Eckstein was designed and built by St. Louis Ship, Division of Pott

Industries Inc., and is the fourth Hydrodyne towboat to be built for Wisconsin Barge Line within the last four years.

The traditional champagne bottle was bro- ken by Mrs. Vincent Tranchita, wife of the vice president of Wisconsin Barge Line. Serv- ing as matrons of honor were Mrs. Ray J.

Eckstein (for whom the vessel was named), the mother of the president of Wisconsin

Barge Line, Ray A. Eckstein, and Mrs. An- thony Tranchita, mother of Vincent Tranchita.

Attending the ceremonies were officials of

Wisconsin Barge Line and St. Louis Ship, many civic leaders of Cassville, Wis., and a large contingent from the river industry.

The Myra Eckstein hull is 166 feet by 45 feet by 11 feet, with normal draft of 8 feet 6 inches. The hull is heavily framed longi- tudinally and transversely, with the aft deck raised to provide additional strength to the stern. Bottom plating is ^6-inch thick, side plating is 7/16-inch with 5^-inch bilge knuck- les, jHs-inch headlog and %-inch plate in way of the tunnels.

Propulsion power is furnished by two Gen- eral Motors Model 20-645E5 marine diesel en- gines, each developing 3,500-hp at 900 rpm through Falk Model 35-MR-48 horizontal off- set reverse reduction gears with Airflex clutches providing 212 rpm ahead. Fuel ca- pacity is 126,000 gallons.

The propellers are stainless steel, 114-inch- diameter, 5-blade, turning in stainless steel lined Kort nozzles.

The main engines are cooled with clear water circulated through a St. Louis Ship designed skin cooling system. The engines are started from the engine room only, but the engines and clutches are controlled from the pilothouse by means of General Motors pneumatic control equipment. A control con- sole is also located in the engine room.

In addition to the conventional engine room gageboards installed on all towboats, the

Myra Eckstein is equipped with a monitoring system which features an alarm panel in the pilothouse, engine room and chief engineer's stateroom.

All primary and auxiliary systems are con- tinuously monitored and any abnormal tem- perature, pressure or liquid level will manifest itself by both visual and audible alarms on the engine room panel, and certain functions will be indicated on the chief engineer's and pilothouse panels.

The engine room monitoring panels and control console are located in a soundproofed, air-conditioned room in the engine room.

Two powerful steering systems of St. Louis

Ship's mechanical-hydraulic design are in- stalled on the Myra Eckstein. One system controls the two steering rudders and the oth- er controls the four flanking rudders. An addi- tional pump is provided as a standby. Rudders can be turned hard over to hard over in 16 seconds while towing.

Two 155-kw Delco Model E5280E9 3/60/ 208/240-416/480 volt generators are each driven by General Motors Model 7083-7000 diesel engines. The generators are equipped for automatic start and are located in a sepa- rate soundproof room.

A Central Electric dead front switchboard located in the main engine room is wired for parallel operation of the generators.

The engine room and auxiliary engine room are large and well lighted. Two stack ex- haust fans and four blower fans keep the areas comfortably ventilated. The steering room is accessible from the engine room, making it convenient to service steering power and control units at regular intervals.

Fire pumps can be started by remote con- trols from the deck. Escape hatches are pro- vided for the auxiliary engine room and shaft alleys.

Automatic safety features are installed on machinery wherever danger of runaway, over- load or explosion may exist.

Auxiliaries provided include a 225-gpm fire

Pictured aboard the new towboat, from left to right: Edward Renshaw, president of St. Louis Ship; Richard P. Con- erly, president of Pott Industries; H.T. Pott, chairman of Pott Industries; James Snyder, president of Consolidated

Leasing Corporation; Ray A. Eckstein, president of Wisconsin Barge Line; Lee Reeder, board of directors, Consolidated

Leasing Corporation; Vincent Tranchita, vice president of Wisconsin Barge Line; Richard Les, controller, Consolidated

Leasing Corporation, and Warren Golden, secretary, Consolidated Leasing Corporation. pump supplying five hose stations, a 165-gpm bilge and ballast pump, a 165-gpm fuel oil transfer pump, two 10-gpm fuel oil service pumps, two 34-cfm air compressors with four air tanks, ^-hp reduction gear circulating water pumps, one 13-gpm lubricating oil prim- ing pump, two 40-hp steering pumps and one 25-hp steering pump. Two Schoellhorn-Al- brecht motor-driven double barreled capstans, and four Patterson power winches are installed forward. King Post Derricks with two one- ton electric winches are located aft to facilitate handling of supplies and the vessel's dispatch boat.

The towing knees, of special heavy design, provide easy access to the barges in tow at any level. Concrete filled double steel fenders extend full length on the sides.

From left to right: Mrs. Anthony Tranchita, matron of honor; Mrs. Vincent Tranchita, sponsor; Mrs. Ray J.

Eckstein, matron of honor, and Mrs. Ray A. Eckstein.

The Myra Eckstein deckhouse is arranged for maximum comfort and convenience of the crew. The galley and mess are immediately forward of the engine room; crew's quarters and a lounge are forward on the main deck, officers and guests on the second deck. Inte- rior stairs connect all decks and the pilot- house.

All living quarters of the Myra Eckstein are year-round air-conditioned, with hot or chilled circulating water through "dual- vectors" located in each room.

The pilothouse is large and is raised to make the pilot's eye level about 31 feet above water level. Windows are sloped to prevent glare. A control console, settee with storage space underneath, a water cooler, and air- conditioning are provided for the comfort and convenience of the pilots.

Navigating and communicating equipment include a Raytheon Twin Radar, Raytheon

Swing Indicator, Raytheon Depth Recorder,

DuKane intercom system, radiotelephone and sound-powered telephones.

One 19-inch 45-amp Carlisle & Finch arc searchlight, one 19-inch Carlisle & Finch Xen- on Searchlight and a Ka'hlenberg 8-inch Model

Q3 air whistle are located atop the pilothouse.

Seven 500-watt floodlights illuminate work areas at forward and aft decks.

The M/V Myra Eckstein is an outstanding boat in every respect and should give its own- ers many years of reliable service.