texasgeartrain
Titanium
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2016
- Location
- Houston, TX
A little while back I was having a chat with Cal. He asked me if I'd ever visited the Battleship Texas. And unfortunately I have not yet. And to my yet greater shame , as a marine engine guy, discovered Cal smack dab in the middle of the Arizona dessert knows not only a great deal about the ship, but the steam powered reciprocating engines inside of it.
Cal in fact has the plans to make a model copy of one of the engines. When time permits .
While I have not visited it directly, I told him I often get boat rides past it, on my way to other vessels. What happened to slip my mind is what I know as De Zavalla Fleet. The fleet is basically a parking area for barges waiting for particular jobs, or to be called to dock. The barges are the un-manned variety, and parked in an ever changing grid, as barges are constantly moved around. Well this fleet is directly across the water way from the battleship.
Me pulling up to where I can access the fleet, I can make out the battleship with eyeballs a little better than camera with no zoom (tug and barge passing in front of it in this pic):
From the same location, but zooming in now:
My access to the barge grid:
The grid is a bit of a nightmare for me. The barges are not man-ed. So no beakons, or way to track them. I only know the barge I need is here "somewhere" . Depending if the barges are loaded or empty, the height is different. Now walk and climb your way across it:
Cal in fact has the plans to make a model copy of one of the engines. When time permits .
While I have not visited it directly, I told him I often get boat rides past it, on my way to other vessels. What happened to slip my mind is what I know as De Zavalla Fleet. The fleet is basically a parking area for barges waiting for particular jobs, or to be called to dock. The barges are the un-manned variety, and parked in an ever changing grid, as barges are constantly moved around. Well this fleet is directly across the water way from the battleship.
Me pulling up to where I can access the fleet, I can make out the battleship with eyeballs a little better than camera with no zoom (tug and barge passing in front of it in this pic):
From the same location, but zooming in now:
My access to the barge grid:
The grid is a bit of a nightmare for me. The barges are not man-ed. So no beakons, or way to track them. I only know the barge I need is here "somewhere" . Depending if the barges are loaded or empty, the height is different. Now walk and climb your way across it: