Video: Delta Queen says goodbye to Chattanooga, hello to Big Easy
Posted on 03/23/2015 4:45:16 AM PDT by iowamark
The historical Delta Queen sailed away this afternoon after docking on Chattanooga's north shore for more than five years.
The boat is on its way to Louisiana where it will receive a full renovation inside and out, before being put back on the water to begin a new chapter of river tours.
"It's been a great day. It's an exciting day. It's the first day in the next chapter of the Delta Queen," said Cornel Martin, CEO and President of the Delta Queen.
It's been a long and exciting voyage for the Delta Queen, which hit the water ways in 1927.
"Operating on the west coast between Sacramento and San Francisco, worked in WWII as a navy vessel," said Martin. "Moving after WWII to the Mississippi river and entering into the overnight crew service; coming here in 2009 as a dock side hotel."
While she's spent five years stagnant, her time in Chattanooga is what saved her from becoming scrap metal.
"We're very appreciative of Chattanooga, the community who supported her and kept her alive all these years; so that we can bring her back to river cruise service,” said Martin.
She'll undergo a five million dollar facelift just for the occasion.
"Complete renovation of the hotel side of the vessel, going down to the marina side, replacing the 1919 vintage boilers," said Martin.
Dana Jones first climbed aboard the delta queen 20 years ago, he says he's happy to see her history continue.
"You could walk onboard and you still felt the pulse of her legend and to see it revitalized. Incredible. She's Americana at its best," said Jones. "She's still got a lot of life left in her and we're looking forward to being able to share her with the world again."
This isn't the last time you will see the Delta Queen. She's expected to be cruising the river ways once again in 2016, and will be making stops in Chattanooga along the way.
Cool. I remember the Delta Queen as a yute.
Is it really the North Shore?
Local civic leaders in Pittsburgh have long tried to rebrand the North Side as the North Shore. The North Side had become famous for muggings, winos and hookers. Once you plunked a casino, two new stadiums and the Andy Warhol Museum there they felt the need to change the image.
Locals still call it the North Side.
For later
While we’re on the subject of her illustrious background, for a time in the seventies, we came close to losing her because she was incapable of complying with then current safety rules. It took a special Act of Congress to exempt her from those rules, and permit her to remain in operation. She is the only passenger carrying vessel (night boat) today that is so honored. We might also mention that this historic beauty is one of the only, if not THE only, former World War II Navy vessel still in service today.
Click the pic for the source.
I’m happy to see that at least for the moment, it appears that the Delta Queen won’t suffer the same permanent dockside hotel / restaurant fate as her sister ship. Wow, the original boilers... those Scots really knew how to build ‘em.
Drove up north form here to have supper on her a few years ago. Good news.
I still remember when my grandfather took a wide-eyed 5-yr old down to the Ohio River’s edge to watch the Delta Queen arrive in Marietta.
Steam calliope going strong, flags waving in the breeze, and my grandfather telling me that history isn’t just something you read about in a book, that it is something that people lived, and deserves preserving.
Last time I was on a steam paddlewheeler I spent most of my time in the engine room where they let me look around and ask questions. If you like mechanical contraptions, that is the place to visit.
Keep in mind that DQ still doesn’t have her renewed safety exemption. That bill is before Congress right now, and this work is being done under the presumption that it will pass. Which is risky.
As it is, the exemption requires that 10% of her flammable superstructure be replaced every year. At some point we’ll be in a “George Washington’ Axe” situation where she’s more reproduction than original.
However I’m really hoping that she’ll make it to Louisville in April 2016 for a return to the Great Steamboat Race. Will need to plan to come in and plunk myself on Waterfront Park for that!
That sounds like fun. May be a road trip for me & the Mrs. I’m sure she will want to bring her vette as opposed to mine.
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