HOW IT GETS THROUGH, PART 2

 

In yesterday’s post, we saw how a push boat shoves the whole 3 by 6 barge flotilla into the lock. At this point, the front and back halves have been split and the push boat has (counterintuitively) pulled back the rear half. The lock’s huge gates begin to close on the front. If you can zoom in enough, you might see a tiny worker in a yellow coat on the right and compare it to the massive pistons pushing the gate in. When they are fully closed, the outer gates will open, dropping the water level of the barges.                     

HOW IT GETS THROUGH, PART 1

 

The front of the barge flotilla pushes into the lock. If you have a big enough monitor you may see two crew members on the front corners, Strikes me as a dangerous job. I may have missed something about how the process works. The upper river flotillas are 3 by 6 barges. (They are at least twice as big on the lower Mississippi without locks.) The whole set pushes part way in. Then the crew breaks apart the front two rows from the back. The push boat pulls the rear barges back out of the lock. What happens next comes tomorrow.                         

POWER SOURCE

 

The power it takes to push a barge flotilla on the Mississippi - especially upriver - is almost unimaginable. I once toured one of these boats and the engine was, well, ginormous. There is a tricky way these things have to get through the lock, which we will come to.             

A BARGE IN THE LOCK

 

Although we didn’t spot any eagles on our trip upriver on Saturday, we did get to see something interesting. An explanation: there is lots of barge traffic on the Mississippi, with 27 locks and dams between Minneapolis and St. Louis. Between us and the Gulf of Mexico, the slope is so gentle that none are needed.  The next to last, Number 26, is huge and has a wonderful museum. With a guide, you can go outside and walk around the structure. We were fortunate to see a flotilla entering the lock.                      

WELL, YOU COULD WALK AROUND IT

 

The granddaughter and I drove north to Alton, Illinois, yesterday. It is situated on the Mississippi, below the confluence with the Illinois River and above that with the Missouri River. The area is part of a bird migratory flyway. At this time of year bald eagles pass through and lots of people come looking for them. We didn’t see a single one yesterday, but came upon this strange gate. There was still ice near the river banks so a plunge was unadvisable. It is puzzling but I think a floating dock can be attached.