That was great!

Love that switch engine. Also for all the trouble we have with scale operations through points and onto floats etc it's nice to see the prototype did too. Notice on the car float the men watching the wheels traverse the connection? Looks to me like they are watching for a derailment to notify the engineer while it is still easily correctable. 

Win's the Gold Medal!

Great images from that era. Tug boats, car floats, boxcars, swing bridges, lift bridges, worker's clothing, ...

Lots of modeling information!

Chris

WOW!!!

What's most interesting is that it's Chicago!  The tug has the same lines of the Great Lakes Towing tugs of today which can be seen in both Chicago and Milwaukee.  I had read that the Erie was the only RR to have a car float operation in Chicago.  It is very difficult to locate where exactly it was filmed.

It also records the application of the route card and placing the seal on the car door.

Robert

Route Cards

Route cards are an easy freight car detail addition after weathering. White, buff, or a very light blue color can be used. These cards were about 3x4 inches. Tony Thompson has nine blog posts on route cards. Here's the most recent one. It has links to earlier posts, too.

Eric

Erie Chicago River operations

Great video, I would have never guessed that something like that was out there. Here's a bit of history on the Chicago River operations.

The Erie was the only railroad to have barge operations on the Chicago River. It began on August 18, 1913. The main terminal was located at 18th street on the South Branch of the Chicago River.  Initially there were two terminals. The first located at Market and Washington Streets, know as Market Square Station. The second station was located at Erie and Kingsbury Streets, know as Erie Street Station.  After two years a third station was opened at Webster Ave know as Webster Avenue Station. The stations were set up to handle L.C.L freight.

The tugs and car floats were built by the Manitowock Ship Building & Dry Dock Co., Manitowock Wisconsin. The car floats were initially equipped with a center platform for loading and unloading of cars. The center platform seen in the movie would seem to indicate that the movie was filmed shortly after they went into service. 

The tugs were named Fredric U. Robbins named after Erie Railroad president Frederick Underwood's grandson the other was the Alice Stafford his wife's maiden name. The service was interrupted while the railroads were under USRA control, but resumed when the railroads were returned to their owners. The service continued until 1936 when the Erie discontinued it due to the depression and improved truck deliveries throughout Chicago.

Here is a baby tug in Chicago

Some similar lines to the one in the video. I took this picture in the harbor just south of Adler Planetarium in Chicago in 2004 breaking ice in the marina.

...

​There's a swing bridge in the background that should help narrow it down pretty quick...

Possible location

This article may shed some light on the location, but I am far from absolutely sure it is the same company/activity so if it wrong please forgive me.

http://www.jon-n-bevliles.net/RAILROAD/articles/ra-v63-n18b.pdf

SOLID GOLD!

As someone with an FSM Pile Driver kit on my shelf, along with a carfloat/ferry kit, and as one who models the 1920's, this film made me sit up and cheer.  Literally, I had to contain my excitement as I was watching this after my family had gone to bed and I didn't want to wake anyone.

thanks Don, for the facts to fill in the gaps.  The vid got an instant like from me, and I've watched it a few times since to study the details.

Galen

As someone who models Chicago

As someone who models Chicago and loves car floats this is my favorite post of all time

Magazine coverage

The Erie operation in Chicago was covered in a model RR magazine (I'm thinking RMC or MRP) but I have been unable to find a reference to it in the Kalmbach index.  Anyone else recall reading about it?

Robert

Chicago River, 1920

Was that before the river was reversed?   And how does the obvious fast flow of water compare to today?