Steam Merchant reference material needed

Hi,

I know next to nothing about US coastal steamers, but when trying these sort of things in the UK I start by making a list of the following info i) who built here, ii) all her previous names and owners.

By so doing you can then look in to the possibility of plans surviving in an archive from the builders, or further pictures surviving of her under different names/ owners. Assuming plans don't exist know who built her is useful as you might be able to identify the 'key' features of this builder (in this case a Great Lakes builder http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/greatlakes.htm ) and create some plausible plans of your own! The master of miniature ship modelling Jim Baumann does this sort of thing a lot by the looks of things, here's an example of a turret ship. http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/users/jim-baumann/jb-index.html

Will

Will

Thanks Will, Been there but with no luck.  I think I'll make my own plans from the photo I have at this point.

Thanks again,

Dave

any use?

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ead/htmldocs/KCL05191+.html

http://www.archive.org/stream/audelsshipfitte00newsgoog#page/n0/mode/1up

The Michigan State University manuscripts department (or whatever they're usually called in the US) appears to hold the corpus of Engineering drawings of the Great Lakes Engineering Company- so it may be worth having a word with them.

Billyboy, what can I say?  OUTSTANDING link Sir!  I have just sent the archivist there an email requesting copies of the plans.

Thanks man, I really appreciate the help.

Dave

Dave,

sorry- I tried to update my last post earlier but it crashed. I meant to add that it appears the corpus of the drawings of the Great Lakes Engineering Co'  are kept at this repository. http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/cac/page39984.html

It appears that they are uncatalogued, but if it is like any UK research institute, if you can present them with the build date and more crucially the yard number, it wouldn't take much to identify drawings. The website seems to imply they have been microfilmed- if only that was the case over here!!

Will

Thanks again Will, this site is much better.  I have already found 10 nice profile pics of her sisters built in 1919, all with same hull dimensions and superstructures.  Thanks again man, a real gold mine of info.!

Dave