Strung by cables from the "big hook" of a floating crane, the new diesel power plant for the Southern's tug "Louisville" is lowered into place in the hull. Although there's plenty of room at the sides, there's not much lee-way at the ends as the engine is eased downward.

No one who has observed the Southern's growing affection for the powerful and economical diesel-electric locomotive during the past ten years will be surprised to learn that the Southern's "navy" has gone diesel as well. The marine diesel power plant recently installed in the tug Louisville at Pinners Point, Va., might be called a seagoing second cousin of the power plants that drive Southern Railway diesel locomotives. Seagoing, because the 22 1/2-ton engine and fittings were originally designed for an LST (U. S. Navy designation for a landing ship, tank) , and second cousin because it is a diesel-mechanical power plant rather than a diesel electric one.

Since the Louisville provides most of the motive power for the railway's fleet of house barges and car floats at Norfolk and Pinners Point, Va., this installation for all practical purposes dieselized the Southern's navy. The diesel engine was lowered into place inside the hull of the Louisville on March 9 at Dunn's Marine Railway, a boat repair service near Pinners Point that also does below-the-water-line repairs for the Southern's: fleet. Much of the boat's wooden superstructure amidships had to be torn away and the side rails removed before a floating crane could hoist the big power plant and lower it gently onto its prepared bed in the iron hull of the Louisville.

Looking forward toward the 3,000 - gallon fuel tank in the bow. This view of the engine in place shows how much of the superstructure, decks and rails had to be removed in order to install the diesel power plant.

Fair weather and calm water made the installation as easy as could be expected. Even so, the lowering was accomplished with great care because of the weight of the engine and the close clearances involved. A 3,000-gallon diesel fuel tank had already been installed in the bow. During the next few weeks the superstructure was rebuilt and other repairs made to the tug to prepare it for its re- turn to the fleet at the first of May.

The Louisville is an 83-foot-long, 19-foot-wide tugboat weighing 87 gross tons and drawing 9 feet of water (which means that it can only operate in water more than 9 feet deep) .As a steam-powered tug she had a 2,000-gallon water tank in the bow and a 3,000-gallon water tank in the stern. The 350 horsepower steam, engine drove the tug at a speed of 9 knots. ("9 knots" means 9 nautical miles per hour. A nautical mile is 6,080 feet long compared to the 5,280 feet in a land mile.)

Although the greater power, increased efficiency and fuel economy definitely attracted the Southern to the idea of converting its navy from steam to diesel power, the most compelling argument in favor of the move was the expected ease of refueling. Where it formerly took eight men an hour and a half twice a week to coal and water the steam tug, .the diesel-powered Louisville will need re- fueling only once a month. The total time required, including the trip to the fueling station and return, will be no more than a half-hour. During steam operation one of the crew had to come in an hour early to get up steam before the work day started and stay for an hour in the evening after the working day ended. That, too, will be a thing of the past.

With the engine set on its mountings, the cables are removed.

Standing by for the Louisville during the engine change, the former passenger steamer Memphis has been towing the fleet of house barges and car floats that carries the Southern's freight between Norfolk and Pinners Point. The Memphis, an elderly but well-preserved river craft with a hull of Maine timber, is 109 feet long, 221/2 feet at the beam, draws 9 feet of water and has a weight of 177 gross tons. Until the night of July 19, 1948--when she made her last passenger run-the assigned task of the Memphis was to ferry Southern Railway passengers between downtown Norfolk and Pinners Point where the railway's line to Norfolk ended.

Pinch-hitting for the Louisville is nothing new in the life of the old passenger steamer. In the past, when both were working practically "around the clock" as sister ships of the Southern's navy, each helped the other when necessary. Consequently, when the Memphis had made her assigned passenger trips. she often shifted over to freight service. Each boat "filled in" for the other during annual repairs. So the Louisville has carried more than a few passengers in her time and the Memphis has towed many a car float and house barge across the mile and a quarter stretch of the Elizabeth River that separates the Southern's warehouses at Norfolk and Pinners Point.

As soon as the Louisville returns to regular service (an event that should have occurred by the time this is read) the Memphis will be tied up at the dock-"benched" for the time being but ready to substitute for the Louisville again if the need arises.

The "Louisville" at the marine rail. way dock.

Besides the two tugs, the railway's navy at Pinners Point includes an open barge, a floating pile driver, four car floats and fourteen house barges. Used for transporting less-carload-freight across the river (see April 1951 Ties, page 21, for details), the house barges in their bright red paint look like floating freight houses. Eight of the barges have exactly the same dimensions-125 feet, 6 inches in length, and 29 feet in width-and three others vary from these dimensions by only a few inches. All eleven have the same tonnage capacities-each will carry 250 tons. The other three house barges are smaller, one being rated for a 140-ton load and the other two limited to 50 tons.

Car floats come into use when there are full carloads of freight to be carried across the river to waterfront business establishments not served by the Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railway (an industrial switching line that delivers cars to many industries in the area) . Freight cars are moved onto the car floats by means of a floating bridge at the point where the yard tracks run to the water's edge between Pier 1 and Pier 2. A yard engine with three empty cars attached pushes the cars across the floating bridge to the car float. The purpose of the three empties between the engine and cars is to keep the weight of the heavy locomotive off the floating bridge.

Part of the Southern's navy as seen from the roof of Pier 1 at Pinners Point. In the immediate foreground is one of the car floats (note the raised rail ends and bars to hold the cars in place while tug and car float are under way}. It is 135 feet 8 inches tong, 32 feet 6 inches wide and has a car-carrying capacity of four freight cars. Across the slip, moored at Pier 2, are two of the house barges-floating freight houses in which less-than-carload shipments are transported across the river between Norfolk and Pinners Point. In the background can be seen the stand-by tug, the steamer "Memphis," tied up beside the floating bridge used to connect the tracks on the car float with the tracks on shore when freight cars are to be moved between the yard and the car float. (The floating bridge can be raised or lowered to correspond with the position of the car float,) The building at the left on shore houses the freight office and the office of the agent-yardmaster .

The largest of the car floats is 195 feet long and 33 feet wide with a carrying capacity of 8 cars, the smallest is 135 feet, 8 inches by 32 feet, 6 inches and capable of transporting 4 cars. The other two are 6-car floats and approximately the same size-one 145 feet by 33 feet, the other 145 feet, 6 inches by 32 feet.

Regular maintenance and periodic repairs keep the Southern's fleet "river worthy." Any work above the water line can be handled by the railway at its own piers, since that's not too different from the customary maintenance of railway buildings and equipment. Repairs below the water line, however, are entrusted to a marine railway, which has the facilities and the experience for making hull repairs. Between 1938 and 1940 all the watercraft in the Southern's fleet except for the most recent .additions were completely overhauled at a cost of approximately $180,000.