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Spirit Of Peoria
''Spirit of Peoria'' is a riverboat that normally runs in the Peoria, Illinois area on the Illinois River watershed. The boat participated in the 2004 Grand Excursion. ''Spirit of Peoria'' is a true paddle steamer, paddleboat, actually using its paddlewheel for propulsion, unlike some modern riverboats with purely cosmetic wheels. The boat was designed by architect Alan Bates, and built in 1988 at the Walker Boat Yard in Paducah, Kentucky, making it the first paddleboat vessel built there. The propulsion system was designed by Norm Rittenhouse, with steering by Custom Hydraulics. ''Spirit of Peoria'' has no propellers or thrusters, and is powered by twin Caterpillar Inc., Caterpillar 3412 diesel electrical generator, gensets, producing 700 kilowatts combined in 208 volt 3-phase voltage. The AC power is rectified to DC which in turn powers two locomotive traction motors, which drive the paddlewheel via two by chains. This allows the boat to be comparatively fast and efficient, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Excursion
The Grand Excursion was a promotional voyage by train and steamboat into the Upper Mississippi River valley, USA that first took place in June 1854. It marked the first railroad connection between the East Coast and the Mississippi River, and it included dignitaries such as former president Millard Fillmore. In 2004, 150 years later, the Grand Excursion route was retraced by both riverboats and a steam locomotive. The original Grand Excursion The original excursion of 1854 was organized to promote the opening of a new rail line between Chicago and Rock Island, Illinois. This line was the first railway link from the eastern United States to the Mississippi River, and thus a more than symbolic moment in westward expansion, allowing for commerce and westward immigration, and ultimately a complete rail line to the Pacific coast. The route took travelers overland from Chicago, Chicago, Illinois to Rock Island, Illinois, then upriver to Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota Terri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
