Gerald Newcomb - AKRON

Hello

My name is Gerald Newcomb, I have not been building models for years, But recently a gentleman I build display cases for gave me a model tug boat that he purchased in 1988.Ive seen the work he's done and took an interest in it so he gave me the boat ,WOW what a lot of work but well worth it in the end .I have yet to find another like if you know of anyone I would love to see it, anyway here are my photos.

Sincerely
Gerald Newcomb

 Akrons aweigh

Compliments of Mark J. Price and the Akron Beacon Journal.

This was my first model boat, So you might imagine with this story I did a lot of research. The original Akron Erie railroad tug was built in 1915.The steam driven vessel was 97.4feet long 23.9 feet wide, weighed 171 tons and
had a 750 horse power rating. She had a six man crew -a captain, mate, two deck hands, engineer and oilier. For the greater part of the 20th century the Akron pulled her weight around New York harbour for 38 years. By 1952 the Erie railroad announced that a new Akron tug would take it's place. The weather beaten boat was retired . Although her final fate was not disclosed.

New tug appears.
''Newest Eriew RR tug carries proud name, "The Beacon" journal reported in June 1953


The 215 ton replacement boat was built at the Bethlehem Steal ship yard at Mariners harbour on Staton island, NY. It was about 3 feet shorted and 4 feet wider than the original vessel.


The new Akron took up where the old one left off in New York, In 1960 the Erie RR merged with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, forming the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.

Having suffered a series of financial setbacks before filing for bankruptcy in 1972.Conrail took over in 1976.Properties were sold off .Equipment was liquidated.

The Akron tug disappeared.
Since many of the Erie tugs are no longer with us, it seemed likely that the Akron had been scrapped over the last 25 years.

Tugboat in Boston
''Oh, yeah . The Akron. We have her,'' said Doug Della Porta, owner of Eastern Towboat Corp. in East Boston, Mass.

Della Porta recalls going to New York in 1978 and seeing the Patrick McAllister, He couldn't afford to buy her at the time but he kept track of her over the years and finally acquired it around 2001. The reason he purchased the well built tug is because they were going to make a reef out of it, ''He said.'' Everything ran on the boat .it laid idle
for about six years but we got everything running .

"The first thing he did was renamed it the Akron. That was the original name." 'He said.
"If anyone isn't curious, the asking price is probably right around $75,000."
''It's still in the water. It's still running. If you know someone who wants her, we'd like to find her a good home.''

For more info. go to http://elhts.org/  Eastern Towboat Corp. is at 404 Border St..East Boston.

I would like to thank, Mark J. Price and the Akron Beacon Journal for this article.

Mostly copied by
Gerald Newcomb
 


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