Over the course of this summer, I began to build a spreadsheet of all (known) surviving Winton and Cleveland Diesel engines.  The short story is there is not a lot, especially when it comes to Winton’s.  I only have 25 on my list (so far – when I get it closer developed, I will post it here). One such survivor is the Winton 6-149 in the Lightship Ambrose LV87/WAL 512, at South Street Seaport Museum in New York City.  The Ambrose was built as a steamer in 1907 by New York Shipbuilding in Camden, New Jersey.

In 1932, Ambrose would leave station under steam for the last time, and would be repowered with a new direct reversing Winton 6 cylinder model 149 engine. The 149 was introduced in 1929, and offered as either a generator engine or direct reversing marine engine. The 4 stroke engine had an 11″ bore and 15″ stroke.

While the Ambrose is a large ship – the engine room is not all that big. These lightships were only meant to make short distance jaunts between the nearest port and the duty station, never more then a few miles at a time, thus a large powerplant was not needed.

Swinging around to look at the other side of the engine. The yellow set of wheels controls engine direction and speed. Ambrose is the name of the channel entering New York Harbor. After her 1932 refit she was designated as Relief ship – which would take station in place of various other lightships while they would be in for drydock, etc. She would then go on to take station at Scotland, NJ, Vineyard Sound, MA and roles as an examination vessel and more relief work.

Ambrose was officially retired in May 1966, and donated to the new South Street Seaport Museum in 1968, where she has been on exhibit since. While once operation many years ago, the engine in Ambrose unfortunately took a significant hit with massive freeze damage (note the cracking in the following two photos). The engine was taken apart, and is how it currently sits. When I took these photos a few years ago, the plan was to put the engine back together in one piece, as an operational restoration is out of the question.

The cylinder heads on this engine (and this is one of the smaller Winton diesel’s!) are absolutely massive! The elbow on the lower portion is the water jacketed exhaust. To the right is the blow down valve, and under it a cylinder relief valve.

Ambrose has a few other smaller generator engines, as well as a unique combination engine/compressor (as in, its the same thing), however I did not get any photos of them. While Ambrose is open to the public, the engineering spaces are not. Thanks to SSSM for allowing me to photograph these. For those that like to read, be sure to check out George Rongner’s book “Life Aboard a Coast Guard Lightship” https://www.amazon.com/Life-Aboard-Coast-Guard-Lightship/dp/0741438623

Top photo by my friend Will Van Dorp of Tugster – https://tugster.wordpress.com/

More on Ambrose:
https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=587
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightship_Ambrose

As I mentioned here a few times, I picked up a few rolls of microfilm a few years ago, including 3 rolls marked as “Diesel Data Sheets”. Unfortunately, there is no index on the rolls (that I can see..). Last night I went through them out of boredom, and was shocked to see sheets for a vast array of boats, including engine’s from a number of companies. I guess I need to find a microfilm scanner now. If my math is correct, each roll is 100 feet, 20 frames per foot, so about 2,000 images per roll. It is a lot of data! I have an idea to design and 3D print a holder so I can scan them on my flatbed, but that might take forever.

A few random examples (click for larger):

I saw data sheets for ships from the teens through WWII, with engine makes such as Busch-Sulzer, Enterprise, Cleveland, EMD, Detroit, National, Ruston-Hornsby, Stover, Fairbanks, Alco, Norfolk Navy Yard, Buda and others. Hopefully in time I will be able to digitize these, along with the other reels I have.

Remember, only a few weeks left to pre-order my book on Railroad Tugboats (which has lots of cool engine stuff in it also!)

Summer 2025 Update – The book has sold out! Thank you to everyone who supported this project! The book can still be found on ebay and other online sellers. Volume II will be coming down the road.

After several years, my comprehensive book on Diesel Railroad Tugboats is now available for preorder!  This book will cover chapters on all the major designs on the East coast such as Tams Incorporated, Thomas Bowes, General Managers Association, and early oil-electric designs.  

Over 75 tugs and their original owners are covered, as well as a vast section documenting what happened to these tugs, the last operations of railroad tugs, subsequent owners, and final dispositions. More then 250+ tugs will be pictured, along with numerous blueprints, drawings and technical data.

Operations and owners that will be covered include New York Harbor, Delaware River (Philadelphia and Wilmington), Norfolk (Hampton Roads, Sewell’s Point and Little Creek area operations) and Baltimore Harbor. Railroads featured include: Erie, PRR, BEDT, NYC, RDG, LIRR, LV, NH, B&O, CNJ, Dalzell, BTRR, NYD, DL&W, C&O/Chessie, VGN, SOU, V&M/ESHR and NYCH.

A little more insight as to just what is inside – Sections will cover: What’s inside a railroad tug: engines, propulsion systems, construction elements, how steering works, interior layouts, etc. Oil-Electrics: The original Diesel tugboats designed for railroads. Tams Inc. & the GM powered tugs. Tugs by Thomas Bowes & powered by Fairbanks -Morse. The railroads own design – General Managers Association tugs. Tugs for Norfolk, covering the C&O, Chessie, PRR/V&M, Virginian and Southern. The last stand, featuring the last original owners of railroad tugs on the Brooklyn waterfront. A huge photo gallery covering railroad tugs after railroad ownership. And finally, a large appendix with dispositions of every boat and a large amount of technical data and extras.

Railroad tugboat operations were unique, and the designs of these boats were specific to the needs of the railroads they served. This book appeals not only to railroad enthusiasts, but to maritime historians interested in this unexplored chapter of tugboat design and operation.

Pictured on the cover is the Erie Lackawanna tug Marion, photographed by Charlie Berkemeyer in 1975, in one of the most recognizable scenes in Hoboken, New Jersey. On the rear cover is a wonderful painting by noted maritime artist Dave Boone of the New York Dock Railway tug Brooklyn, Southbound on the North River. This is going to be a big book! Over 400 photos, numerous blueprints and drawings and a great deal of history of each of the designs. Be sure to get your preorder in!

Tugs featured in this book include (subject to change): Fred A. Cassidy, Olean, Long Island, Integrity, Intrepid, Rochester, Elizabeth, NYC #34, Elmira, PRR No. 18, PRR No. 15, PRR No. 16, Wicomico, Cleveland, Hornell, Marion, Akron, Elmira, Binghamton, Paterson, Lehigh, Bethlehem, Capmoore, Cornell, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton, Bumble Bee, Cordelia, Transfer 23, Transfer 24, Carol Moran, Altoona, Chicago, Roy B. White, Howard E. Simpson, William C. Baker, Walter L. Price, J.W. Phipps, Liberty, Communipaw, Sandy Hook, Sound Shore, Dalzell 1, Dalzell 2, Dalzell 3, Lacey 2, Lehigh, Delaware, Brandywine, Schuylkill, Tamaqua, Shamokin, Irving T. Bush, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Syracuse, Hoboken, Nazareth, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Trenton, Indianapolis, Jersey City, Newark, Buffalo, W.R. Coe, R.B. Claytor, Accomack, M.I. Dunn, Walter J. Tuohy, J. Speed Grey, Howard E. Simpson, Brooklyn III (NYD), Brooklyn III (BEDT), Cross Harbor I, New Jersey, New York, Roy B. White (NYC), Williamsburgh, Petro Arrow, Petro Flame, James M. Witte, Cornell, Hercules, Pleon, Karen Tibbetts, Kyle Smith, Ned Ferry, Texas, Florida, G. Shelby Freidrichs, Margaret F. Cooper, Glenn Smith, James McAllister, Staten Island, Catherine McAllister, Yemetzis, Commander, Scandinavian, Fort Fisher, Bradenton, Tumbador I, Eric M. McAllister, Palmetto, Elizabeth, Thomas E. Moran, NYC No. 34, St Phillip, Timothy McAllister, Big Daddy, Edith Thornton, Carol Wales, David McAllister, Jeanne C., Elizabeth, Theresa S. Krause, Brandywine, Leo, Shamokin, Fall River, Mack Point, Blue B., Leonard J., Russel B. Murray, J. L. Krause, Narragansett, Cornell, Christopher B. Turecamo, Patrick R. McAllister, Virginia, Hawkins Point, Julia C. Moran, Marie Moran, Deborah Quinn, Neptune, Steven McAllister, Swan Point, Captain Bill, Blacksmith III, Nancy McAllister, Mobile Power, Fort Caswell.

And before anyone asks – Volume II down the road will cover Great Lakes, the West Coast and all other Diesel Railroad tugs. After release, a dedicated page will be on this website to maintain an errata as well as any extras.

Please visit https://store.garbelypublishing.com/tugboats1/ for ordering information. Preorders are due July 17th 2022, with a fall delivery. This is a limited run book, so be sure to preorder if you want a copy!