1942 Irving S. Olds 1988
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co., Hull 825
Launched May 22, 1942
With Leon Fraser, Enders M. Voorhees, A. H. Ferbert and Benjamin F. Fairless longest vessel on the Great Lakes (until Wilfred Sykes of 1950 – superseded Carl D. Bradley of 1927)
639’6” LOA, 623’3” LBP, 67’ beam, 35’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, steam turbine engine, 4000 SHP
Enrolled at Cleveland OH Oct 5, 1942 (Temp #3)
622.6 x 67.2 x 30.3, 10294 GT, 6439 NT US 242261 to:
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland OH (home port Duluth MN)
Entered service Oct 6, 1942 clearing Lorain OH light for Duluth MN
Permanent enrollment at Duluth MN Oct 9, 1942 (#14)
Fleet reincorporated 1949 in Delaware (home port to Wilmington DE)
Fleet merged July 1951 into parent United States Steel Corporation (home port to New York NY)
Fleet renamed United States Steel Great Lakes Fleet 1967 (home port to Wilmington DE)
Boilers converted to oil firing 1974 at Superior WI by Fraser Shipyards
Fleet made a subsidiary of United States Steel Corporation 1981, renamed USS Great Lakes Fleet Inc., Duluth MN (home port to Duluth MN)
Laid up Dec 3, 1981 at Duluth MN and did not operate again
Sold for scrap 1988 to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne ON. Resold to Taiwan shipbreakers. Cleared Quebec QC July 9, 1988 with str. Irving S. Olds towed by German tug Osa Ravensturm. Tow arrived Kaohsiung Taiwan Nov 8, 1988.
IMO 516383
See history in Scanner May 1990 (#183)
4205
I sailed for US Steel for thirty years. Was 2nd Engineer on the Olds in the early 80’s. Retired in the late 80’s . I last saw her or what was left of her, when flying into Kaohsiung in early 89. Her name was clearly visible.
yes the ( GOOD OLD BOAT ) was my home from june 1968 to jan 1972 we sailed the 5 great lakes and up the st lawrence river to port cartier quebec been through many stroms in lake superior and many good memories
Hello! Can someone confirm for me the 24 coal-fired boilers installed in the IRVING S OLDS in 1942 were made by Foster Wheeler before being converted to oil in 1974?
There is film of this ship being launched on an episode of the 1973 television series “World at War”. The episode in question examines life in the USA between 1939 to 1942.