88E505 - Looking east from K&I Bridge with towboat 'Elisha Woods' entering main lock, upbound, at McAlpine Locks, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio River mile 607, May 1988

Bill Alden
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88E505 - Looking east from K&I Bridge with towboat 'Elisha Woods' entering main lock, upbound, at McAlpine Locks, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio River mile 607, May 1988
88E505 - Looking east from K&I Bridge with towboat 'Elisha Woods' entering main lock, upbound, at McAlpine Locks, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio River mile 607, May 1988

There were 3 locks at McAlpine Locks in 1988. The 1200-foot main lock was completed in the early 1960s. To its right is the decommissioned 360-foot lock, which is where the original three-flight lock was built back in 1830. The rightmost 600-foot lock was completed in the early 1920s. The 2 smaller locks were replaced with a 1200-foot lock completed in 2009.

At left is the bullnose at the end of the lower guide wall. Towboat pilots use the guide wall to align their tows parallel to the sides of the lock chamber before they enter the lock. The guide wall also deflects any current flowing down the chute between Sand Island and the lock, as this would push the tow toward the Kentucky Bank (i.e. an inflow). To aid pilots as they approach the lock, the bullnose has a windsock and a large sign with arrows (illuminated at night) pointing toward the lock entrance, and it is massive enough to be undamaged by the impact of a wayward tow.

Twin screw towboat "Elisha Woods" (doc. # 249813, length 112 feet, breadth 26 feet, engine type at time of this photo unknown - repowered in 1992 with GM 8-567C diesels, 1600 hp.)
Built in 1946 by Nashville (Tennessee) Bridge Co.
Originally named "Elisha Woods", the boat was first owned by Charles C. Smith Co., Houston, Texas
In 1948, sold to Sohio Petroleum Co.
In 1951, sold to A. L. Mechling Barge Line, Joliet, Illinois
In 1961, sold to Triangle Towing, Maysville, Kentucky
In 1972, sold to International Barge, Cincinnati, Ohio
In 1989, renamed "Randy Draper"
In 1991, renamed "Elisha Woods" again
In 1995, sold to James Marine, Paducah, Kentucky
In 1999, sold to CKL Corp., Petersburg, Kentucky, for scrapping

See a 1953 photo of "Elisha Woods".

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Taken on: May 1, 1988
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with Ohio River Ohio River Everybody's photos tagged with Louisville Louisville Everybody's photos tagged with Kentucky Kentucky more » Everybody's photos tagged with towboat towboat Everybody's photos tagged with towboats towboats Everybody's photos tagged with navigation lock navigation lock Everybody's photos tagged with infrastructure infrastructure Everybody's photos tagged with McAlpine Locks McAlpine Locks « less
Sets appears in:   • Ohio River mile 607    • 1988: mostly Ohio River at Louisville and elsewhere (also a few Kentucky River photos)   
Groups appears in:   • Lou-ah-ville (The Louisville group)    • Rivers    more » • Boats    • Kentucky    • Water... Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, Creeks    • infrastructure    • Ships and Vessels    • Transportation    • Locks and canals    • Lakes And Rivers Of The World    • American Rivers    • Water, water, water    • Urban Streams, Creeks, and Rivers    • Ships, Boats and Barges    • Boats of All Kind    • Workboats, Tugboats and Ships That Work    • Towboats    • Ohio River    • Transport World Wide    • Taken FROM a bridge    • American Infrastructure    « less
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