Tuff-E-Nuff (tugboat)

Thomas Cunningham Sr., 1895

Thomas Cunningham Sr.

Tuff -E - Nuff, originally known as Thomas Cunningham Sr., was a tractor from the late 19th century, which has been a total of 112 years in operation. In May 2007 he was as -functioning tractor go.

Tuff -E - Nuff is the ironic spelling of tough enough, which means " tough enough."

History

Construction of Thomas Cunningham Sr. in 1895 by Neafie & Levy in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania ) for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Since then she has more than 80 years for the Harbour Board in the port of Richmond in Virginia in operation.

After a period of service of 45 years, the tractor has undergone an inspection in Newport News, where he was put in " durance vile " - ie safe operation of the ship could not be guaranteed. Until the completion of repairs all the papers were seized and the Thomas Cunningham Sr. had to be put out of service until then. The main problem the deficiencies on the cover represents the Municipality of Richmond immediately approved a budget increase of U.S. $ 8,000 to complete the repairs as soon as possible and get back the tractor quickly.

From the end of 1948, the Thomas Cunningham Sr. finally received a much-needed upgrading. The existing wooden wheelhouse and deck were replaced with steel versions. Instead of the original steam engine was a 500 hp ( 370 kW) eight-cylinder diesel engine of the type Cleveland 8- 268A used. The total cost of the project, including the retraining of maintenance personnel in Cleveland, amounted to 65927.02 U.S. dollars. Of the nine candidates for the implementation of the work won Dunn's Marine Railway, Inc. of West Norfolk and the tender and finished the work with $ 11,000 under budget.

1977 arrived the ship privately owned, later it was spotted as a salvage tug in Florida. In May 2007, a salvage company offered the tractor up for sale for interested restorers. One registered message to the effect that the U.S. Coast Guard, the Tuff -E - Nuff was from 2007 to October 2008 as a leisure boat go.

In September 2010, the Tuff -E - Nuff was on a sand bank in Georgia, where she was to be sunk by a company as an artificial reef.

Since January 2011, the wreck is off the coast of St. Lucie ( Florida) on the seabed. It now serves as Kyle Conrad Memorial Reef, named after a young soccer player who was killed in an accident in 2010.

Collection of the Mariners' Museum

1949 acquired the Mariners' Museum in Newport News the original engine that could be since restored in working order - albeit rather than driven by electricity with steam - and is now exhibited in the museum.

The engine is a two cylinder compound steam engine with a stroke of 46 cm and a theoretical power output of 206 hp (154 kW). The high-pressure cylinder having a diameter of 32 cm, while the diameter of the low pressure cylinder is 61 cm. The engine weighs about 14 tons and is 3,086 meters high.

In addition to the engine and a handmade cutaway model of Thomas Cunningham Sr. is in the Museum at a scale of 1:24, just as the original name plate of the motor.

Starboard side of the model with cut-

Model of the original compound steam engine of the ship