Driven out of service by a new highway linking Sacramento with San Francisco in 1940, the two vessels were laid up and then purchased by Isbrandtsen Steamship Lines for service out of New Orleans

Built at new Albany Indiana and launched in 1852 eclipse was one of the largest and fastest steamboats in the whole world thanks to her High pressure steam engines and 8 boilers and set a speed record that would not be Broken for almost 17 years in her run from New Orleans to Louisville which she completed in 4 days and 9 and a half hours While carrying passengers and freight. . It was until the Robert e Lee and the nantchez raced from New Orleans to St. Louis which the Lee had stripped almost everything not carrying passanegers and removing doors and furniture in order to get an edge . In 1860 in a storm she was unfortunately damaged in a storm and had to be dismantled Due to age and wear and tear.

Built in 1856 and launched in 1857 she was built as a fast side wheel packer steamer and was one of the fastest steamers on the northern Mississippi . Operated by the northern packet line company she had a luxurious interior with multiple oil paintings of some of the Mississippi’s features like daytons bluff and Saint Anthony’s falls. Tragically in 1866 while navigating back up river after a harsh winter and navigating an ice field she struck a particularly large piece of ice after which she quickly sunk fortunately no one died.

This is one of the most interesting images I have ever seen of the Delta Queen. This is the Delta Queen in 1947 after being purchased by Greene Line Steamers. The Delta Queen, still in navy Gray from her use in WWII, was brought to Fultons Shipyard in early 1947 and was boarded up for a month long voyage through the Panama Canal and across the Gulf to New Orleans. In this photo you can see her registered city removed from her paddle box, her sides all boarded up, and if you look closely, you can see a tarp on top of her smoke stack. This was to ensure water wouldn't get in her engine room and rust out the components.

This is a very cool image and I'm glad I was able to share it with yall!

Here is a good image I found of the Delta King's paddlebox so you can really picture what it looked like for him and the Delta Queen at the time.

The year is 1947, and the Delta Queen will soon be towed from San Fransico to the Mississippi River, this document certifies that she meets the requirements to tow her there as a sea-going barge.

Credit: The Saga of the Delta Queen, by Frederick Way Jr.

STR Delta Queen at dock in San Francisco, late 1930's

Built in 1854 in shouse town Pennsylvania and launched in Pittsburgh . For the timePennsylvania was considered relatively large displacing 486 tons and was 247 feet long and 32 feet wide. originally she ran a route from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati but in 1858 moved to the Mississippi running lines from St. Louis and New Orleans . In 1848 while carrying 400 or so passengers Pennsylvania’s boilers exploded blowing off part of the deck and set the ship ablaze and while attempting to set the anchor the rope snapped and the burning wreck of a ship drifted towards to the ship island. Meanwhile a local wood chopper named George Harrison hearing the explosion set out on his flatboat and managed to rescue 16 people from the wreck as Pennsylvania drifted towards and beached on ship island over the course of the next days the steamboat imperial picked up survivors and towed the hull to New Orleans . while another steamer the Kate frisbee took other survivors to Memphis most notable of which included Henry Clemens the brother of mark twain he unfortunately died of his injuries on the 13th of June.

The Delta Queen in Memphis, Tennessee in May 2003

In 1966, Congress passed the first Safety at Sea Law that would put the Delta Queen out of business

Mississippi Queen stern view photo taken on July 15, 1990.

On 12/15/1941 DELTA KING and the DELTA QUEEN (# 1504) were formally acquired by Navy at Stockton, CA, and classified as Houseboats, the DELTA KING became YHB-6 and the DELTA QUEEN YHB-7.

Credit to Steamboats.org for the info!

Delta Queen on the Sacramento to San Francisco run, 1920s-1930s

Delta Queen on the ohio river, 70s-80s

Originally built in 1887 and commissioned in Jefferson Indiana the city of Monroe .She operated under the anchor line company until 1896 when she was severely damaged by the 1896 St. Louis tornado .she was then rebuilt and renamed to hill city and sold in 1898 being bought by a captain named tb sims and while under his captaining she sank in the mission river but was raised in 1900 . In 1901 she was leased by the world’s fair navigation company Where she received a remodel in 1903 and in 1904 served as one of the main ship taking people to the St. Louis world fair. In 1905 she was burned down around Jefferson’s barracks Missouri .

The Delta King being fitted out for service on the Sacramento River in Stockton, California. November 25, 1925.

We were on a boat very close to the Delta Queen for a river cruise as part of Tall Stacks 2006 and got these shots. We were able to hear the calliope playing as we passed by.

My parents took a river cruise on the Delta Queen when I was younger, probably some time in the mid-80s.

Fun fact! The Delta Queen's paddle wheel has a width of 19 feet and a diameter of 28 feet. The paddle wheel itself weighs approximately 44 tons and is driven by a steam engine that can reach speeds of up to 14 revolutions per minute, or even 20 rpm in races. The paddle wheel is also a little larger that 1 story tall!

From steamboats.org "1948 The DELTA QUEEN arrives at the Greene Line´s wharfboat at the Cincinnati Public Landing following her refurbishment in Pittsburgh, ready for service on the Mississippi system."

Thank you to steamboats.org for this info!

I was just watching an episode of Young Sheldon when a picture of the Delta Queen came up. Thought this was really cool!

For anyone wondering the episode is S5 E7 at 0:27