Mark, the paddlewheel on the Spirit of Peoria is a mixture of materials. The shaft is steel, the arms/radials are fiberglass and the buckets are wood. The Spirit was originally built with an all steel wheel with wood buckets. The original wheel was too heavy (actually the bow was too light) and they could not keep the bow of the boat in the water. The wheel was replaced after the first or second season with the current wheel, the fiberglass was used to reduce the weight at the stern. The Casino Rock Island had the exact opposite problem, she was built with a steel, fiberglass and wood wheel, but she was too light in the stern. Instead of replacing the wheel with a heavier wheel, they filled the sponsons (pontoon type structures at the stern) with tons of lead shot and set concrete blocks on the deck next to the paddlewheel for ballast.
I've never heard of anyone using "Trex" for a bucket, but there have been many experiments with different configurations and materials for paddlewheels over the years. I don't think you can beat wood for buckets, buckets need to be strong, but not too strong. When a paddlewheel come into contact with drift, the bank, rocks or a drydock...something's got to give. It's better that the less expensive, relatively easily replaced wood of the wheel give, rather than the expensive, more difficult to replace machinery driving the wheel.
John
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