Paddle Crank at the USACOE St Louis...

[Luke Moore]

Saw this on a USACOE deck barge in St Louis. Don't see too many any more!
Surprised it has survived.

[Luke Moore]

Belonged to the St. Genevieve? Only sternwheeler I can think of that the Corps
would have spare parts to. Note the Corps tan paint.

[Bob Reynolds]

I’d say that’s a pretty good gues, Luke.

[Frank X. Prudent]

Look at the flanges and they can tell you two things for sure. The boat had a staggered wheel and Nordberg engines. The two flanges in the center are set up for a staggered wheel and only Nordberg had those teardrop shape cranks.

[Bill Judd]

The St. Genevieve did NOT have a staggered wheel.

[Luke Moore]

So who's crank would they be packing around? It looks like Corps tan.

[Russ Ryle]

Morning friends,

Anyone operating a stern wheeler today with this type of crank configuration need a spare? Which boats would this work on?

[Luke Moore]

Here is a view of the St. Genny's backside... looks like the crank on the barge at St. Louis.
ALso a great link about attempts at restoration in the 80's. https://qctimes.com/news/local/remem...2c2021.html#34

[Bill Judd]

That is an excellent picture of the Gennys wheel. I blew it up so that my 83 year old eyes could see better and it appears that it is what the "old timers" called a split wheel. Would that match the center flanges as Frank Prudent saw them ?? The mystery continues. Maybe "Tommy Towboater" would solve the mystery???

[Frank X. Prudent]

I think that photo solves the issue. It's not a staggered wheel that she has, but a wheel heavily built with a set of two flanges in the middle of the shaft. And we know that she had Nordberg machinery.

[Luke Moore]

Mystery solved... now, why are they still packing it around? Too big for a yard ornament,
me thinks. I've got a steam thermometer from the St. Genny somewhere in my garage...
she was scrapped here in Paducah and the fellow who took her apart gave it to me. I never
did anything with it, no boat name, only "Lunkenheimer".