Think about how well she was designed and constructed to not only last this long but to be suitable for refit using original hardware. No upgrade necessary! Amazing!
And now she's at Sturgeon Bay in dry dock to be inspected and painted. Was towed by tugs as she was already winterized. Love the Badger, first trip on her 63 years ago.
My 3 year old twins LOVE this video. They watch it every morning! We live in Ludington and love the Badger. Great video! Our local economy is dependent on the Badger, so us locals are always happy to see positive PR about our car ferry.
There's something about a coal-fired steamer. I don't want to go back to those days, but I'm glad that back in '69 when our family went to Mackinac Island we went out and back on the last sidewheel steamer making that run. It was a magical day.
Ludington is my home town. I am lucky enough, and old enough to remember when there were 4 of these beauties running out of Ludington all bearing the C&O logo , The City of Midland,, Citiy of Milwaukee, The Spartan and the Badger. My Dad worked on them as did my brother and an Uncle.. When I go home, I still go to see the Badger, she is a beauty....
There were 7 when I started working there in the 70s. The ships were City of Midland the Badger, and the Spartan. The City of Milwaukee, which is docked in Manistee Lake in Manistee, Michigan, sailed for the Grand Trunk Railroad out of Muskegon to and from Milwaukee.
My father grew up in the fourth ward in Ludington and he worked on them as well. I remember there being a City of Flint and a City of Saginaw ferry also around the 1960's. He is buried there today and wont be leaving any time soon.
Cool video. In 1990 Conrad bought these ships and set about to refurbish them, I worked for the painting company that painted the interior of the badger. One day Conrad was there and took Governor Engler on a tour of the ship, did not get to meet him though. Years later I discovered there is a video made about getting the badger going again and lo and behold my hippy ass is in it lol. Thanks for the video.
I was looking for video of how they load the trailers - and you're the only one who showed that. Your grasp of and sharing details makes the cake. thank you.
It has a sister ship Spartan, permanently parked in Ludington. They take parts from it to repair the Badger. Watching it leave Ludington at dusk is super cool. It heads west just as the sun sets!
The Ludington-Manitowoc ferry is one of only two that continue a U.S.highway. It connects U.S.10 between Michigan and wisconsin. The other is the Cape May -Lewes ferry which connects U.S.9 between New Jersey and Delaware at the mouth of the Delaware Bay.
I'm from Ludington, I still remember watching them loading rail cars when I was a little kid, back when C&O owned them, had the Chessie cat logo painted on the smokestack.
My first trip across Lake Michigan was on the old Milwaukee Clipper from Muskegon Michigan to Milwaukee. That was in 1967 I think. I was a little kid. The Clipper is still in Muskegon but permanently moored. Volunteers work on it. You can pay to take a tour on it. It’s actually older than Titanic except the superstructure was redone in the 40’s. They don’t let you in the engine room. Too bad as it still has the quadruple expansion steam engine.
Oddly enough my first trip across Lake Michigan was on the City of Midland in 1967. We almost missed the return trip because we were goofing around in town and lost tract of the time. I believe the hull of that ferry was converted into a barge connected to a tugboat. I think it still uses the same hull number 21 as well.
Although it was in the early 60s, my parents and I also took a trip across Lake Michigan on the Clipper. We left Milwaukee in the morning; and took it to Ludington and returned to Milwaukee the same day. During the voyage I recalled seeing a C&O ferry travelling in the opposite direction. Although it, too, was a ferry, the clipper was more like a cruise ship. There was a movie theater, deck chairs, and plenty of food and drink. What a great trip. Years later, the ship was docked in my hometown of Hammond, Indiana, where it wasted away for a number of years before it returned to Muskegon.
I don’t recall that ever being an option. I first rode it in ‘98 and that definitely was not allowed. I believe maybe semi truck drivers drive their own tractor/trailers but not passenger vehicle owners.
I was in Michigan from 1973 through 1975 going to school at West Shore Community College. Back then the boats were still owned and operated by the C&O Railroad and I would go to the dock and watch as they would load the train cars, automobiles, trucks and people onto the ships. Really cool to see at least one of them still in operation. While I was in Michigan one of the ships was blown onto the Ludington beach during a really bad storm. I don't remember which one it was but it was pretty awesome to see that huge ship beached. Great video by the way ! I really enjoyed it.
I live in Pennsylvania and being a rail fan I knew about the Badger being owned by the C&O railroad. I thought it stoped running years ago. I am glad to see someone took the time to get it going again. As you noted it does save a lot of travel time and hassles compared to driving around the lake. The closest thing I have near me is the Cape May - Lewis ferry that many people use to also save time and highway hassles between New Jersey and Delaware. But that operation is relatively new and uses modern ships.
Oh my goodness...the sound Badger's horn brings back a memory...I took it in the early 90's, morning sailing. I was exhausted from only getting about 2 hours sleep the previous 2 days. I was so looking forward to sleeping in a state room. I had just dozed off when the ship's horn sounded. Scared the daylights out of me! I was just beginning to relax again, and it sounded again...and again...and again...for fog. Every 55 seconds. The whole way across. I didn't get much sleep. Regardless, the Badger was awesome and I'd love to take it again...on a clear day.
Been there, done that, they didn't have have a t-shirt that fit me so you're on your own. WELL WORTH THE TRIP!.We got to Manitowoc early and watched them coaling up the ship with a giant bucket loader. It would get a bucket full of coal and dissappear into the ship through the drop down car loading entrance. I want to say it took like 10 buckets to make the round trip. You can still see the rails on the floor from the days it used to ferry rail cars. I believe it took about 4 hours to sail across. We got to Ludington and then down to Dearborn for a Greenfield Villiage and Museum tour. There was a sister ship docked in Ludington, but I can't remember the name of it. This all happened around 2000 and I'm sure a lot has changed. I'm glad to see that it's still running as it was a very enjoyable journey that most people, unfortunately will never experience.
I once worked with a fellow who helped to increase the efficiency of the boilers combustion, so that they could keep all the ash on board and offload it in port. Previously, they would dump it while underway. The EPA was going to shut them down if this couldn't be accomplished.
@@TheMostSlyFox I remember the controversy. The ash, called Clinker, had been dumped directly into the lake for years. We should remember that the Great Lakes are special and unique. Huge inland fresh water seas, but they have a delicate ecology, and over the years, Human activity has damaged them in many ways. Some EPA regulations are a pain in the stern quarters, but I applaud their efforts to minimize further damage. I have always been mesmerized by those lakes.
I went on this with my parents back in the late eighties and it was A-blast for a 14 year old kid. I highly recommend taking the family on this trip even if it's just to ride to Wisconsin and back. 🤟😎
Great video, was on Badger for second time in 30 years, was great experience. Lived in Ludington all my life , why I never did this is beyond me. So relaxing, good food and drink. Make sure you hit " The Wharf" bar in sight of dock. Crew is 100% professional and very friendly. Thank you LMC.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🤗🤗🤗😎😎👍👍
Strange how you can live somewhere most of your life and still not know these things. Thanks for this. Hope you guys enjoyed your time in Ludington too.
My first time on the Badger was 1979 from Milwaukee to Ludington. Was riding my bicycle to Northern Michigan. Did it a couple years later with my bride on a motorcycle trip. It took 8 hours from Milwaukee. They haven't done that voyage in years. Back then I remember the stateroom was 10 bucks.
@@RestlessViking well yes I would! I did plenty of trips on Beaver islander and flights back and forth from the island. Coast Guard Chopper Medical Transports were cool…Sometimes!
Took that trip in the 70's as a kid with the family to go visit cousins and camping! Would love to take that trip again, thanks for yet another great video!
Before I retired from Ford, ine of my telecommuters in the Grand Rapids area would take the Badger on his way to a supplier in Sheboygan, WI. So I just had to see what that was like. I'm sure he enjoyed it!
Unless things have changed, the SS Sabino which runs in Mystic, Connecticut is still coal fired. It just does excursions in the area while the Badger is still in commercial service and currently owned by Interlake(hiss!!). She's fun to run. I worked fireman, watertender, oiler and even a little junior engineer time before getting my 3rd assistant engineer's license and finishing out the 1997 season. I also did some time there in 2007, the end of 08, 2009 and most of 2010 as 3rd and 2nd assistant engineer before I started get more time on Lake freighters. The Badger is fun to run but the pay and benefits are better on the freighters!
👍🏼 Fun video! We went the opposite direction, overnight, in iffy weather! Our then 6-yr-old son decided to sleep on deck, in the mist! And 12 years later he joined the US Coast Guard! 😎✌🏼
Great video. I grew up in Ludington. Watched this ship going out too many times to count. Rode on it twice. Ludington used to have several ferries back in the day. Besides the Badger and Spartan I remember an older one called City of Midland.
Thanks JoJo! Yes indeed. It actually is an interesting history. Ludington had a world record setting car ferry during the 1930's. The City of Flint 32, one the ships of the Pere Marquette fleet, set a world marine record for miles traveled. It traveled 101,000 miles on 1,010 crossings of Lake Michigan. Ludington was truly a world famous car ferry port. In 1955, the fleet ferried 205,000 passengers and 204,460 freight cars in 6,986 crossings of Lake Michigan. That is a lot of freight!
The wife and I took her across last fall and had a nice time . Good food, bingo and pleasant people . The crew could not be more accommodating and helpful! We took our Corvette and can’t wait to do it again! 👍🙋♂️🖖🏻
What a great video. Quite a few of these railroad ferries crossed Lake Michigan 60 years ago. We got to see the Ann Arbor Railroad Ferry from Frankfort MI to Manistique regularly as kids. Service ended in the 1960s. It was a sad day. The Badger crossing is much faster than driving around the south end of Lake Michigan through Chicago.
In the 70's I rode a couple of different car ferriies, here, a few times. One day it was stormy as hell - think the boat was called "The City of Midland". My wife and I had a state room and that was a good thing - I barfed in the sink until I fell asleep. Never been seasick before or since. That damn boat was going up and down like a roller coaster.
I got to take the Badger across in about 1971 and what a great experience it was for a kid. It was a trip set up for the paperboys of the Muskegon Chronicle which I’m pretty sure had special rates for us but I remember it cost me $14 for the round trip and me and my friend got tired of walking around so we got a state room , I don’t remember the price for sure but I know it was around $10 …what a deal huh, bet it’s not that cheap anymore 😂😂😂😂
Great video thanks 🙏🏼. What a lovely part of the world 🌎 you live in. There is a ferry ⛴ from Romanshorn, Switzerland 🇨🇭 to Friedrichshafen, Germany 🇩🇪. It costs roughly $22, and the trip is 40+ minutes and you can drive your own auto. I enjoy 😉 your videos.
I took the Badger many times as a kid in the 1970s. Best time ever. I watched Godzilla on the 24 inch TV in the lounge and got yelled at for running around the deck screaming Godziwa! And pointing at the water.
The Badger is indescribably fun for the cost and cheaper than driving around on either route if you’re driving an RV or similar. And if you have younger kids they’ll never forget the crossing! It’s hard to overstate just what a good time the whole experience is.
Ah, memories! I grew up in Muskegon, an hour or two south of Ludington. We used to travel up there often. I've seen the Badger and Spartan several times, but never rode on them. I will have to correct that oversight one day soon!
This brings back memories of my trip on the SS Badger from Ludington to Manitwoc a few years ago. I loved it! This is a nice video highlighting some history and facts about the Badger. I never got a state room. I think I will do this again sometime. It was kind of epic.
SS Badger and SS Spartan were named for the Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan State Spartans. My great grandfather brought in the Spartan on her maiden voyage. Captain Arthur Altschwager.
I've been on this beautiful ship when I was 9 or 10 and I'll be 35 soon and know my plans for my birthday thank you for the walk through bro! So happy shes still running ❤🤘
Took the Badger a couple years ago to to the Airventure Airshow in Oshkosh Wisconsin. Beats driving through Chicago in a motorbike. And it docks just an hour away from where it is. I know the Lake Express is faster but I like the history of the Badger.
Did that with the wife in 1990... great weather and trip. It originally hauled trains. Can you see it? halfway across you can just make out the tree tops on each side. have to stand tall to see it. Wisconsin has nice Best Western Motels but they do not know how to make a good pizza in that area.
Very interesting to see! Though I wonder why this was build in the 50's as a coal burner while most steamships were being converted to oil 30 years earlier
Great video! Very interesting boat, and particularly unusual compound Skinner Unaflow steam engines. Quite efficient, actually and very responsive. I last rode in May/June 2013 when there were major storms in the Great Plains and Midwest. Wind was sooo strong. I gave the guy at the cafeteria register a big tip that day because business was very slow- as I looked out the window alternately viewing churning water, and then the horizon, swaying side to side. Walking straight down a corridor was impossible. I loved it! To think the Badger and Spartan once did this 12 months a year. No wonder the train cars used to be chained and locked solid to the deck!
The last PASSENGER steam ship on the lakes. There are still three active steam-powered bulk carriers on the lakes, including the "SS Arthur M. Anderson", the ship that was following the "Edmund Fitzgerald" the night it sank.
When our family rode her from Luddington to Milwaukee circa 1960, she carried passengers, automobiles, and about 18 railroad cars. My mom scolded me when I spilled mustard from my burger on the tablecloth!
In the early 1970s dad and I went from St. Paul to the finger lakes region of NY State to pick up my sister from college. We started on US highway 10 and took the ferry from Luddington to Manitowoc. I remember the captain loading a train on one side of the ship such that the ship listed to port. As soon as we cleared the breakwater the wind hit the ship and she straightened right up. Much better way to go than the return trip through Chicago. I am not sure why the posters needed a stateroom for a 4 hour trip.
I suspect much of the original fixtures you were raving about used to live on the Spartan. Regardless she's a neat old boat. Thought the paint looked rougher than when we sailed on her in 2000 but then I see she was just towed up to Sturgeon Bay for her 5 year and paint.
My dad, two of my children and I rode the Badger from Ludington to Manitowoc about 20 years ago. Departure was delayed due to a severe storm blowing through. The worst of the storm was upon us as we were checking out of our Ludington hotel, and I will never forget the sight as I looked out a lobby window - the patio furniture was literally blowing sideways through the air just like Hollywood would have us believe. Unfortunately for us, our view of the lake as we headed to Manitowoc was nothing but fog the entire trip until we got to shore. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Still a memorable experience.
Love older ships. Cruises on HMS Victoria and Southern Cross. Look those up. Southern Cross was first liner to have stack all the way in stern leaving huge passenger areas unobstructed
Think about how well she was designed and constructed to not only last this long but to be suitable for refit using original hardware. No upgrade necessary! Amazing!
Helps being in fresh water too
My kids and I are currently riding on the Badger as I type this.
Awesome!
And now she's at Sturgeon Bay in dry dock to be inspected and painted. Was towed by tugs as she was already winterized. Love the Badger, first trip on her 63 years ago.
My 3 year old twins LOVE this video. They watch it every morning! We live in Ludington and love the Badger. Great video! Our local economy is dependent on the Badger, so us locals are always happy to see positive PR about our car ferry.
LOL. Really? That is amazing! Please tell them that Poppins and Da Viking say, "Hi" and thanks for watching!
There's something about a coal-fired steamer. I don't want to go back to those days, but I'm glad that back in '69 when our family went to Mackinac Island we went out and back on the last sidewheel steamer making that run. It was a magical day.
As an enthusiast in both trains and ships I find it very interesting to still see the old rail tracks on the SS Badger
Ludington is my home town. I am lucky enough, and old enough to remember when there were 4 of these beauties running out of Ludington all bearing the C&O logo , The City of Midland,, Citiy of Milwaukee, The Spartan and the Badger. My Dad worked on them as did my brother and an Uncle.. When I go home, I still go to see the Badger, she is a beauty....
Very Nice!
You've been lucky enough to have a A&W drive-up. I love Ludington, that's where we have our family reunion every year.
There were 7 when I started working there in the 70s. The ships were City of Midland the Badger, and the Spartan.
The City of Milwaukee, which is docked in Manistee Lake in Manistee, Michigan, sailed for the Grand Trunk Railroad out of Muskegon to and from Milwaukee.
My father grew up in the fourth ward in Ludington and he worked on them as well. I remember there being a City of Flint and a City of Saginaw ferry also around the 1960's. He is buried there today and wont be leaving any time soon.
Took a trip on her this past weekend and it was one of the coolest experiences I've had. It was like taking a trip back to 1953.
Harking back to the days when a boat trip was personal and fun.
Cool video. In 1990 Conrad bought these ships and set about to refurbish them, I worked for the painting company that painted the interior of the badger.
One day Conrad was there and took Governor Engler on a tour of the ship, did not get to meet him though.
Years later I discovered there is a video made about getting the badger going again and lo and behold my hippy ass is in it lol.
Thanks for the video.
I was looking for video of how they load the trailers - and you're the only one who showed that. Your grasp of and sharing details makes the cake. thank you.
It has a sister ship Spartan, permanently parked in Ludington. They take parts from it to repair the Badger. Watching it leave Ludington at dusk is super cool. It heads west just as the sun sets!
We crossed from MI to WI in 2015. It was a great experience, I recommend it
The Ludington-Manitowoc ferry is one of only two that continue a U.S.highway. It connects U.S.10 between Michigan and wisconsin.
The other is the Cape May -Lewes ferry which connects U.S.9 between New Jersey and Delaware at the mouth of the Delaware Bay.
Thanks for taking us along. So nice that you both got to take home cheesy hats! 👍 😊
😂😂😂
I'm from Ludington, I still remember watching them loading rail cars when I was a little kid, back when C&O owned them, had the Chessie cat logo painted on the smokestack.
My first trip across Lake Michigan was on the old Milwaukee Clipper from Muskegon Michigan to Milwaukee. That was in 1967 I think. I was a little kid. The Clipper is still in Muskegon but permanently moored. Volunteers work on it. You can pay to take a tour on it. It’s actually older than Titanic except the superstructure was redone in the 40’s. They don’t let you in the engine room. Too bad as it still has the quadruple expansion steam engine.
Oddly enough my first trip across Lake Michigan was on the City of Midland in 1967. We almost missed the return trip because we were goofing around in town and lost tract of the time. I believe the hull of that ferry was converted into a barge connected to a tugboat. I think it still uses the same hull number 21 as well.
Although it was in the early 60s, my parents and I also took a trip across Lake Michigan on the Clipper. We left Milwaukee in the morning; and took it to Ludington and returned to Milwaukee the same day. During the voyage I recalled seeing a C&O ferry travelling in the opposite direction. Although it, too, was a ferry, the clipper was more like a cruise ship. There was a movie theater, deck chairs, and plenty of food and drink. What a great trip. Years later, the ship was docked in my hometown of Hammond, Indiana, where it wasted away for a number of years before it returned to Muskegon.
When I lived in Frankfort in the late 70s, we used to take the SS Viking over to Wisconsin. It was such a cool thing to do when you were a kid.
Built with pride. Built to last.
When I sailed on the Badger back in 04- We got to load our own vehicle. Drove it on and way back into the ship.
Yeah - it is the only car ferry that I've been on that drives for you. I'm not sure when that changed.
I don’t recall that ever being an option. I first rode it in ‘98 and that definitely was not allowed. I believe maybe semi truck drivers drive their own tractor/trailers but not passenger vehicle owners.
Took my wife on the Badger, from Ludington. Had a great ride across Lake Michigan.
I was in Michigan from 1973 through 1975 going to school at West Shore Community College. Back then the boats were still owned and operated by the C&O Railroad and I would go to the dock and watch as they would load the train cars, automobiles, trucks and people onto the ships. Really cool to see at least one of them still in operation. While I was in Michigan one of the ships was blown onto the Ludington beach during a really bad storm. I don't remember which one it was but it was pretty awesome to see that huge ship beached. Great video by the way ! I really enjoyed it.
I live in Pennsylvania and being a rail fan I knew about the Badger being owned by the C&O railroad. I thought it stoped running years ago. I am glad to see someone took the time to get it going again. As you noted it does save a lot of travel time and hassles compared to driving around the lake. The closest thing I have near me is the Cape May - Lewis ferry that many people use to also save time and highway hassles between New Jersey and Delaware. But that operation is relatively new and uses modern ships.
The Badger is legend. The cruise across Lake Michigan on the Badger is a wonderful experience!
Thanks for the tour..
She is a great old steamer. Fair winds to you.
Thanks for watching!
Oh my goodness...the sound Badger's horn brings back a memory...I took it in the early 90's, morning sailing. I was exhausted from only getting about 2 hours sleep the previous 2 days. I was so looking forward to sleeping in a state room. I had just dozed off when the ship's horn sounded. Scared the daylights out of me! I was just beginning to relax again, and it sounded again...and again...and again...for fog. Every 55 seconds. The whole way across. I didn't get much sleep. Regardless, the Badger was awesome and I'd love to take it again...on a clear day.
I got to take the Spartan from Manitowoc to Ludington in 1973. Hard to believe that was 50 years ago. It was a great trip.
Been there, done that, they didn't have have a t-shirt that fit me so you're on your own. WELL WORTH THE TRIP!.We got to Manitowoc early and watched them coaling up the ship with a giant bucket loader. It would get a bucket full of coal and dissappear into the ship through the drop down car loading entrance. I want to say it took like 10 buckets to make the round trip. You can still see the rails on the floor from the days it used to ferry rail cars. I believe it took about 4 hours to sail across. We got to Ludington and then down to Dearborn for a Greenfield Villiage and Museum tour. There was a sister ship docked in Ludington, but I can't remember the name of it. This all happened around 2000 and I'm sure a lot has changed. I'm glad to see that it's still running as it was a very enjoyable journey that most people, unfortunately will never experience.
I once worked with a fellow who helped to increase the efficiency of the boilers combustion, so that they could keep all the ash on board and offload it in port. Previously, they would dump it while underway. The EPA was going to shut them down if this couldn't be accomplished.
Fucking epa...
@@TheMostSlyFox I remember the controversy. The ash, called Clinker, had been dumped directly into the lake for years. We should remember that the Great Lakes are special and unique. Huge inland fresh water seas, but they have a delicate ecology, and over the years, Human activity has damaged them in many ways. Some EPA regulations are a pain in the stern quarters, but I applaud their efforts to minimize further damage. I have always been mesmerized by those lakes.
I went on this with my parents back in the late eighties and it was A-blast for a 14 year old kid. I highly recommend taking the family on this trip even if it's just to ride to Wisconsin and back. 🤟😎
Great video, was on Badger for second time in 30 years, was great experience. Lived in Ludington all my life , why I never did this is beyond me. So relaxing, good food and drink. Make sure you hit " The Wharf" bar in sight of dock. Crew is 100% professional and very friendly. Thank you LMC.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🤗🤗🤗😎😎👍👍
Strange how you can live somewhere most of your life and still not know these things. Thanks for this. Hope you guys enjoyed your time in Ludington too.
Agreed! Even if I have explored a place most of my life, I still find lots of things I didn't know.
My first time on the Badger was 1979 from Milwaukee to Ludington. Was riding my bicycle to Northern Michigan. Did it a couple years later with my bride on a motorcycle trip. It took 8 hours from Milwaukee. They haven't done that voyage in years. Back then I remember the stateroom was 10 bucks.
Great video showcasing the Badger and your trip! Now I want to go! Thanks for sharing!
A sailor like you would probably appreciate a sail on the old steamer.
@@RestlessViking well yes I would!
I did plenty of trips on Beaver islander and flights back and forth from the island. Coast Guard Chopper Medical Transports were cool…Sometimes!
Lookin' totally at home in that SS Badger captain's hat. Great trip. Will try it. 🚢
We rode the Badger two years ago. It was great!
Took that trip in the 70's as a kid with the family to go visit cousins and camping! Would love to take that trip again, thanks for yet another great video!
Thanks much! Agreed, that Badger is a pretty awesome ship and a lotta fun!
I crossed the lake back in the early sixties, it was owned by C&O then. It's on my bucket list to do it again!
Before I retired from Ford, ine of my telecommuters in the Grand Rapids area would take the Badger on his way to a supplier in Sheboygan, WI. So I just had to see what that was like. I'm sure he enjoyed it!
Unless things have changed, the SS Sabino which runs in Mystic, Connecticut is still coal fired. It just does excursions in the area while the Badger is still in commercial service and currently owned by Interlake(hiss!!). She's fun to run. I worked fireman, watertender, oiler and even a little junior engineer time before getting my 3rd assistant engineer's license and finishing out the 1997 season. I also did some time there in 2007, the end of 08, 2009 and most of 2010 as 3rd and 2nd assistant engineer before I started get more time on Lake freighters. The Badger is fun to run but the pay and benefits are better on the freighters!
Badger was towed back to Ludington a few weeks ago.
Interior work will be done there this winter. Can't wait to see her in May!
Nice vid. We took the trip last year. Brings back awesome memories from a great experience. Recommended to everyone.
When I was a kid, we rode the Badger from Milwaukee to Ludington, Michigan while on vacation..I'm 73 now..
I love the Badger, rode her eastbound last spring and plan on going in the other direction in September.
My wife and I are planning a trip for early September and then a shortened drive up to the UP. Thanks for the great video, as it was very informative.
I had a Friend who got his seamen card and use to jockey railcars across Lake Michigan on the Badger back in the 60's.
👍🏼 Fun video! We went the opposite direction, overnight, in iffy weather! Our then 6-yr-old son decided to sleep on deck, in the mist! And 12 years later he joined the US Coast Guard! 😎✌🏼
LOL - of course he did!
@@RestlessViking Eventually switched to USCG aviation! So there's hope! 🚁😉✌🏼
Love that ship, it’s my favorite in the USA.
Great video. I grew up in Ludington. Watched this ship going out too many times to count. Rode on it twice. Ludington used to have several ferries back in the day. Besides the Badger and Spartan I remember an older one called City of Midland.
Thanks JoJo! Yes indeed. It actually is an interesting history. Ludington had a world record setting car ferry during the 1930's. The City of Flint 32, one the ships of the Pere Marquette fleet, set a world marine record for miles traveled. It traveled 101,000 miles on 1,010 crossings of Lake Michigan. Ludington was truly a world famous car ferry port.
In 1955, the fleet ferried 205,000 passengers and 204,460 freight cars in 6,986 crossings of Lake Michigan. That is a lot of freight!
City of Midland still exists too! It's been turned into a barge though.
@@the4tierbridge Pere Marquette 41 (reference to her hull number) and she usually runs with a WWII era tug.
The wife and I took her across last fall and had a nice time . Good food, bingo and pleasant people . The crew could not be more accommodating and helpful! We took our Corvette and can’t wait to do it again! 👍🙋♂️🖖🏻
So glad I found your videos. I have been reading your articles for years.
I've been on The Badger, nice ship.
What a great video. Quite a few of these railroad ferries crossed Lake Michigan 60 years ago. We got to see the Ann Arbor Railroad Ferry from Frankfort MI to Manistique regularly as kids. Service ended in the 1960s. It was a sad day. The Badger crossing is much faster than driving around the south end of Lake Michigan through Chicago.
My home town… worked on the badger for five years..
In the 70's I rode a couple of different car ferriies, here, a few times. One day it was stormy as hell - think the boat was called "The City of Midland". My wife and I had a state room and that was a good thing - I barfed in the sink until I fell asleep. Never been seasick before or since. That damn boat was going up and down like a roller coaster.
I didn’t know there where any coal fire ships actually left in operation.
Thank you for sharing
I got to take the Badger across in about 1971 and what a great experience it was for a kid. It was a trip set up for the paperboys of the Muskegon Chronicle which I’m pretty sure had special rates for us but I remember it cost me $14 for the round trip and me and my friend got tired of walking around so we got a state room , I don’t remember the price for sure but I know it was around $10 …what a deal huh, bet it’s not that cheap anymore 😂😂😂😂
Great video thanks 🙏🏼. What a lovely part of the world 🌎 you live in. There is a ferry ⛴ from Romanshorn, Switzerland 🇨🇭 to Friedrichshafen, Germany 🇩🇪. It costs roughly $22, and the trip is 40+ minutes and you can drive your own auto. I enjoy 😉 your videos.
I took the Badger many times as a kid in the 1970s. Best time ever. I watched Godzilla on the 24 inch TV in the lounge and got yelled at for running around the deck screaming Godziwa! And pointing at the water.
Took it back in the 70's. A stateroom was an additional $4.00. Still a cheap fare. 4 hrs and apparently run year round, weather and waves permitting.
The Badger is indescribably fun for the cost and cheaper than driving around on either route if you’re driving an RV or similar. And if you have younger kids they’ll never forget the crossing! It’s hard to overstate just what a good time the whole experience is.
Ah, memories! I grew up in Muskegon, an hour or two south of Ludington. We used to travel up there often. I've seen the Badger and Spartan several times, but never rode on them. I will have to correct that oversight one day soon!
I have in-laws in Ludington, I lived for a decade over in Reed City, and my nephew works on the Badger! Thanks for this, really enjoyed it!
way cool! she looks great. thanks for making this.
Thank you for all your videos! Refreshing mix of history and humor!
That's where I grew up. I've rode on that ship many times.
The comments on the accommodations and the experience in general, the SS Badger is so Amtrak!
LOL! Indeed, except we departed and arrived on time. 🤣
This brings back memories of my trip on the SS Badger from Ludington to Manitwoc a few years ago. I loved it! This is a nice video highlighting some history and facts about the Badger. I never got a state room. I think I will do this again sometime. It was kind of epic.
SS Badger and SS Spartan were named for the Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan State Spartans.
My great grandfather brought in the Spartan on her maiden voyage. Captain Arthur Altschwager.
I've been on this beautiful ship when I was 9 or 10 and I'll be 35 soon and know my plans for my birthday thank you for the walk through bro! So happy shes still running ❤🤘
And a happy birthday it will be! She is a beautiful ship!
Taking this boat this summer!
We hope you have a great time!
You guys are so great to watch! I’m inspired! Time for a trip to WI!
6:12 thank goodness the popcorn didn’t come in a blue bucket lol!
🤣😂
Welcome to Manitowoc! Awesome channel!
Thanks so much!
This is so awesome!
Took the Badger a couple years ago to to the Airventure Airshow in Oshkosh Wisconsin. Beats driving through Chicago in a motorbike. And it docks just an hour away from where it is. I know the Lake Express is faster but I like the history of the Badger.
6:14 Nathan! I remember him from our trip in June 2021. Bought a few Mic Ultras from Nathan the Bartender, friendly kid.
Did that with the wife in 1990... great weather and trip.
It originally hauled trains.
Can you see it? halfway across you can just make out the tree tops on each side. have to stand tall to see it.
Wisconsin has nice Best Western Motels but they do not know how to make a good pizza in that area.
Great videos well done*
Very interesting to see! Though I wonder why this was build in the 50's as a coal burner while most steamships were being converted to oil 30 years earlier
Just took my punk'n JT, Janey, across going the other way. Quite the ride.
Nice bit of living history. Never known a ferry where they don’t trust you to drive on and off though.
I'm from Ludington my dad was second engineer in the engine room from the late 70's til 2000
Great video! Very interesting boat, and particularly unusual compound Skinner Unaflow steam engines. Quite efficient, actually and very responsive. I last rode in May/June 2013 when there were major storms in the Great Plains and Midwest. Wind was sooo strong. I gave the guy at the cafeteria register a big tip that day because business was very slow- as I looked out the window alternately viewing churning water, and then the horizon, swaying side to side. Walking straight down a corridor was impossible. I loved it! To think the Badger and Spartan once did this 12 months a year. No wonder the train cars used to be chained and locked solid to the deck!
With her high freeboard and wide beam she does have a reassuringly sturdy profile
The last PASSENGER steam ship on the lakes. There are still three active steam-powered bulk carriers on the lakes, including the "SS Arthur M. Anderson", the ship that was following the "Edmund Fitzgerald" the night it sank.
Yes. In addition to some of the US training ships.
It's funny to hear the name Charles Conrad. I live in Holland and worked for the company he founded for about a decade, Thermotron.
Fine vid.
I remember when she pulled out of Kewaunee, WI for the last time. Been on this boat quite a few times.
Great review. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Amazing video!
When our family rode her from Luddington to Milwaukee circa 1960, she carried passengers, automobiles, and about 18 railroad cars. My mom scolded me when I spilled mustard from my burger on the tablecloth!
Those are good memories. I got scolded for mustard often.
My father rode on her about a decade ago when she ran aground coming into harbor.
In the early 1970s dad and I went from St. Paul to the finger lakes region of NY State to pick up my sister from college. We started on US highway 10 and took the ferry from Luddington to Manitowoc. I remember the captain loading a train on one side of the ship such that the ship listed to port. As soon as we cleared the breakwater the wind hit the ship and she straightened right up. Much better way to go than the return trip through Chicago. I am not sure why the posters needed a stateroom for a 4 hour trip.
Probably to show what a stateroom looks like for the benefit of viewers. . .
The former Captain Dean Hobbs of the SS Badger taught my classes to obtain my Masters Credentials. Good man. May he Rest in Peace.
I suspect much of the original fixtures you were raving about used to live on the Spartan. Regardless she's a neat old boat. Thought the paint looked rougher than when we sailed on her in 2000 but then I see she was just towed up to Sturgeon Bay for her 5 year and paint.
I’ve been on it before, it is cool
You'll notice that the staterooms mimic a railroad roomette or compartment. That is because the Badger was designed by a railroad.
This is pretty cool
My dad, two of my children and I rode the Badger from Ludington to Manitowoc about 20 years ago. Departure was delayed due to a severe storm blowing through. The worst of the storm was upon us as we were checking out of our Ludington hotel, and I will never forget the sight as I looked out a lobby window - the patio furniture was literally blowing sideways through the air just like Hollywood would have us believe.
Unfortunately for us, our view of the lake as we headed to Manitowoc was nothing but fog the entire trip until we got to shore. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Still a memorable experience.
Love older ships. Cruises on HMS Victoria and Southern Cross. Look those up. Southern Cross was first liner to have stack all the way in stern leaving huge passenger areas unobstructed