Kaye E. Barker: Back in the Day

Interlake's classy Kaye E. Barker has undergone a series of changes to her voice during a storied Great Lakes career of seven decades and counting. From steam-powered Leslies to electric Kahlenbergs, the vessel has carried three distinct horn models, all of which can be heard here in recordings from 2008 to 2022.
Built in 1952, the Edward B. Greene - later the Benson Ford and present-day Kaye E. Barker - began her career with two stack-mounted Leslie Tyfon 300 DVE steam horns. This was a standard arrangement on many new vessel constructions at the time, including nearly all of the Greene's AAA-class sister ships. The Tyfon on the starboard side of the vessel's stack was eventually removed later in her career. The remaining port-side unit can be seen protruding from the stack and heard in a steamy captain's salute from the Barker at 0:27.
A Kahlenberg Triton S-120 electric piston horn was eventually installed atop the Greene's triple-deck pilothouse in the 1980s. This may have resulted from the vessel's conversion to a self-unloader in 1982, as the new topside conveyor housing sat directly in front of the stack and blocked the original Tyfons. The Barker still carries her S-120 today, the last vessel in the Interlake fleet to do so. The horn is visible on the port side of the pilothouse at 0:38 and can later be heard at 0:52 - note the "breath" as the piston motor winds down following the salute.
In 2012, the Barker was converted from steam to diesel power and finally stripped of her remaining 300 DVE. A powerful Kahlenberg KPH-130C electric piston horn was selected as a replacement and suspended in front of the conveyor housing. This unit can be heard at 0:32 in an exchange with the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge and seen in a close-up shot near the bottom of the screen at 0:47.
The 2008 recording and corresponding images (not taken on the same date) are courtesy of MK and used with permission. Content from 2022 is my own.
Intro sequence audio and images courtesy of MK, Jason Bhaskaran, Andrea Guerriero (DreDesignsGLMP), and myself. Used with permission.

[@Michiganrailfanner23]

Interlake is just my favorite fleet of beauties, especially the lee or Oberstar

[@ryledesirabelli4151]

I can finally hear the Kaye's steam horns. Thank you for this

[@bluerazor7049]

Same, she had a quiet yet lovely sounding Leslie. My favorite sounding triple A class was the Reserve back when she had her 300-425 set. Reminds me of my electric organ whenever I play on it.

[@Michiganrailfanner23]

Beautiful

[@jamesluke9969]

Nice!

[@bluerazor7049]

It's lovely to hear the Barker's steam horn again since the only other sources were two videos, one of them being an old documentary when she was the Benson Ford (II). She's a real beauty, I believe that she was the flagship of the Cliffs fleet and that's why she has a triple deck up front! She and the Lee are beautiful vessels.