Twilight of the Great Lakes Steamer

Steam-powered freighters, once the mainstay of the Great Lakes fleet, are now in the twilight of their era on the inland seas.  Once numbered in the hundreds, this class is now represented by only twenty active carriers as of the end of the 2008 shipping season.  These steamers encompass a variety of carrier types, including cement carriers, straight deckers, and self-unloaders.  Included are numerous never-before-published photographs portraying these vessels in previous and current operations.