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Lake Michigan has a surface area of 22,400 square miles. This large body of water separating the East from a large chunk of the Midwest has always posed a challenge to railroads, which were forced to go around it. In the early days of rail transportation, freight was unloaded from railcars onto boats, shipped across the lake, then loaded back into rail cars. In the late 1800’s, railroads began constructing large boats to haul entire railroad cars. These vessels needed to be built strong to haul ever increasing numbers of freight cars and for all-weather service, including the ability to smash through ice in the winter. The railroad car ferries also provided passenger service across the lake, and in later years carried automobiles as well.

The story of the SS Badger

In 1952-1953, the C&O Railroad http://www.cohs.org commissioned the SS Badger http://www.ssbadger.com/home.aspx and its sister SS Spartan. These would not only be the final additions to the Lake Michigan railroad car ferry fleet, but were also the largest ever built, at a cost of 5 million dollars each. The two vessels were constructed by the Christy Company of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. They each burned coal and were powered by Skinner Unaflow steam engines http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5496.pdf. They were designed to carry rail cars, automobiles, and provide first class passenger accommodations, including staterooms, dining facilities, and recreation. 

By the 1970‘s the railroad industry had changed, and the Interstate Commerce Commission (remember regulation?) allowed the C&O to exit the car ferry business in 1983, selling its last three ferries to the Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company. That company struggled along until November 1990, when the SS Badger made its final trip.

The next year, entrepreneur Charles Conrad committed resources to reinvent the SS Badger to carry passengers and their vehicles. It returned to service in May 1992, between Ludington Michigan and Manitowoc Wisconsin. The SS Spartan is tied up in Ludington and occasionally provides replacement parts for the SS Badger.

The SS Badger is the last coal burning steamship in the United States and is one of the last vessels in service on the Great Lakes to be powered by Skinner Unaflow engines, a unique propulsion system that has been designated as a national mechanical engineering landmark. 

The SS Badger offers a fun and relaxing transportation option. She completes the 60 mile trip across Lake Michigan to connect US Highway 10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_10 in about four hours. This saves about three and a half hours compared to driving 411 miles between Manitowoc and Ludington via Chicago. While onboard, travelers can take advantage of entertainment, food, or even staterooms equipped with sleeping berths. 

The Future of the SS Badger

The SS Badger has drawn fire from the EPA and environmental groups due to the release of coal ash from its boilers directly into the waters of Lake Michigan. This has historically been the practice with the SS Badger and coal burning ships in general. Now that the SS Badger is the last one, is the coal ash much of a problem?

As this issue is unresolved and uncertain, the choices may be to convert the boilers to fuel oil, junk the boilers and the historic Skinner engines and convert to diesel engines, or, worse, mothball the vessel.

If you think you may want to see and ride this great ship, better plan to do it soon, just in case.....

Why is the SS Badger important?

It is the last example of an operating large railroad-built Great Lakes car ferry. It still has railroad tracks buried in pavement on the automobile deck. It has the original engines, boilers, and it still burns coal. At its ports, there are still visible artifacts connecting the boat to railroads. The company celebrates the history of the SS Badger and SS Spartan and car ferries in general on its website and in its small museum onboard. 

It is a viable means of transportation now and in the foreseeable future. It employs a large number of people in many trades and professions, which supports business in the communities it serves, as well as further employment. It brings in large numbers of passengers, bringing business to restaurants, lodging, and retail in the two ports. It makes sense, especially in these economic times, to continue to use this valuable resource for as long as practicable.

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