WW2 LST-393 Photo Tour - Muskegon, MI Aug.2009

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

The refrigerators / reefers, right around the corner from the rudder room

 

 

[MWalsh]

Then the ship store, also right around that same area, I think the laundry was right in here too, although I do not recall that it has been restored.

 

[MWalsh]

Now, I am skipping way down below deck and going to the hold deck I think it was called, the bottom most one. Just forward of the stern and on the port / left side is the shaft alley. That is where the prop shafts are located before they go outside the ship. It is a very long, multi-compartment "alley" from the engine room all the way to the very stern.

 

 

[MWalsh]

The engine room, the engines are shown (very large white objects, long and tall).

 

 

[MWalsh]

Notice the Lufkin logo - they still make tools today.

 

 

[MWalsh]

Man those engines are big old buggers, and this is just an LST - there are most certainly much larger Navy ships out there with even larger engines. Whew! These big red things in the background are big cylinders, like what you;d see acetelyne or oxygen in, so you can use that to get an idea on overall size of things in the engine room.

 

[MWalsh]

Various engine room gauges...

 

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

Sink in the engine room

 

[MWalsh]

More engine room equipment and pics

 

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

Reduction gear - I believe this was in a compartment between the engine room and shaft alley, and if memory serves me right, via gearing it reduces the RPM's from the engine to the much lower RPM's that the prop shafts turn at. The reduction gear was made by Falk. My buddy who was on the LST 393 with me that day got a kick out of seeing the Falk reduction hear, as he collects WW2 production awards, and he has some Army / Navy E type production awards awarded by the military to Falk for the work they were doing in WW2. These next couple pics are for you John!

 

 

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

[MWalsh]

One of the placards in the engine room - it gives some excellent stats

 

[MWalsh]

Another engine shot

 

[MWalsh]

I think this was the electrical generating room. It was 100% closed off and dark, I just held my camera up over the fencing, with the flash on, and took a pic of it "blind" - it came out well actually.

 

[MWalsh]

Looking through the engine room back towards the stern / rear, looking all back through those hatches to those rearmost compartments like the shaft alley compartments. I suspect if the ship got in trouble at all and you were in one of those compartments like these in the engine area, you were not going to ever be able to get clear of the ship.

 

[MWalsh]

And finally, that is it!

 

The LST 393 is a great ship to visit. It's well taken care of and work is in progress always it looks like - it is a huge job I would imagine, caring for and restoring that ship! They are doing a fine job there.

 

Muskegon, Michigan was a great place to go too. Also there is the Coast Guard Cutter McLane and then the WW2 submarine the USS Silversides; all three of these things are well worth a trip to Muskegon. In addition, it was a nice area, friendly and knowledgeable folks at and away from the ships, and the Lake Michigan beaches are fantastic too!

 

If anyone has any comments or corrections to make to what I have posted, hey, please speak up and do so. My knowledge of this LST is from touring it and taking lots of pictures, as well as some reading. So, correct away if need be!

 

Enjoy!

MW

[The Meatcan]

Wow! great comprehensive tour! Kudos to all those folks who are working on the LST - that's quite a job. And thanks to MW for taking the time and effort to post all the photos. Thanks! :thumbsup:

Terry