tbm3fan
Old Man with a Hat
While I work on restoring the USS Hornet there is another museum ship close by which is the titled Red Oak Victory. Pulled out of the Suisun Reserve Fleet in 1998. By the time I got out there there were only five Victories left and they were in terrible shape. Now the Red Oak Victory is not in as nice looking condition as SS Jeremiah O'Brien, a Liberty ship, over in San Francisco. The O'Brien actually sails out of the Bay every summer. The Red Oak would like to and has had a boiler on line, as well as generators, but still isn't there. Basically the O'Brien is a 3-cylinder reciprocating triple expansion steam engine (simple), the Red Oak is the newer steam turbine with higher steam pressures. I've was out there in 2003 for a look in her raw state. Later in 2021 for a breakfast fundraiser and this past Sunday for another breakfast fundraiser along with another Hornet volunteer. After breakfast my crew wandered the main deck and 1st level hold while I disappeared down darkened trunks with my small flashlight since I was familiar with a Victory. Later we were able to brings our wives down to the engine room, boilers, and shaft alley. I took 90 pictures, for the record, and would post a few if there is interest in the ship. By the way it is at the old WWII kaiser Shipyard in Richmond where I believe the ship was built in 1944.
