Steam & Excursion > Roaring Camp & Big Trees

Roaring Camp & Big Trees #2, the "Tuolunme" is at Felton, California in early August 1985. I was stationed on board the Battleship New Jersey and we were making a port visit in San Francisco. A buddy of mine and I rented a car. Wine country one day (that is a WHOLE nother story), Yosemite one day, Sacramento and the then 4 year old California State RR Museum and Felton to ride and photograph the narrow gauge. It was a fun day and we quite literally had the run of the place ....

Regards,
Burlington John
 

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Cool stuff John.I worked with a guy for some years down here in Australia who was ex navy.He said during Nam ,the ship he was on was keeping company with the Jersey one late evening.They opened up with the 16 inch guns near the DMZ,he said it was the most impressive thing he had ever laid eyes on.
Regards,DK

DKay Wrote:
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> Cool stuff John.I worked with a guy for some years
> down here in Australia who was ex navy.He said
> during Nam ,the ship he was on was keeping company
> with the Jersey one late evening.They opened up
> with the 16 inch guns near the DMZ,he said it was
> the most impressive thing he had ever laid eyes
> on.
> Regards,DK

Indeed DK. I had the honor of serving on New Jersey then I transferred to the re-commisioning crew of Missouri. Serious fun!

Regards,
Burlington John
 

> Indeed DK. I had the honor of serving on New
> Jersey then I transferred to the re-commisioning
> crew of Missouri. Serious fun!
>
> Regards,
> Burlington John
>  

What did you do on the NJ?  I reported aboard in June of '85 and didn't leave until two years later.

Bit unlikely that would have run into each other then, being close to 1000 people on the ship in those days.
 

SR-RL_Nr_10 Wrote:
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> > Indeed DK. I had the honor of serving on New
> > Jersey then I transferred to the
> re-commisioning
> > crew of Missouri. Serious fun!
> >
> > Regards,
> > Burlington John
> >  
>
> What did you do on the NJ?  I reported aboard in
> June of '85 and didn't leave until two years
> later.
>
> Bit unlikely that would have run into each other
> then, being close to 1000 people on the ship in
> those days.
>  

I was onboard from April 1984 to August 1985, worked in engineering as the Log Room Yeoman. Those were the days!

Regards,
Burlington John

burlingtonjohn Wrote:

>
> I was onboard from April 1984 to August 1985,
> worked in engineering as the Log Room Yeoman.
> Those were the days!
>
> Regards,
> Burlington John

Sorry to take so long to get back to you.  I had to refresh my memory after some thirty years.

Below are a couple photos to bring back some old memories.  I’m sitting in the front row, second from the left. Directly behind me is LCDR B. Putman, the MPA and probably your immediate boss.  In the first chair from the left is Lt. V.C. Meierotto who was the ship’s Adimin Officer and you probably had some dealings with him as Log Room Yeoman.  

Some of the other engineering officers that I spotted are Lt. A. Blake, DCA, in the second standing row just to the left of LCDR Putman.  CWO4 Jones of A Gang is also in the second standing row, three faces to the right of LCDR Putman.  Commander M. E. Bellamy, the Engineering Officer (aka Chief Engineer or CHENG) is in the seated group to the right of the photo and is is the third seated officer counting from the right.

The two officers seated in the center are to the right, Captain W. L. Glenn, the Commanding Officer of the New Jersey and to the left is Captain L. M. Hardt. the Executive Officer (XO) of the New Jersey.  Directly behind Captain Hardt is Lt. G. Izumoto, the Electrical Officer.

And to keep the gods of steam happy, the Iowa class battleships had eight controlled superheat boilers (“M” type boilers) and four main engines of approximately 53,000 HP each for a total listed of 212,000 horse power giving the ship a top speed of over 30 knots.  In my historical files I had a “Naval cable” where USS Wisconsin claimed to have sustained 38 knots, just shy of 44 mph.  During our work-up for deployment we had an exercise to transit a hostile strait (think Strait of Hormuz).  In the ‘80s, the Iowa ships were only maned to use four boilers simultaneously.  But Captain Glenn put every single Boiler Technician on watch and fired up all eight boilers.  As the Officer of the Deck, I was the only officer that got to order, “All ahead flank, make turns for 30 knots”  for the two years I was aboard.  As part of the Tomahawk suite, we had an Ship’s Inertial Navigation System (SINS) which using accelerometers would measure the speed with an accuracy of 1/1000th of  knot.  The display was located above the Captain’s chair and we all clustered around and it showed a Speed Over Ground of 31.2 knots. And at the end of the exercise, I got to say the immortal words to my relief, “Eight burning, four turning, 30+ knots available.”



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/20 06:53 by SR-RL_Nr_10.

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In 1966 I was a LTJG and after four years in the Navy was looking at my options.  The New Jersey was being prepared for recommissioning.  I asked the detailer what my chances were of getting an assignment to the New Jersey.  Not so good, or more like between slim and none.  So I opted out, took a job with Southern Pacific and never looked back.  But I suppose had I been able to get on the New Jersey my life would have turned out much differently. The Iowa class were the most beautiful warships ever built.  Really enjoyed the picture abovel These threads can take interesting turns.  Now to turn my attention to a trip to the Roaring Camp....been too long.

JBWX



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/20 10:33 by jbwest.

That's a great shot of the traditional 'duck wash' blowdown!  My earliest memories of RCRR are from about that time, though I had been taken there even earlier.    I have photos of a double header of Kahuku and Waipahu in I think around 1986.   Good times.

Also thanks for the Navy stories.  My father was in the Navy in the mid 60s, based out of Hong Kong and patrolling the coast of Vietnam on a destroyer.

-M

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Indeed great post!