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Design 1729 Olin Mathieson Barge

This was the first of three large barges designed and built for transporting phosphate rock for the Chemicals Division of the Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation. Each barge was capable of carrying 9,500 net tons of dry cargo from Tampa, Florida to the companys fertilizer plant at Pasadena, Texas. At the time the latter was the worlds largest facility for the production of synthetic pelletized fertilizer.

The barges were built by the American Bridge Division of U.S. Steel of Ambridge, Pennsylvania at a cost of approximately $2,000,000 each. The year was 1963.

Heres a nice set of launch sequence images. Shes being launched into the Ohio River.