The S.S. Badger: Manitowoc-Ludington And Back
I hadn't traveled on the carferry in over 50 years. On recent trip back to my hometown of Manitowoc, I decided it was time to do it again. After all, This ol gal (S.S. Badger) is older than I am and may not be able to go on much longer. EPA has been trying to shut her down. It was a great day to be on Lake Michigan. Very cool and sunny. It was refreshing. It spent the night in Ludington and boarded back on in the morning for a return trip. This was a great idea. Glad I did it. Below are some stats on the Badger.
The SS Badger is a passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. Currently, she shuttles between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, connecting U.S. Route 10 between those two cities. She is the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes.
The ship is named after the University of Wisconsin's athletic teams, the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badger runs on Michigan time (Eastern Time Zone, whereas Wisconsin is in the Central Time Zone) and riders pay Michigan taxes on their fares. She runs on a seasonal basis from May to October.
The Badger was constructed as a rail car ferry in 1952–53 by the Christy Corporation of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, along with her twin sister the SS Spartan (named after the mascot of Michigan State University) with a reinforced hull for ice-breaking. She was originally used to carry railroad cars, passengers and automobiles between the two sides of the lake all year long. Today, the ferry connects the eastern and western segments of U.S. Route 10 in the two cities from May to October.
Launched September 6, 1952, the SS Badger entered service March 21, 1953, for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (from 1973 a subsidiary of the Chessie System). The C&O had acquired the rail car ferry operations in Ludington with its acquisition of the Pere Marquette Railway in 1947. After 1972, service was gradually curtailed; all but the three newest vessels were retired, and sailings to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin were discontinued, leaving only the route between Ludington and Kewaunee, Wisconsin. On July 1, 1983, the Chessie System ended its car ferry service when it sold the steamers Badger, Spartan, and City of Midland 41 to Glen F. Bowden of Ludington. He organized the Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company (MWT) to continue the operation.
The railroad car ferry concept on Lake Michigan was facing serious economic troubles during the 1980s and by November 1988, the Badger was the only vessel running. She was the last of the 14 ferries since 1897 based in Ludington remaining in service. On November 16, 1990, facing bankruptcy, Bowden laid up the Badger, ending 93 years of railway car ferry service out of Ludington and 98 years on Lake Michigan as a whole.
Name: SS Badger
Namesake: University of Wisconsin
Owner: Lake Michigan Carferry Service
Route: US 10, Ludington, Michigan–Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Builder: Christy Corporation, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Yard number: Hull No. 370
Launched: September 6, 1952
Sponsored by: Mrs. Walter J. Kohler (wife of Governor of Wisconsin)
In service: March 21, 1953
Homeport: Ludington, MI
Identification: Official No. 265156
IMO number: 5033583
Nickname: The Big Badger (Charles F. Conrad's favorite description)
Status: Active
General characteristics
Type: Passenger and automobile car ferry
Tonnage: 4,244 gross tons
Length: 410 ft 6 in (125.12 m)
Beam: 59 ft 6 in (18.14 m)
Depth: 24 ft (7.32 m) molded depth
Installed power: Steam, coal-fired
Propulsion: Two four-cylinder compound Skinner Unaflow steam engines, totaling 7,000 shp (5.22 MW); four Foster-Wheeler water-tube type D boilers, 470 psi (3.24 MPa)
Speed: 24 mph (21 kn; 39 km/h) max
18 mph (16 kn; 29 km/h) cruise
Capacity: 620 passengers, 180 automobiles, also tour buses, RVs, motorcycles, and commercial trucks
Crew: 50–60
Notes:
SS Badger
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Michigan State Historic Site
Location 700 S. Williams Street
Ludington, Michigan
Coordinates 43°56′57″N 86°27′04″W
Significant dates
Added to NRHP December 11, 2009
Designated MSHS March 6, 1997
SS Badger Ludington Michigan - Famous Great Lakes Ships HD (1080P / 4K)
The SS Badger is perhaps Lake Michigan's most famous ship. It has a long storied history.
S.S. Badger A National Historic Landmark
The S.S. Badger is the last coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the United States. She has provided a fun, reliable and affordable shortcut across beautiful Lake Michigan for more than 60 years and has transported millions of passengers since her re-birth in 1992. In 2016 she received the nation’s highest historic honor when the Department of Interior officially designated the Badger as a National Historic Landmark.
Additionally, the Badger is extremely unique in that she is an NHL that moves. The 410ft. S.S. BADGER can accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, including; RVs, motorcycles, motor coaches, and commercial trucks during her sailing season. Originally designed primarily to transport railroad cars, this grand ship and the people who serve her have successfully adapted to the changing world since she first entered service in 1953.
Her unique and bold character takes you back to a period of time when things were simpler – offering valuable time to slow down, relax…and reconnect with those you love. She is the continuation of a unique and vital maritime tradition, and we celebrate that heritage on board in fun ways that educate, and entertain. Her mission has changed from the days of carrying railroad cars 365 days a year, and the Badger’s role in the hearts of the areas she serves has not.
The Badger’s commitment to a fun experience offers traditional favorites including free Badger Bingo, free movies and satellite television, lounge areas, a toddler play area; free limited Wi-Fi, onboard gift shop, an arcade, private staterooms, two separate food service areas, two bars, and sprawling outside decks for lounging or walking. Perhaps a romantic night crossing is more fitting for your style with spectacular sunsets and sparkling constellations for stargazers - making the Badger experience extra special.
A trip aboard the S.S. Badger offers passengers fun & treasured memories. Professional travelers have shared their experiences aboard the Badger with the world and this grand ship has received great praise. The Badger was awarded in 2015 & 2016 a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor and has a five star rating with Travelocity!
The Badger experience allows a rare opportunity to explore a little history - and a lot of fun by taking a step back into the past on a journey that’s as important as the destination! Slow down, relax and reconnect on the Big Ship, More Fun!
From mid-May to mid-October the Badger sails daily between Manitowoc, WI and Ludington, MI Located about an hour from Milwaukee, WI and Muskegon, MI.
For more information visit:
S.S. BADGER - Ludington Michigan
SS Badger car ferry from Manitowoc to Ludington
This video is my my trip on the historic SS Badger car ferry ship from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan on September 23, 2017.
SS Badger arriving and departing Ludington MI
On a pleasant June weekend, the carferry SS Badger is seen here arriving at its home port of Ludington Michigan late in the afternoon, and then departing for Manitowoc the next morning.
S.S. Badger - Ludington, MI
Video of the S.S. Badger leaving the Ludington, MI port on the evening of 8-8-2014.
SS Badger Arriving In Ludington, MI, October 10, 2013
This video shows the SS Badger arriving in Ludington, Michigan on October 10, 2013. It was shot from the top of the Pilot House, offering a very interesting and unique vantage point.
SS BADGER AND SS SPARTAN Frozen in Time
Cloud Jockey's Second video in our Ludington Michigan Trip series. The SS Badger is a passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953.The SS Spartan is a railroad car ferry on Lake Michigan owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway from 1952 through 1979. It alternated routes from Ludington, Michigan, to Milwaukee, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Contact us @ Cloudjockeys@gmail.com for all media needs.
S.S. Badger | Pure Michigan
Visit to learn more. Experience a once in a lifetime ferry ride across Lake Michigan on the S.S. Badger, the largest cross-lake passenger service on the Great Lakes. A real live steamship experience, the Badger can carry approximately 180 passenger cars from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI.
S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Carferry
S.S. Badger leaving Ludington Michigan
Historic SS Badger Arriving in and Departing Ludington, Michigan. June 3rd and 4th, 2017.
Hello everyone! Here is a bit of a different video today, but I think many of you will still enjoy it. This video features the historic carferry SS Badger, the famous coal-fired carferry which runs from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, via Lake Michigan. She is the last of its kind to not only run on coal, but to operate on the Great Lakes as well in terms of long-distance lake travel for cars.
The Badger was built in 1952 and launched later in 1953 as a carferry for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, which had just taken over operations for the previous owner Pere Marquette Railway in West Michigan. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, she would carry railcars across Lake Michigan so that the railcars could avoid Chicago and the congestion Chicago is well-known for. In a way, this carferry service the Badger and other carferries provided was an expressway around Chicago and straight to Wisconsin or to Michigan.
You may have also noticed another ship in the Ludington Harbor that looks like the Badger but only a bit dirtier; that ship is the SS Spartan, sister ship of the Badger. She is also a carferry, but has not run for nearly 30 years or so because there hasn't been enough demand for the Spartan to run along with the Badger.
Anyways, in 1980s, after years of gradual decline in demand, the carferry industry for the Badger dried up and there weren't enough railcars to move across Lake Michigan in order to make a profit, and so the Badger had to cease operations. Fortunately, under new ownership in the early 1990s, the Badger was converted into a automobile carferry from a railcar carferry and found new success and was profitable again. While it is a shame that the Badger no longer carries railcars, it is fortunate that she is still in operation between the two cities she's always served.
Hope you enjoy the video!
-N&W475
SS Badger passing through the Ludington channel
The SS Badger heads down the Ludington channel on Aug. 23, 2017, on its evening voyage to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It was a quiet evening shortly after sunset and the Badger's lights reflected on the water. The 410-foot, steam-powered ferry is a National Historic Landmark and is operated by Lake Michigan Carferry.
S.S. Badger Ludington Michigan
This is the S.S. Badger leaving Ludington Michigan for Manitowic Wisconsin on August 30, 2006
SS BADGER Departs Ludington, Michigan August 22 2012
Turn the sound up!
Last coal fired, steam powered passenger/vehicle operating in the United States departs Ludington, Michigan on Thursday 23 August 2012.
Families Aboard The S.S. Badger
This video showcases how much fun the S.S. Badger is for families.
SS Badger Ludington, MI June 11th 2017 7PM
SS Badger
SS Badger is a passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. Currently, the ship shuttles between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin,[a] connecting U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) between those two cities. It is the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes, and was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 2016.
SS Badger CloseUP.png
History
USA
Name: SS Badger
Namesake: University of Wisconsin
Owner: Lake Michigan Carferry Service
Route: US 10, Ludington, Michigan–Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Builder: Christy Corporation, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Yard number: Hull No. 370
Launched: September 6, 1952
Sponsored by: Mrs. Walter J. Kohler (wife of Governor of Wisconsin)
In service: March 21, 1953
Homeport: Ludington, MI
Identification:
Official No. 265156
IMO number: 5033583
Nickname(s): The Big Badger (Charles F. Conrad's favorite description)
Status: Active
General characteristics
Type: Passenger and automobile car ferry
Tonnage: 4,244 gross tons
Length: 410 ft 6 in (125.12 m)
Beam: 59 ft 6 in (18.14 m)
Depth: 24 ft (7.32 m) molded depth
Installed power: Steam, coal-fired
Propulsion: Two four-cylinder compound Skinner Unaflow steam engines, totaling 7,000 shp (5.22 MW); four Foster-Wheeler water-tube type D boilers, 470 psi (3.24 MPa)[1]
Speed:
24 mph (21 kn; 39 km/h) max
18 mph (16 kn; 29 km/h) cruise
Capacity: 620 passengers, 180 automobiles, also tour buses, RVs, motorcycles, and commercial trucks
Crew: 50–60
SS Badger
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Michigan State Historic Site
Location 700 S. Williams Street, Ludington, Michigan
Coordinates 43°56′57″N 86°27′04″W
NRHP Reference # 09000679[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP December 11, 2009
Designated NHL January 20, 2016[4]
Designated MSHS March 6, 1997[3]
The ship is named after the University of Wisconsin's athletic teams, the Wisconsin Badgers.[5] The Badger runs on Michigan time (Eastern Time Zone, whereas Wisconsin is in the Central Time Zone) and riders pay Michigan taxes on their fares. It runs on a seasonal basis from May to October.[6]
History Edit
SS Badger connects the eastern and western segments of US 10, shown here in red.
The Badger was constructed as a rail car ferry in 1952 by the Christy Corporation of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin,[5] along with its twin SS Spartan (named after the mascot of Michigan State University) with a reinforced hull for ice-breaking. It was originally used to carry railroad cars, passengers and automobiles between the two sides of the lake all year long. Today, the ferry connects the eastern and western segments of US 10 in the two cities from May to October.[6]
Launched September 6, 1952, SS Badger entered service March 21, 1953, for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (from 1973 a subsidiary of the Chessie System). The C&O had acquired the rail car ferry operations in Ludington with its acquisition of the Pere Marquette Railway in 1947.[7] After 1972, service was gradually curtailed; all but the three newest vessels were retired, and sailings to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, were discontinued, leaving only the route between Ludington and Kewaunee, Wisconsin. On July 1, 1983, the Chessie System ended its car ferry service when it sold the steamers Badger, Spartan, and City of Midland 41 to Glen F. Bowden of Ludington. He organized the Michigan–Wisconsin Transportation Company (MWT) to continue the operation.[8]
The railroad car ferry concept on Lake Michigan was facing serious economic troubles during the 1980s and by November 1988, the Badger was the only vessel running. It was the last of the 14 ferries based in Ludington remaining in service.[5] On November 16, 1990, facing bankruptcy, Bowden laid up the Badger, ending 93 years of railway car ferry service out of Ludington and 98 years on Lake Michigan as a whole.[9]
Lake Michigan Carferry
SS Badger departs Ludington Michigan for first sailing of the 2018 season
SS BADGER VIDEO TOUR No Captions H 246 Master
Video Tour of SS Badger, a National Historic Landmark, the last coal-fired steamship in the United States
SS Badger Ludington Michigan
Last year I was fortunate enough to work with the SS Badger out of Ludington, MI. I hope you enjoy the photo slideshow along with the background audio. Photos by Bill Richards Photography.