Solvay 53

Solvay 53, registration NY2783F, was built in 1924 at Villeneuve la Garenne. All information, unless stated otherwise, is from Vagus-Vagrant.fr.

It ended its career as a Panama barge in the late 1960s. The small Solvay barges assigned to the Dombasle-Sarralbe service and the return trip carrying coal from the Saar to Dombasle were called the "Panamas". These boats didn't have a permanent crew. Their drivers were employees of the CGTVN (Compagnie Générale de Transports du Nord), the electric loco barge towing company, and later of Bargest. They would swap boats mid-journey when they met another one coming from the opposite direction, as did the locos. The control centre for this traffic had its office in Dombasle near the Pierre Escuras bridge. The first person in charge was Alfred Piant, whose sister ran the Spar grocery store at lock 22 in Dombasle. Two or three large Solvay barges ended their careers this way. Often, after years as Panama barges, they were scrapped in the dead end of the Dombasle port.

Here she is in Dombasle:

The same shot but closer:

The stern in 1936:

The nose from an unknown date:

But this picture of the nose is dated 1937:

Undated and no location for this one:

Solvay 53 was involved in the strikes of 1936. Here she is, the middle of the five Solvays, at Conflans:

A view of several Solvay boats moored with her: