studinthemaking its a bulk carrier, don't know what its carrying though.

Iron Ore, Dry Bulk Carrier

they are in the old locks

Look to the side. Those are the storage tanks for the water for the new locks? This is the new lock.

I know they're in the old locks but that is not what I asked

ed, do you know what the Mules are/were?

+Fenix They opted for using tugs fore & aft rather than using mules to tow these massive vessels through these new locks. It makes sense on many levels. 1 - No need to build new rail lines & have more powerful mules built. 2 - Space was at a premium on the construction site. 3 - Large powerful tugs already existed to handle these massive vessels. 4 - The vessels' own power can used in transit through the locks. 5 - Tugs can be replaced or redeployed at short notice, whereas using new big mules would require heavy lifting cranes to lift them off the tracks, & reserve mules, specifically designed for the new locks, would be needed in case of breakdown. 6 - These hypothetical new mules would be very very expensive, because of the low quantity that would have to be manufactured. But there's an ever increasing demand for heavy tugs. 7 - With vessels so large, & the need to keep the towing lines taut, tugs give more flexibility because they can move laterally. Mules could be ripped off their tracks if something went wrong. Well that's my thinking, but I haven't researched this, so I could be wrong.

No, they don't use mules. It's explained in the video "A new experience -Transits through expanded Panama Canal"

+Fenix Mules sufficed for panamax vessels, though they need multiple engines to move the larger vessels. But the new panamax vessels are nearly three times as heavy when loaded. Existing mule engines were just too under-powered. But existing tugs had proved able handle these super large vessels. Why try to reinvent the wheel? Super massive vessels will now always need tugs rather than mules to guide them through relatively narrow locks.

Why reinventing the wheel? Because the mules save length in the chambers. Longer ships could travel through them or the chambers could have been build shorter and therefor cheaper. I bet one day they add new mules and allow longer ships. After adapting the rest of the channel of course.

NeoDerGrose yes, I agree, they'll re-instate the Mules one day. I've seen some whacky answers to the question (which I notice most have been removed) giving all sorts of reasons. One character said 'the Mules' weren't powerful enough to pull the massive new size ships (totally untrue...even one lonely Mule could pull a ship through ...altho it would be very unbalanced!) Someone else said the Mules were old and couldn't keep tension applied ...to which I looked heavenwards...they are new machines from, Mitsubishi costing $2Million each. What Many don't know is in the old locks ships weren't allowed by statute to go through under their own power (in case of accidents) but with the new locks they feel it will be ok to use tugs to pull them through... At the first mishap the Mules will probably be reinstated.

because it's wider now. what you saw is just one the entry levels, the mules are still being use, just not on the level. i crossed it in a small boat and i felt like an ant, cross the canal every 3 months. greetings from el salvador amigo

+Emerson Contreras way cool bro.

Bruce T , Ease, Time, its faster, Cost!

It's animal abuse !

Canal novo o viejo O canal ampliado foui en el anho 2016 y canal viejo 1914

The carrier J. F kennedy has: 332,84 m and 40,84 m, the new canal: 427 m and 55 m. The answer: yes... Maybe

Actually there are a couple of videos.

Taiwan doesn't have an isthmus