She's 110 years young now (2019).....I've been on board many times for the self guided tour but I had NO idea she was fully operational like this.....What a work of art !!!

It really is just stunning that people could visualise the complex layout of the mechanism, and put it all down on paper, by hand. Then build it.

Started with Titanic 5 years ago and finally ended up here. Steamships are majestic mesmerizing machines built from a time that resonates the soul by its authenticity.

“and Hercules, my ocean-going tug.”

In the thirty years I lived in San Francisco, I never went aboard Hercules at the Hyde Street Pier. But many times I went aboard the Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brian at Fort Mason, about a mile west. She had a triple-expansion steam engine as well; about five times larger. Sometimes on Saturdays they lit the boilers and you could go down in the engine room and watch the huge engine running at idle, the prop churning the water. I bet I did it fifty times. I never got tired of seeing that huge engine running.

And to think this was designed and built without computers or CAD systems. What a work of art. It sound like a living creature and it has a soul.

“The Tugboat For it’s size is the most powerful craft afloat, and the Star Tugs are the power behind the docks and waterways that make up the Bigg City Port, This... is TUGS”

Just enough boat to keep its engines floating.Definition of a tug boat.

I like it that the young kid is helping. Growing up I had a wide variety of experiences that helped me become a better all around person.

1000 hp, but enough torque to jumpstart planets...

What a great name for a tugboat. Must be a thrill to sail on her. She is an absolute work of art. Like watching a ballet seeing that engine everything else functioning.

A beautiful sight , i have great respect for those who spend their spare time repairing and maintaining these ancient cultural memories .

It is good that there are some young guys looking to learn. There will soon be no one around who worked steam in the day. -Veteran '66-68

Wow and built in Camden, New Jersey when it was an industrial town and not a burnt out hunk of urban decay like it presently is. I grew up there and it amazes me that Camden once turned out beautiful things like this tug.

I do love how quiet a giant steam engine can be. It is so spooky and beautiful. And what a beautiful tug boat as well!

It’s hard to believe this is the very same tugboat that almost got pulled underwater by the Battleship USS Oklahoma, while towing the Oklahoma back to California

It's wonderful that there are people who have such appreciation and "love" for vintage and historic boats, homes, cars, etc.

Looks like the Jeremiah O'brian. Very cool to see these old ships being maintained and ran. I had the pleasure to work aboard the Jerimiah O'brian here in San Francisco, we live set the boiler safety valves for coast guard certification of the vessel. It was an honor to be able to work alongside the volunteers who were retired WW2 vets.

Varnished woodwork in engineering spaces. WOW!

At the 18 min 5 second Mark , I want to set my deck chair where the connecting rods are dancing with each other and the engine is hammering out its powerful cadence. I need time to absorb the absolute complexity of a machine built and operated largely by hand when the minds of the engineers that designed this marvel were connected directly to a straight edge and a number 2 pencil.

TUGS really put on effort on big city/new York tugboats

And some people wonder where all of our ingenuity has gone. Well, there it is. It took pure genius to get us to where we are today.

I believe my brother built a model of this very boat many years ago. It was a commercially available plastic model kit. I never knew anything of the history of the boat or its significance, being an old steam tug. Really nice seeing this historical machine. Thanks for posting.

MODERN TUG: "I just brought in a 40 unit raft of full barges!" HERCULES :"Hold my beer!"

Light off procedure is almost the same as it was on my ship. USS St. Paul CA-73 Year built was 1944 . As a Boiler man 3rd class I worked in # 3 fire room. (65-68). I'm sure it gets hot in that Tugs engine room in the summertime. I remember fire room temp temperatures as high as 150-170 deg. While in South East Asia on my ship. We did have recip Main feed pumps but everything else was steam turbine. Video brings back so many memory's . Thanks for sharing

Thanks for the video. Fascinating. As a boy in the 1960s, my girl friend's father - Phil Davies was a tug man in Port Phillip, which is a large bay where the city of Melbourne, in Australia is located. Very important role he had. He has passed on many years ago but his role back then kept people safe.

The gorgeous wood paneling in the engine room is out of this world. I've never seen a more beautiful machine in my life!!!

I'm a retired Boilermaker and I love stream engines. I only got to walk by the Hercules as the park was closing while I was there. Wish I lived close so I could volunteer . Thanks for the video.

Fascinating the insights of the working of the Starfleet Tug's

Beautiful piece of work. Thank you so much for recording and preserving this history.

Congratulations to everyone keeping the beautiful old tug Hercules afloat and operational. And thanks for posting the great video.

Hello Wesley, thanks for the reply. I recall several years ago heading up to Port Carling, Ontario to see the annual antique and vintage boat show. Chris Craft, Greyvettes, small steam boats, etc. etc. A labour of love. Shifting gears...my wife and I went, a few years ago, to a wonderful wildlife art show in the village of Buckhorn, Ontario. Beautiful wildlife art and bird carvings that you'd swear would come to life. lol. One artisan was building an authentic birch bark canoe. So great to watch him at work. Good to know that these skills are being kept alive. Stay safe, sir. Regards, Bob in southwestern Ontario, Canada

That horn sends chills down my spine!

Might not be fast but possibly can tow a small moon around. Love it.

I heard a couple of references to the movie " The Sand Pebbles" starring Steve McQueen. A great movie about a Navy gunboat. Steve actually learned how to properly operate the steam engine on that boat. "Hello engine, I'm Jake Holman".

Very cool! Thanks for sharing the Hercules with us.

Ages since I served on a steamship. Thank you. I can even smell and hear.

This is awesome to watch. I just love watching steam engines in action. I have several model steam engines but nothing can compare to this.

Amazing. So glad it's being maintained.

So nice to see such a beautiful piece of history restored and preserved in running order.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to ride on the SS Brown, a Liberty Ship that also has a triple expansion steam engine (as did the Titanic). The engine room of the Brown was about the coolest place I've ever been. Seeing that and this video helps me appreciate how amazing those engines are... and, I'm afraid, also why Diesels took over.

It really looks nice nice condition for its age Great to see it is still around Good to preserve history for future generations to learn about

Lovely to see these old ships restored and running.

The steam engines need tightened the packing or repack. I operate this kind of steam engines and they never leak steam like this. Need a little maintenance here. Reminds me of good old times!

Her whistle at 12:09 sounds like a Pennsy 3 chime Nathan. This tug is just pure class all the way!

Thank you very much for the narration along the way, so darn helpful with trying to understand the complexity of this amazing engineering and application to a beautiful tug (Hercules) so well named!!

Excellent documentary, thank you.

More than a hundred years and the tug is STEAM going

I started my 38 year career at sea on the steamer Champlain, operated by the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company on the Great Lakes. That was the mid-1970's. This vid sure does bring back memories! Thanks a lot!

Absolutely amazing! This is cool.

Great video. Thanks for sharing and congratulations to the people who take good care of this fantastic heritage and keep it alive. That's a marvel. Greetings from France.

My wife and I were volunteer crew aboard the Arthur Foss in Seattle for about a decade (the boat that "Tug Boat Annie" was filmed on). Not steam, but that 1934 Washington diesel was something to play with.

I started thinking of Hercules from TUGS. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Incredible engineering Amazing what was designed and built with no computers, no automation. Castings, forging, correct metal alloys, huge amount of labor and knowledge. She is beautiful. Thank you for this video

man, you learn something new every day. ty for the video

Nice video, gives a feeling of being there. Enjoyed the Sand Pebbles reference (main steam stop walwe).

THis is a marvelous vlog, thank you for sharing it. It reminds me of my situation, old age, leaking prostate, late to run and pee, and when I do quit peeing I’m out of steam! But, I am going to subscribe and give a high five because this is a very detailed documentary about a steam operation in a boat. Not a mountain of techno talk to make us lose interest. Again, THANK YOU!

So great to see a young person helping and learning the history!!!

A real marvel of engineering and quite fascinating to watch and learn how technical these engines and ships really were. Thanks for sharing this great video

That tug boat in the picture reminds me of the cover picture of "Toot-toot the Tugboat" a book I loved to read as a kid.

Scotty, I need steam now! Captain, I need 30 minutes, I canna defy the laws of physics!

Thank you!!!

Just excellent! I'm a volunteer looking after a steam tug in Two Harbors, Minnesota. 1,000 HP steam screw Edna G, built in Cleveland in 1896. Hand-fired coal burner, double reduction, with jet condenser. Had a crew of 4 when working...is in cold dry layup now for 40 years. Nowhere as spacious as Hercules.

What clowns gave this thumbs down. Sad. This is floating preserved piece of history

It's mesmerising yet somehow horrifying as that engine comes to life...

Thank you for posting. I was there when Hercules was brought to Hyde Street. It’s been my favorite for a very long time.

❤️ Thank you!!

if you screw up, it can blow up.

it's alive IT'S ALIVE !!!!!!! FANTASTIC VIDEO

What a marvel and a joy to watch!

Thanks for a rare glimpse into an unseen world.

Hey! I know this, it’s Hercules from TUGS. Aside for, that, amazing little machine. Reminds me of the SS. Baltimore. Just about 45 minutes from where I am. Both look stunning,

The age of steam powered engines brings joy to my boiler

I can't get over how quiet and smooth that engine runs.

I love this big monsters of steel coming slowly a live and than the are unstoppable

Amazing how quiet it seems for how huge it is.

that is really cool.. thank you.. Massive machine :)

Outstanding!

Thank You!

Great Sand Pebbles reference lines in this film I caught onto. "Hello Engine, I'm Jake Holman."

Excellent quality of filming, especially in engine room (strange luxury of the upper level, with its wooden panelling on walls), useful captions and audio commentaries, this should be an example for many documentary. I regret that we only see few images of the ship itself, and no view of the bridge and accommodation, and no view of the tug on its way (I'm sure it can move by itself)

Manning this baby takes dedication and love.

This gives meaning to the old term "Under her own steam" Just love all things steam driven. Thanks for the video!

WOW, that's a whole lot of movin' parts !!

Am I the only one who sees a reminder of Tugs?

A Symphony of Motion, My father left the sea because of these. His idea of a Symphony of the Sea was acres of canvas taut on yard arms rounding the 5 Capes.

Great Video, thanks!

I got to crawl around Hercules and Wapama when i was a kid. If i remember right, she has a triple expansion steam engine. what a great Tug, and a real sea tug at that. good memories.

Love the Sand Pebbles references throughout the vid: “Main stem stop wowve”!

this old boat is a treasure I hope they keep it running forever thanks for the video I really enjoyed it I really like old technology much better shit have today

awesome video, thank you for sharing.

Keep smiling m'dears.

This...is TUGS

a massive technical leap forward from the good old horse and cart/sails and oars. Not to mention, totally elegant and oh so Victorian.

Man and his amazing machines

bet that feels great on a cold morning

Train that next generation, don't let this knowledge die.

An state of the art boat!!! incredible!!

you were so funny when you said nice cool air is coming from the vent. )) It was bloody hell in there when she was crossing Atlantic... I'm sure ) Thanks for the vid its one of my favorite now👍

I need to hear the foghorn to put everything into perspective!