Algosteel

History

Algosteel was built in 1966 in the traditional lake freighter two superstructure design, with her bridge and officer quarters on a superstructure in her bows; originally, her holds needed to be unloaded by shore facilities. Her first owner was the Labrador Steamship Company, who commissioned her as the A.S. Glossbrenner. She was then mainly employed carrying iron ore from Labrador and from the Gulf of St Lawrence to US steel-making ports, on the great lakes. Her return cargos would be grain.

In 1971 she was sold to Algoma Central. In 1987 she was renamed Algogulf. In 1990 Algoma Central renamed her Algosteel, after a refit where she was equipped with a large boom and internal conveyor belts and elevators, so she could unload her cargo without relying on shore facilities.

Algosteel (at the time called Algogulf) was filmed while docked in Cleveland Harbor sometime during 1987 or 1988 and appears during the opening credits of the American film Major League. In the film she is clearly named Algogulf (as the starboard portion of the bow and name are clearly visible) and she appears to have been freshly painted, possibly as a result of her 1987 rechristening. In an Algoma Central Corporation Newsletter dated Winter 2014, Crewing Coordinator Steve Hodgson is given credit for noticing the Algogulf's inclusion in the film and there is a freeze-frame from the film with the ship clearly visible.