I wanted to add some support to my previous post, showing the Badger coming into Ludington, Michigan. [The image above is from the same series, taken recently, July 18th 2024.]
I mentioned the Spartan, sister ship to the Badger. Here's a shot of it from three years ago, sitting in Ludington where it is stored and used for spare parts for the Badger.
I also have a few shots of the Badger (from the late-1970s) when it was hauling railroad cars between Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and what I assume to have been Ludington. These two black and white analog images were made in Milwaukee; the ship was part of the C&O Railway at the time—as the Chessie logo on the stack attests.
The first image above shows the ship in its entirety, while the second illustrates how and where the rail cars were loaded into the aft end of the ship. When it was hauling rail, one could book passage, as well as take your auto along (apparently).
All images by Richard Koenig.