Ocean Trade Gallery Ocean Trade Gateway Theater The video in this mini-theater invites you to travel along by rail in a container from Boston to Seattle’s Gateway yard, where you are transferred by truck to a terminal, and loaded aboard a vessel bound for Pacific ports. From the container, views to the outside are provided. Experience the sights, sounds, and vertigo of intermodal cargo! Containerized shipping, through intermodal transportation by rail, truck, and ship, speeds cargo safely and securely to its destination. Invisible Container Containerization has increased the speed, volume, and security of international trade. It has also made the goods we ship a mystery to the average observer. Take a look inside the Invisible Container and learn what goods are shipped through Puget Sound ports to and from other countries. Panels with statistics and intermodal trade routes add to the experience, along with questions and answer boards. Products from all over the U.S. and the world are exported and imported through the Port of Seattle, one of the largest container ports in the world. The Port of Seattle’s leading marine imports, by value, include wearing apparel, office machines, and motor vehicle parts. Its leading marine exports, by value, include beef, hides, and paper. Inside Ships   Putting a ship together The size and design of cargo carrying vessels is determined by the types of cargo they carry and the routes they travel. Two large take-apart model cargo vessels expose the inner spaces and shapes of modern cargo vessels.  Spinning puzzles and a silhouette board further define the types of working ships and barges that often visit Puget Sound ports. The design and function of modern cargo ships relate to the commodity supply and demand needs of global, regional, and local trade. Modern shipping technologies have made it possible to provide low cost and high quality transport systems for raw materials, specialty cargoes, and manufactured goods. On Deck Using a video touch screen, visitors can meet the crew and tour the inner workings of a modern container vessel. See yourself "sailor-sized" on the deck of a huge ship mural. Panels of the exhibit explain the need for a particular crew complement, the changes in vessel size and the time required to load and unload those vessels, and the engineered flexibility and stability of modern vessels. The tremendous modern cargo ship is designed to move vast quantities of goods with minimum human effort. Life aboard a modern cargo ship, while offering many of the comforts of home, requires constant vigilance and sophisticated job skills. Workhorses on Puget Sound Put yourself at the helm of a radio-controlled tugboat and learn the delicate touch needed to maneuver a heavy barge in tight quarters. Puget Sound is home to a large fleet of tugs of all types. Panels describe the different types of tugs and the important work they perform from ship assists, to tanker escorts, to barge towing in northern Alaskan waters. Tugboats provide essential support services to the users of Puget Sound’s waterways. Tugboats are specialized in design for tasks such as towing long or short distances, escorting tankers safely through inland waters, or assisting ships into their berths. Craneworks   Moving containers from ship to shore Using aerial photographs, graphics and text as a backdrop, this model container crane exhibit emphasizes the patience required in handling containerized cargo. The exhibit explains the route a container must take as it reaches a terminal and is prepared to be loaded to or from a ship. Modern cargo handling requires computerized management and transportation infrastructure that keeps up with cargo volumes. The Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5 is the model for this exhibit. Container cranes are deceptively simple machines that can quickly move a 20-40 ton container from the ship to the pier. The challenge of loading or unloading a ship efficiently is to manage a rapid flow of containers through the terminal in a prescribed sequence to or from the ship. Intermodal Traveler Containers can travel on several different types of equipment - trucks, trains, ships, and for really expensive or time sensitive cargo, even airplanes. This flexibility has created new trade routes for many types of cargo. This exhibit traces the routes of apples and hides to their final market destinations. Panel information examine the equipment and logistics of intermodal travel. Puget Sound ports provide an intermodal link among American railroads, highways, air routes, and ocean shipping routes for rapid shipment of imports and exports. Apples are an example of an export product whose transport requires special technologies and many intermodal steps. Hides are an example of an export product which is processed offshore and returned as an import, such as baseball gloves. Container Revolution Using a comparative video, full-size mannequins, panels and a flip book, this exhibit traces the changes in waterfront labor and technologies. From large work gangs loading break bulk vessels to longshoremen lashing containers, Puget Sound waterfronts have been transformed in a short period of time. Learn about the histories of the International Longshoreman's and Warehouse Union and of Malcolm McLean, the father of containerized cargo systems. The use of standardized shipping containers has revolutionized the economics of international commerce. Through containerization, the past 60 years have witnessed an exponential increase in labor efficiency on the waterfront. The demands of containerization have reshaped both ports and the longshore workforce. Port Call Using touch panels, the visitor is greeted by different maritime workers and business owners who operate in the international trade arena trough the Port of Tacoma. Learn what they do and where their work is performed using maps and aerial photographs of the Port of Tacoma. The local port is a gateway for trade, serving U.S. interests in global commerce as goods funnel into the port from hinterlands and forelands and are routed toward their final destination. The local port is an economic engine, facilitating local development and creating jobs by serving the needs of trade and transportation. The port community of Tacoma has responded to the needs of the shipping industry by providing an infrastructure of facilities and services. Pedal Prop   Powering a 10' propellor Take your seat, put your feet on the pedals, and spin a propeller that is 10 feet in diameter! While most large vessel props range from roughly 25 to over 40 feet in diameter, the visitor can still create quite a breeze in the gallery with this one. Pedal Prop demonstrates, in simple terms, the physics of propulsion using graphic panels and text. Newer propulsion systems such as azimuthing nozzles, cycloidal drives, and impeller pumps are also pictured. A lot of power is required to push a vessel through the water. A ship’s propulsion system varies based on the size, weight, speed, hull design and operating requirements of the ship. Lifeline to Alaska This exhibit explores the long history of marine transportation between Puget Sound and Alaska. Recent and historic photos accompanied by text are set in a time line, telling the story of the vital commercial links established over more than 200 years. From the Klondike Gold Rush to the present, a strong partnership between Alaska and Washington has brought economic benefit and cultural enrichment to both states. Through containerized shipping to Alaskan cities, special deliveries to outlying communities, and southbound transport of natural resource products, Washington transportation companies have been innovative in supporting the fishing, forest product, petroleum, and mineral industries, and the people of Alaska. Move It! Step into a full-size container crane cab and test yourself against the clock as you load containers onto a ship. This virtual exhibit also shows a panel that introduces the visitor to people who operate these mammoth pieces of equipment, while providing insight into the concerns of the operator. The tall, gangling container cranes that dot the terminals of a modern port move large quantities of goods safely and efficiently between the ship and the pier. Operation of a container crane is a prized waterfront job, requiring steady nerves and special training. 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