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Gambling Vessels (continued) unit/barge concept is to have two vessels appear as one when con- nected by deck winches, while re- ducing noise and vibration on the passenger barge. Built by Leevac Shipyards, Inc., Jennings, La., at a cost of $7.5 million, the Belle of St. Louis re- placed the excursion vessel Presi- dent in May of this year. The barge portion of the Belle of St. Louis is 195 feet long, 65 feet wide and has a hull depth of 10 feet at the low point of the sheer. The Belle has three enclosed decks with the pilothouse on her fourth deck. About 1,200 of her 2,000 passengers can be seated for dinner at one time. The first deck features a large dance floor, while the second has six-foot-wide panoramic arched win- dows. Outfitting materials, including wall and deck coverings, as well as furniture were purchased through St. Louis-based Directions in De- sign, who also designed the interi- ors. The Belle's interior is reminis- cent of the Victorian era, with rich mahogany and brass textures and a glass chandelier. The propulsion plant in the 85- foot-long power unit consists of a pair of Caterpillar 3508 diesels rated at 775 hp each at 1,800 rpm and Twin Disc MG-530 reduction gears with a 4.04:1 reduction ratio and two bronze four-bladed propellers. Auxiliary power is provided by two Cat 3512 diesels driving a pair of 500-kw generators and a Cat D353 diesel driving a 300-kw generator. First Illinois Riverboat Casino Bender Shipbuilding & Re- pair Co., Inc., Mobile, Ala., which has a reputation as one of the major conversion yards in the U.S., has delivered the 156-foot M/V Alton Belle Casino, converted from the dinner cruise boat Empress of Palm Beach, to owners Alton Riverboat Gambling Partnership of Alton, 111. By converting an existing vessel, the owners were able to get an early start on the race to place casino riverboats on the Mississippi River. When the Alton Belle begins opera- tion on the Mississippi near St. Louis this month, she will be the first Illinois riverboat casino. Bender was able to complete the conversion in only 90 days. The shipyard cut the dinner cruise boat at mid-section and inserted a 50- foot midbody. The vessel was gutted and refitted to accommodate gam- ing tables and slot machines. The vessel was made handicap acces- sible and all stairways were wid- ened to accommodate larger crowds. A new electrical system and a mas- sive Trane heating and air condi- tioning system were added to meet casino standards. Two 290-kw Cat- erpillar 3406 B-driven generators were added to the existing two 80- kw Cummins generators to power the new HVAC equipment. The Alton Belle will accommo- date 600 passengers and 60 crew members and is equipped with ap- proximately 400 gaming positions. The vessel was designed by Mari- time Design, Inc., of Jacksonville, Fla. Interior design was by Kuhlmann Design Group, Inc., St. Louis, Mo. Gaming equipment was suppled by International Game Technology, Reno, Nev., and sur- BELLE ST. LOUIS Equipment List Main engines (2) Caterpillar Generator engines (3) Caterpillar Emergency generator GM Switchboards Industrial Power Systems Reduction gears Rexroth Steering controls Custom Hydraulics Winches NABRIC0 Capstans FMC Shafting Aquamet Coatings Sigma Radar Raytheon Depth finder Datamarine Potable water pump Sta-Rit Bilge, ballast & fire pumps Flomax Sewage pumps Pacific Pumps Main shaft cooling pump Jabsco A/C Carrier Elevator Canton Vent fans Hartsell Sewage systems Envirovac Searchlights Carlisle & Finch Air compressors Air Compressor Prod. Doors Deansteel Mfg. Charter boat Crystal Dolphin, built by Aluminum Boats, Inc., the Trinity Marine Group. MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE! 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