Page 30 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 5 - 2022

PORT VIEW 1963 | DUNDALK MARINE TERMINAL
BY TINA IRGANG LEADERMAN
Dundalk Marine Terminal: A Ro/Ro Stalwart
This 1963 image shows the S.S. Steel Flyer
at Dundalk Marine Terminal. The vessel was originally commissioned by the U.S. War Shipping Administration in 1943 as the Sea Porpoise and operated as an Army troopship.
After the war, Isthmian Lines took ownership of the Sea Porpoise, giving it the Steel Flyer
name. During its tenure with Isthmian, the vessel stopped often in Baltimore, including a few times for repairs. In 1951, the Steel Flyer collided with another vessel off Sandy Point, but no major damage was sustained by either vessel.
When the Steel Flyer called at Dundalk in 1963, the terminal was a brand-new facility. Until 1960, the site had
served as a municipal airport, but because the airport
could not accommodate large planes, air traffic had been dwindling for years. Instead, the then-Maryland Port Authority purchased the land, and Dundalk Marine Terminal became a success story in port operations.
Though the terminal is a diverse facility that’s well- equipped to handle wood pulp, steel and most other things that move on a vessel, it has always been particularly suited for handling automobiles, construction equipment and other roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) cargo.
Today, Dundalk Marine Terminal is the cornerstone of the Port of Baltimore’s position as the top U.S. ro/ro port. (See related story on page 20.) 
The display image above is provided by The Baltimore Museum of Industry. Visit the museum for exhibitions and collections that document the lives of the workers who helped to propel this city to greatness. thebmi.org
[28] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 5 / 2022