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Well, no, lol. Not really, no. Buuuuuut I will share with you guys (as I have in the past, though old topics have been deleted from past departures) some photos of a very real boat which I firmly believe served as a model for the boat we see Balto and, sometimes, Boris living on (and in) in the three movies.

I am posting this as much for the benefit of those who miss these photos as for those who have never seen them before, and may be fascinated by the rather interesting subject matter. This will, of course, be the beginnings of my re-posting all of my pics from my trip to Alaska (in another section of the forum, of course).

If any of you want to use this as helpful inspiration for your fan fictions or fan art, or just to wrap your heads around what Balto's boat might look like in greater detail (inside and out), then this topic will have served a secondary purpose. lol If not, then just feel free to enjoy!

At the bottom, below the photos, I have given a detailed description of this, and you are welcome to read it if you really want to appreciate what I am doing here. Or, if you find yourself generally incapable of reading anything beyond a couple of sentences before losing interest or focus because you're too undisciplined or just plain lazy, then skip it.

THE PICTURES
As you look through these, you will see how much the boat served as an inspiration for Balto's boat. Like most tugs, the Helen W has an exhaust stack (pipe) rising out of a large engine casing behind the wheel house. Very much like Balto's boat. The difference there being that Balto's boat is a fishing boat (look at the movies, you will see signs of old fishing gear and what-not). Strange thing is that fishing boats of the twentieth century, or any other century for that matter, didn't have any sort of exhaust stack. That is a feature unique to a tug (or a steamship of the nineteenth century or early twentieth). Thus the connection. You will also see other interesting similarities. Even the overall profile of the boat is the same as Balto's boat (though it is not an exact duplication), and it is clear that this boat MUST have served as inspiration for the movie boat.

1. The bow of the boat, starboard fore quarter, looking north (boat pointed southeast)



2. Prow of the Helen W, looking southeast from the starboard side of the wheelhouse, also showing the open hatch to the fore hold. Beyond is the open tundra and hills southeast of Nome (from which dog teams generally come during the Iditarod).



3. The engine housing and exhaust stack of the Helen W, looking forward towards the wheelhouse and its rear windows (behind which the engine housing and exhaust stack sit). To the right is a doorway through which are some stairs to the lower deck mess room (kitchen/dining/break room). This view looks generally southeast.



4. Looking back along the starboard side, past the wheelhouse, towards the aft end, in a northwesterly direction



5. Looking back towards the aft end, along the port side past the wheelhouse, with the town of Nome off in the distance (as you can see, she points the opposite direction from the way Balto's boat does in the movies, but it is about roughly the same distance...even if it is not too clear in this particular photograph)



6. A look, from the prow, directly back at the wheelhouse, where the captain of the tug would steer and navigate, etc.



7. Interior of the wheelhouse looking forward, towards the port side. The wheel of the tug is long gone. But note the color of the interior walls of the wheelhouse. Granted, the interior walls of the wheelhouse of Balto's boat showed no evidence of paint (perhaps it eroded off over time, as the paint on the Helen W seems to be doing), but it is interesting. I could also see pipes and valve controls on them, similar to the wheelhouse of Balto's boat (you can see one such pipe in this photo). The worn area just below the open window at right probably was an attachment point for the wheel mechanism and other navigational devices.



8. Interior of the wheelhouse looking aft, towards the port side. Note what appears to be two shelves for bedding, and storage space beneath them. The windows look out over the weather deck, and you can just make out the exhaust stack in the left-hand window.



9. Interior of the wheelhouse, looking directly aft from the front. On the lower left are stairs down to the lower deck (below the bed shelf at left). The exhaust stack is visible beyond the two center windows. The engine housing sits below this, and is probably accessible from a panel in the lower rear wall along the floor, or from the outside.



10. Steps down, from the starboard side of the wheelhouse (just inside the entrance) to the lower deck.



11. Lower deck room - this was probably a mess room (where the small crew ate and rested between shifts and duties). You can see a sink and remains of cabinetry, as well as more piping and some exposed wires.



12. Forward hold. Just in front of the mess room, this probably held supplies and whatever cargo the boat took in or needed, as well as tools of the tug trade. The light comes from the open hatch (on the forward weather deck behind the prow). You can also see the steering machinery of the boat, which connected the boat's wheel to the rudder (which would have been covered by floor panels when the boat was in service).



13. Aft hold. This larger hold, behind the mess room, was inundated with snow, which fell through the open hatch (from which the light is coming).



14. Aft end of the weather deck, taken from the starboard side looking north. This shows the fantail (aft end) of the boat, along with some of the towing machinery exposed at the rear, the hatch of the aft cargo hold at center, and the corner of the engine housing at right.



15. A more detailed look at the towing machinery on the fantail. This was probably covered by decking, which was connected to more machinery that sat above that.




Back in May 2008 I made a trip up to Alaska, with the intent of seeing the sights. I chose Anchorage, Wasilla and Nome as the places I wanted most to see on that trip (which I hoped would be the first of many...though I have yet to return). Nome was a foregone conclusion...with my interest in the real serum run history, and fandom of the Balto movies, there simply was no way I was going to make a trip to Alaska without stopping over in Nome for a few days (and then some)!

And while I took many pictures and videos, and saw many sights (which I didn't think at the time to document by camera or camcorder...yes, it was that overwhelming for me), I did capture some interesting things. And in Nome, if one was observant, one could see how the pre-production team from Amblimation had gone to Nome to scope out what it was like, and to draw inspiration for the eventual first Balto movie.

This is one such instance. Now I did manage to take some video of this boat as well, and I would very much like to post it here soon. But I have had problems with my computer on that, so meh. For now. Anyway, the Helen W sits about a mile southeast of Nome itself, and with an unobstructed view of the town, as does the fictional boat in which the fictional version of Balto resides. It is grounded on the tundra, off the beach, and behind two large buildings (one is a home, the other a sort of small warehouse, or large garage). On one side (the starboard side of the boat, which faces the beach, as it is turned facing southeast, whereas the fictional boat of the movie is turned to face north), a lot of detritus is dumped around it, including an old pickup truck. On the other side, there is nothing but tundra. A small, makeshift ladder leans against the rear port quarter, and allows access to the weather deck (the main deck).

I learned about this boat in my advanced research of Nome, but had no idea where it was..only that it was somewhere in or near Nome. But I did spot it one day while driving out on the Council Road, which runs southeast from Nome along the Bering Sea/Norton Sound coast. When I spotted it from the road, I drove up to the property and knocked on the door of the home, and was greeted by an old man and his very excitable (but friendly) Jack Russell terrier. I asked permission to get up onto and look around the boat, and asked him what he could tell me about it. He happily granted me permission, and told me how it was about sixty years old (which means it was built about twenty years or so after the Nome serum run), and served as a tug up in the region of the Native Alaskan fishing village of Teller. He called it the "Helen W". He didn't know whether or not there were any records on it (and I have looked, and found nothing), but it was eventually taken out of service and ended up in the Nome area and eventually changed hands several times, and was on the property when he purchased it. His son and several Nome children used it as a clubhouse over the years, and various tourists had their fun poking around the boat for souvenirs and just to sate their curiosity.

WOW! That is unbelievable! You got the perfect boat from the movie Balto! Wounderful research!

Thank you, but then, it is more likely that Steven Spielberg's Amblimation team, when that company still existed, were the ones who "got the perfect boat", using it as a story device for the eventual movie by doing some location scouting. They did so with some other aspects of Nome as well, even if they didn't realize that they were using things that didn't exist during the serum run itself. I will show another example shortly...

can't wait! Great information by the way

I can't even begin to imagine the feeling of standing on a historical boat that was also the key inspiration for Balto's boat. Being in Nome alone must be a fantastic experience! Great pictures and great facts!

Well I don't know whether or not this little tug had any historical significance, but it was an interesting and even fun experience (given a little imagination, thinking of what it would be like in an alternate reality where the storyline of the Balto movie was real and, thus, the boat being Balto's. lol).

Being in Nome, however, was -- all at once -- thrilling, humbling, educational, entertaining, fun and fulfilling. Being both a fan of the Balto movies, and an aficionado of the real 1925 Nome serum run history, it was like coming full circle!


Thanks! It was only one of several for me.

Well, if the mods will excuse a few back-to-back posts, since these will be rather voluminous, and making them one long post would be impractical (as would waiting for someone to respond before continuing my postings), I will provide the information I promised earlier.

First, some comparative illustrations of the similarities between the Helen W and Balto's boat (screen shots from the movies first, and repeat shots of the real Helen W -- and maybe another or two, included after each):

1. The prow of the boat
Even in spite of the fact that there is no old fishing material scattered about the fore deck of the real Helen W, you can see the obvious similarities between it and the fore deck and prow of Balto's boat, thus:






2. Boat profile
Okay, so the screen shot here shows Balto's boat more or less from above (thanks to the rakish angle it is leaning on), but there were very few screen shots I could find of the boat, and none with a straight-on profile. Below that you can see a picture I haven't posted before, showing the Helen W in full profile. This is a screen shot from the upcoming video I took of the boat. Here you can see the obvious influences of the Helen W on the design of Balto's boat...and why I am absolutely certain that the Helen W was the inspiration for Balto's boat.






3. The condition of the wheel house
As you can see, there ARE differences, most notably the fact that the Helen W still has some paint on the interior walls of the wheel house (and elsewhere), while Balto's boat has none. The Helen W is around sixty years old (placing it in service sometime around the 1940s). There is no indication of the age of Balto's boat...only that it is beached, aged, and damaged. But look at the bank of windows. Similar.






4. Pipes
Note the photo of the Helen W's wheel house above. Now look at this screen shot from the first Balto movie, and observe the pipes...




More interesting stuff coming!

If you look carefully through the movies, and specifically in Balto 3: Wings of Change, you will see an old church in Nome, with a prominent steeple. This is based upon a very real former church which was built in Nome back in 1900. This was St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. It served the growing Christian community, and was noted for its electrically-lighted cross at the top of the steeple, which was a mark for mushers headed for Nome, when it was otherwise difficult to spot in blizzards or in the dark.

As you are looking over these pictures, you will clearly see structural similarities between the cartoon church and the real St. Joseph's, which is another case of the Amblimation pre-production team doing its location scouting very well. They're not exact, but the influence is plainly apparent.

The original church stood at the end of Steadman Street in Nome (which is still there), and is actually still standing, though it has been moved and restored. Steadman Street is on the south end of Nome, whereas the church was moved in the 1990s to the north end, to a section called "Anvil City Square". Here it was lovingly restored, and it now serves as a community center (the Roman Catholic Church having sold it to the town, and now using different facilities). I have taken photos AND video of this church, having been granted a special private tour during a period when it was otherwise closed to the public. The pictures appear below, with comparisons to the church in the Balto movies. Another link to the real Nome! And as with the Helen W video, as soon as I can process them, I will also get the video of the church tour up.

You will also see comparisons with historical photos of St. Joseph's church from the early 1900s.

Group #1:
Here's a look, from a bit of a distance, of the church. The first view is that of the cartoon church. Immediately following, you see an historical view of the church, at the end of Steadman Street, from 1901. Note the similarity to the historical photograph. And finally, a picture I took of the church sitting in Anvil City Square in town.






Group #2:
Another look at the church. First, another view from Balto 3: Wings of Change. Then another historical view, from the 1910s (a winter shot). And finally, a closer view taken by me in 2008, showing more structural detail.






OTHER PICS OF THE REAL CHURCH
Well, that does it for comparisons. Hope you enjoyed that! Here are other pics I took of the church while I was in Nome back in 2008. Since it is now a community center, there have been some obvious changes. The pews (seating) and the altar have obviously been removed from the interior...as has any organ which may have been there (though a very old piano, in excellent condition, still is kept in there). Electrical lighting has been added, as have alarm and other electronic systems. They have, however, included photos and information about the restoration. The double front doors at the center of the exterior are apparently no longer functional, and appear to have been covered over, in the interior, by sheet rock walling. They remain present on the exterior probably just to preserve the historical integrity of the building.

1. Church steeple
I don't know if the current cross on the steeple is electrically-lighted. However, the steeple itself is new (from the restoration), and a faithful reproduction of the original.




2. Two side views of the church, looking from the front...






3. Bell of St. Joseph's
The original bell of the church is still present, and is posted outside the church itself (though it is given no protection that I saw from the elements, unless it is brought in during inclement weather).




4. The old piano
Just inside the front door of the church, below the steeple, is the old piano I mentioned...




5. Interior of the church
Looking back towards the rear of the church, where the altar would have been. There's another old piano and a photograph of the "Three Lucky Swedes"...two Norwegians and one Swedish man who first discovered gold in the region, in 1898 (http://www.litsite.org/index.cfm?section=digital-archives&page=Industry&cat=Mining&viewpost=2&ContentId=2744). Their discovery would lead to the founding of the gold rush boom town of Nome, and their own gold mining company (called "Pioneer Gold Mining Company", which was later absorbed into the "Hammon Consolidated Gold Fields" company by the time of the serum run. The three men were ardent advocates for immigrants, and employed many in their company. They are held in generally very high regard in Nome history).




6. Another shot of the interior
This angle looks toward the front of the building...note the balcony and the banner hanging from it (a detail of which is shown next)




7. The Nome centennial banner
Indeed, "there's no place like Nome"! Quirky, crazy and exciting as it can be!




8. Stained glass window
A restoration, from original photographs and records, of the stained glass window which originally decorated the front of the church, and which is visible from the front interior and the balcony.




9. Old photos and restoration
Two pics here...one is a picture of the church from the early 1900s, which hangs on the wall, and the other is a framed copy of the description of the restoration effort from the 1990s

Wow! The Chruch Has a Perfect Match!

Among Balto movie fans, the area the Nome dogs gravitate to and congregate in is an unspecified boiler room, which is then later shown to be in a large building with some strange objects rising from it. And then we hear background noises in Nome which appear to come from the strange buildings.

These "buildings" are actually floating gold dredges (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_dredge). Gold dredges came into use sometime after the initial gold rush which brought about Nome's existence. Gold dredges were built and owned by large gold mining companies, and have evolved over time from steam-fueled to electrical models in more recent times. And they are still in use around the world, including up in Alaska, and around Nome. Most are designed to float on water. They dig up earth on a rotating belt of huge metal buckets, which then brings the earth inside to be sifted. The unused material is then ejected out of the other side of the dredge in a "tailing" pile.

There are several gold dredges visible in the three Balto movies, and the boiler room of one of these is the famous room seen so often in the Balto movies. Of course, the gold dredges seen in the movies are based upon a later design...one built in the 1940s. This is known now as the Swanberg gold dredge, which is pictured below in comparative photos with the animated gold dredges seen in the Balto movies. And a picture of a gold dredge from the early 1900s and the Nome region (one of many types). Of course, the Swanberg dredge's exterior walls are made of corrugated metal, whereas dredges of the 1910s and 20s were constructed mostly of wood and iron (or early versions of steel). First, one of the animated dredges, and then the Swanberg gold dredge...






Aaaaaand an example of an historical dredge of the early 1900s...

So that's where the boiler room was.

Indeed it was. It was never officially stated, but the only thing in Nome at the time that operated primarily by boiler was a gold dredge. The pre-production team at Amblimation would have learned this from the Nome Convention & Visitors Bureau when they were doing location scouting and research. And besides, it fits. If they took the time to show the dredges in animation, it follows that this is where the boiler room was located...in a gold dredge.

Thanks for mentioning the church (since you posted the link with a comment about what was new, I looked at the bottom for updates). I found the part about the lit cross serving as a sort of in-land lighthouse very appropriate. The architecture you show is also impressive.

That's that early turn-of-the-century architecture for you. lol