Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Most barges are non-self-propelled and need to be moved by tugboats towing them or towboats pushing them. Barges contended with the railway in the early industrial revolution but were outcompeted in the carriage of high value items due to the higher speed and falling costs of rail transport. Barges are still used today for low value bulk items, as the cost of hauling goods by barge is very low.
Types of barges:
- Barracks barge (living quarters)
- Dry bulk cargo barge (rock, grain, etc.)
- Liquid cargo barge (fresh water, finished petroleum products)
- Railcar barge (with tracks and using special loading/offloading facilities such as a barge slip
- Royal barge (ceremonial)
