On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 08:52:26 -0400, Dave Hall wrote:

Can't say that I know the technical name, but growing up on the Ohio
River we called the whole unit a "barge" but we also called each
unpowered flatbottomed cargo boat a "barge" and the power unit a tow
or towboat. One of the neighbors is a pilot on a Mississippi River
"barge" and he uses the same teminology so I assume it is standard
terminology on the river. In any case, 15 fully loaded coal "barges"
pushed by one "tow" is a pretty big and heavy "vehicle" that does not
stop or turn easily.

They still call them that on the Mississippi.