Wooden Cribbed grain elevators

[dave_long]

Hi all

Trying to tap your knowledge...

I'm wondering are there any of the classic Wooden cribbed grain elevators left in the US that are still in use ( or post 2005 ). There are plenty of photos online of elevators in the US, many with spurs, but all look abandoned. Also as they are still in abundance in Western Canada, picking the US ones from the Canadian ones isn't easy.

What I'm looking for is the wide open flat lands with a tall wooden elevator, and a couple of correguated tanks, not the tall concrete style ones of the Walthers kit, or the brutalness of Buffalo grain elevators. I've so far seem to have spotted a few in Iowa, and presumeably the surrounding states, but yet not found anything to model. If I'm to model one I'd like the ability to switch 5-8 hoppers rather than 1 to 3 or 10+.

 

Elevators like this really...

 

 

 

 

 

I know most have been torn down or are in the prcoess of falling down, but there must be one or two still around in use? What also if I moved the time period to 1980+ instead of 2005+

 

Many thanks

 

 

[Parthia27]

Hi Dave,

 

Try looking at the north end of the BNSF Gateway Sub between Klamath Falls Oregon and Beiber N California. From watching the 7idea program on this line some elevators of that type seem to still be around with active sidings, some used for car storage rather than grain loading. Also look at the BNSF lines radiating from Madison Minnesota, especially the BNSF Marshall Sub.

 

HTH

 

Chris

[Parthia27]

Would you be happy to model the C&NW 'Cowboy Line' in the early to mid 80s, now operated by Nebkota Railroad? Nebkota in recent years ran covered wagon lash up hauling a manageable mixture of mangy old covered hoppers of various lineages :-). Think they now use an old C&NW SD7 or SD9 and own some colossal old UP monster that is used as a static fuel tank! Wonderful prototype :-.) Alternatively I have a book somewhere which covers the operations of the BN network of Branchlines in Nebraska. Mainly gives photos of BN SD9s on ridiculously overgrown branches pulling and switching covered hoppers. Also includes a shot of at least one BN GP40 on similar duties in the same type of setting. Atlas did a good representation of a similar model which often shows up on eBay.

[shortliner]

That second picture would be perfect for someone building the "Iota" line from a wayback RMC,which you will find here   http://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-70-february-2008/  Last on the page

[Parthia27]

Go into Youtube and put in North Nebraska Grain Elevators as a search and as a separate search Nebkota Railway. Be warned, the Nebkota search does not include an actual picture of the type of grain elevator you are looking for but you will probably want to go out and buy a C&NW Cadillac straight away!

[PhilM]

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/86694-travels-in-the-us-modelable-small-elevator/

 

has concrete slos but you could just leave them out

[travelintrev]

Hi Dave,  

 

I hope these Canadian ones taken in September  2012 are of use / interest? 

 

I do have some of the more "modern" concrete & steel types if you're interested. 

[dave_long]

Chris 

Thanks for that, what I had found was mostly BN/BNSF based. The Nebkota railway certainly looks good. (exC&NW GP7&SD9) what a combination. I shallspend a little more time looking at that, it certainly has the wide open flat lands! The youtube for North Nebraska also brought up a handy video for elevators in North Dakota.

 

Jack, Thanks I had forgotten about that layout, I had looked before. I'm planning on a simple track plan 1 or 2 turnouts on a long spur rather than a long main. (I'm planning on handbuilding some large turnouts (may be P:87)). I do like the tall wooden elevators. 

 

Phil

I should have remebered I did look over your thread recently too, thanks for putting it out once more. That is a good prototype and useful detailing shots in there.

 

Thanks for the replies

[dave_long]

Thanks Trev 

Those are just the sought I'm interested in modelling, but I'm not sold on CN/CP yet. 

[w124bob]

Flickr is a good place to look as well, I often searched Flickr then Googled the place name for images. Another search method I use is to just type "rural Iowa" for instance and see what images search throws up. There are a lot of blogs and personal photo sites out there that don't always reveal themselves by the usual search methods. I love elevators and particulrly feed mills for their total lack of standards, from  modelling point of view you can't build a wrong structure as they are so modified, extended and rebuilt over years they are kit bashers/scratch builders perfect building. They lend themselves to low relief as well although to switch 5-8 cars would need a lot more length. Standard gutter down pipe makes a good starting point grain bins particularly if doing low relief, it's cheaper than chopping up Walthers or Rix bins.

[Parthia27]

Dave, do look at the Gateway Sub, the area south of Klamath Falls whilst not being a prairie is relatively flat and very agricultural with elevators at fairly regular intervals. The 'local' seems as though it primarily uses SD40-2s or GPs of either BN or ATSF heritage. The line from Klamath Falls to Bieber has always been BN controlled since 1970 and with the formation of the BNSF in the mid 90s BNSF took control of the ex WP / UP line south of Bieber to the Keddie Wye. BNSF has running rights north from Klamath Falls to the south end of BNSFs Oregon Trunk together with which is often termed as the Inside Gateway. BNSF runs 3 daily manifests each way per day over the Inside Gateway moving traffic from the Pacific Northwest (Pasco, Everett and Tacoma are served in Washington State and services are run to Riverside and Barstow in California). Extra traffic does run centred on Klamath Falls including grain). The north end of the Oregon Trunk is at Wishram on the Fall River Subdivision. HTH Chris

[Parthia27]

Dave, when you are next online try the following locations just south of Wilmar on the BNSF Marshall Sub:

 

Russell

Ihlen

Jasper

Sherman

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[Parthia27]

Going further south on the line look at

 

Garrison

Corson

Lester

Aylford

 

My 'research' will continue later.

[dave_long]

Thanks for the assisstance Chris, very much appreciated. Some delightful scenes along those towns. Much food for thought (pun intended).

I think I've about 10-12' of scenic length to play with for a layout. Trying to decide if I can make it 1 fiddleyard out and back or turn it into a roundy roundy(with hidden non scenic curves to FY), but thought of trying P87 and tight curves even for just FY access need to be a reasonable radius. Although for a roundy roundy I could drop the scenic size to 6-8'. The idea in my head is a prairie green flat land with just the tall grain elevator and the railway line, with perhaps a dirt track crossing, created in a high contrast style, ie bright blue photographic backscene, high contrasted but realistic looking green grass, and P87 long turnout/s (#8 maybe #10) and ultra detailed stock. Adding in some strong daylight bulbs to recreate the hot early summer sun.

[Parthia27]

Hi Dave, it's a pleasure to sit down and watch a DVD to get ideas. C Vision do and excellent series of DVDs on BNSF and CP in Minnesota and North Dakota and two of these happen to be ton the BNSF Marshall Sub just after the Merger. Loads of ex BN and ATSF diesels still without BNSF lettering. Some unusuals are also featured such as GP10s, GP15s, GP20s, GP28Ms and a lash up of 4 Yellow and Blue ATSF GE and EMD road switchers taking a single CSX Covered Hopper to an isolated elabator at a place called Harrisburg. Not sure if that branchline is in Minnesota, South Dakota or Iowa because the sub runs through the intersection of those three states. I'll dig the BN Nebraska Branchlines book out tomorrow and have a further dig. I did have a quick look at Google tonight and noticed one of the mega ADM elabator complexes complete with concentric balloon tracks adjacent to one of the main towns. Looked like there was a 100 car grain train on site with four Big GEs on the front at the time the picture was taken. No wonder the smaller elevators are nearly all gone.

 

Your layout idea seems wonderful, I have a real soft spot for bucolic prairie scenes. One thing I will say is to keep to 4 axle locos if you are considering P87, a rigid 3 axle truck is a nightmare to get working unless the manufacturer has built it dead square both horizontally and vertically and you can find some way of compensating or springing the middle axle. I know you have experience in P4 so none of this should be a suprise to you. If you can pull it off it would be absolutely wonderful. Personally for non Freemo stuff I'm sticking with ME Code 70 Track, Code 88 Wheels and Sergeant Couplings. I have cribbed the term Achievable Excellence from an EM Gauge modeller I know, though in my case excellence is not something which comes to mind atm :-).

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[Parthia27]

Thinking about your layout idea I have an article from an early 1990s Model Railroader which depicts a C&NW 1970s Elevator and prairie scene modelled by Dave Davis in absolutely fantastic detail. It just looks right. I'll dig it out if you are interested, the freight cars have connecting air pipes and the coupler cut bars are operable on each car. All done in HO :-). Anyway off to bed now.

 

Chris

[F-UnitMad]

I second Chris:- the C.Vision DVDs are wonderful!! "Nebraska Shortlines" has scenes from the Nebkota; albeit back some years when they ran with a pair of F-Units ( )

 

Also second his advice re 4-axle power & the potential for trouble with 6-axle locos on less-than-perfect track, & as anyone who has kept up with my O Scale layouts will know, some of us deliberately lay less-than-perfect track....

 

So...... rickety track, old grain elevators & wide open spaces.... mmmmm sounds like my kinda layout!!

[dave_long]

Chris

Yes please, sounds a great article, I've contemplated air hoses like JimSW has done on NewSt, with very small magnets.

There are a few C vision clips on YouTube so have seen they look very good.

I was looking over a couple of p87 threads and had read a bit about 6 axles not enjoying proto track.

 

 

Jordan

I was surprised to see an F unit hauling a few grain cars, the C vision clip I first watched was this;

F unit, hoppers and wobbly track.

 

[Parthia27]

Hi Dave,

 

I just had a look at my copy of Burlington Northern Railroad Branch Lines - The Nebraska Experience.

 

It's a superb reference but is focused on the BN. I'm sure that similar books are available for equivalent SOO, C&NW or other railroad operations.

 

There are several shots of the type of elevator you want to model, most trains are short, hauled mainly by ex CB&Q SD9s and some GP40s. Loads of shots of grain cars, cabooses and track formations. Most track seems pretty awful which seems to be a prerequisite. Several locations are included which have some sort of elevator including Daykin, Strang, Peru, Bostwick, Clay Center, and Ulysses. All locations are in either Nebraska or Kansas.

 

The book also provides some exquisite detail of operations and the 'little' details that would bring a layout to life are abundant in many photos.

 

I presume you are looking at HO. For grain car models you could use I would look at Intermountain (PS 4740s, 4750s, ACFs and Cylindrical Hoppers), Exactrail (PS4427s and Magors), Tangent (PS4740s, PS4750s and PS4000s). All of these cars are highly detailed with the Exactrail and Tangent Cars being my favourites. Intermountain cars seem to be more easily available though. For locos my personal recommendations would include Athearn Genesis GP9s, Proto 2000 SD9's, Proto 2000 or Athearn Genesis GP38-2s, and Atlas GP38s or GP40s. You would need no more than 1 or 2 locos. The biggest modelling challenge would be a suitable caboose. I am in the middle of bashing an Atlas Extended Vision Caboose using parts from Moloco. I have also cheated and have an ex SP&S Overland Brass model in BN livery which looks ok.

 

Anyway got to go, I'm off to London today so I'll have a browse on the train to and from St Pancras.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[dave_long]

Thanks Chris.

That book sounds just what I need. Thanks for the stock ideas I'm not clued up on hoppers so I'll go and have a look at those. No issue with modelling BN.

 

Hope the tests go well.

 

Regards

[Northpoint]

So, Dave, can we expect to see this at TVNAM next year?

[dave_long]

Hi Nick, I would like to think so. As long as trying P87 doesn't send me loopy, can't be any harder than P4.

 

Out of interest Nick, North plains was/is a grain inglenook isn't it? Did you add a loop or was it push in moves? Rmweb seems a little lacking of photos of NP.

 

Regards

[Northpoint]

It was an Inglenook with a 2 track yard on the end and everything was pulled in and pushed back. If you want more detail, ask Chris M (Parthia27) as he now owns it!

 

Here are some more photos:

 

 

Before the addition of the yard.

 

 

Looking down the layout.

 

 

Steve concentrating hard!

 

 

Congestion at North Plains.

[dave_long]

Now that would get messy at exhibitions!

[Northpoint]

I think he's looking at the Lenz throttle and wondering what to do with it!