Ao I know how grain ops work here in the ole USA. What about Canada? I've seen in person and some photos of the varied elevator types (great website for this is http://stewart.railfan.net/rail/TRAINS.htm ) but wondering about operations. I'm planning for my railroad to interchange with Canadian railroads and I want to model the old wood style grain elevators like you see in Alberta. What are modern Canadian elevators like? Do they use the unit train flood loader type operations some of the large elevators here do? I'm modelling the northwest/prairies so if you can direct me to photos or if you have insight into this I'd appreciate some direction. I don't think putting something like what we have here in Texas at Saginaw ( http://www.trainweb.org/southwestshorts/saginaw.html ) would be the way to go. This is kind of what I'm looking for, but I need to how our frinds North of the border do it. Suggestions?
Here are couple links you might want to check out... Viterra - http://www.viterra.ca/ I know this company has a fairly large operation about 30min North of Calgary AB... looks like a modern facility to me. As for the details of the operation there, I can't help you there. Next time I pass it(hopefully sometime on Sunday), I'll take some photos for you. Cargill Canada - http://www.cargill.ca/index.htm There aren't too many operational old style grain elevators. A lot of them have been taken down or being saved as a heritage site. Majority of elevators on the prairies are the new massive concrete structures. Hope it helps... Cheers!
If you could get some photos we could post here in the thread so I and other that have these questions could lok at them for reference that would be great. I won't be getting up there to Calgary untill Christmas time and I'd like to get started on my elevators before then. Thanks for offering to help! Ron
So I finally got around to get the pictures on my computer. I was in a hurry taking the photos but they will give you a rough idea of prototypical Canadian grain operation. The operation in the photo is a laid out over a larger piece of land. Most are in a more compact area with not as many tracks. I was unable to get any pictures of the tracks due to time constraints. At this location there is a mainline that is quite busy and I believe there are three spurs off it to service this elevator. Overview of the whole place: North side: South side: And one more to put to give you a sense of the size of the structure: Viterra also deals with fertilizers... I don't know if they have incorporated it with their elevator operations. I do see something that looks like fertilizer trailers but I'm no expert. If anyone wants more detailed pictures, just let me know of what and I'll see what I can do... Hope this helps Cheers,
In the last photo, low center. Those horizontal white cylinders look like the liquid fertilizer spreaders around here but larger.
