Paint Suggestions for ADM Grain Elevator

I am constructing a Cornerstone Grain Elevator to be in midwestern setting, probably Kansas. Any suggestions on paint or weathering?

 

When I grew up at Wichita. Kansas, the Huge mills out north of Wichita were white washed concrete. The smaller ones around the smaller town like Hays, Hutchison, Dodge Ciy, were all galvanized corrugated sheet metal with black tar roofs if not sheet metal. At Anthony there was an old wooden elevator with only 8 silos. The mill buildings were barn paint red (Box car red), the galvanized corrugated sheet steel roofing, and the silos were unpainted cement but they had advertizing painted way up at the top of the two on the hiway end. Pilsbury, Gold Medal, Burrus and maybe some others. At one time Wichita was the flour milling Capitol of the U.S. A bunch of years ago, Two of the 150 foot silos fellover while full of flour, and north Wichita looked like it had snowed! It was four feet deep in some streets. My uncle Lawrence took photos of it, and it was in the Wichita Eagle, and Beacon also. You might contact either of them and get copies of the articles and photos, just for interest.

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Watash

 

Don't know about colours in the USA but heres one from Saskatchewan in the middle of the Canadian prairies. Hard to beat the colour EH!


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Robin

Maberly and Tayside

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Any suggestions on paint or weathering?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think they are some shade of greyish white...

BTW, great story Watash...

 

In Cedar Rapids, IA there is a fairly large ADM facility. There are primarily tank cars of Corn Syrup going out. Their grain towers and the facility itself are primarily white. The picture of the Cornerstone ADM Grain Elevator really captures the look of the facility, of course the real facility is much larger with processing et all.

I will try to get a picture of it sometime if you are interested.

Bry


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Smile!
It makes people wonder what you are up to.

 

Gosh, thanks for the quick response. I am in pretty good shape on the photos(some of the grain companies have websites). My only decision is what paint will match "concrete".
Some of the articles are suggesting reefer grey or a mixture of 1 part white and four parts grey. Thanks again.

 

Here are some more pictures that I took in Saskatchewan.
This first one is taken from track side then highway side.



Hope these help.

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Robin

Maberly and Tayside

 

Great pics! I actually have a second elevator that will be wood with shingles and these are
great. Keep those pics coming in! I also appreciate the help these provide on surrounding landscape.

 

I know the real issue was the paint color for concrete. I use a Crafters Acrylic paint by DecoArt called Amish Grey. I then put a thin wash of white over it and finally a thin wash of diluted black india ink.

The acrylic paints can be found in numerous craft stores and sometimes in the $ stores

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Robin

Maberly and Tayside

 

I model the grain belt in northern and northwestern Oklahoma on the old Santa Fe. The major concrete elevators were white (if they were Union Equity, later Farmland) and unpainted concrete for General Mills, Contintental, and others. The Pillsbury Mills at Enid (now ADM) had unpainted silos with a brick mill house. The mix between the white concrete and unpainted concrete is pretty equal. I live in Kansas, and have found the elevators in Kansas to be much like those in Oklahoma. Further north you go, more differences in design, materials and looks.

 

ATSFMAN:

Good research. When you have done your modeling what has been your approach on painting or weathering your silos?

Tigerman

 

On the "white" elevators, I use an off white in the airbrush, to give a "whitewash" look.
I sprayed an aged concrete on the plain elevators over a light gray, because the elevators I am modeling are 50 years old or more in some cases. I also used a "weathering concoction" of light rinses in the airbrush to age the white a little. Grain elevators for the most part are kept pretty clean, especially around the base because of fears of fires and explosions.

 

E-8:

Way to go E-8. This looks like the elevator and siding that I had in mind for a country elevator.

Tigermman