Vanishing Saskatchewan Grain Elevators
- Thread starter Nicad
- Start date
Thanks Bob - brought back memories from 70 years ago. A small town in Nebraska of about 25 residents - about 5 miles from the farm I grew up on - had a wooden elevator much like several of those. I remember many trips there with a tractor pulling a wagon full of wheat or corn to sell to the elevator owner. I haven't been back there in several decades, but I'm sure the elevator is long gone.
Gary
Gary
Very cool. Sad to watch for some reason. I'm surprised all that old wood hasn't been harvested and sold for repurposing. Every old shack and building around here has been picked clean.
jmackro
Well-Known Member
OK, I'll ask a dumb question: what do grain elevators do? Why do you need a tall tower to store or process grain? And if the elevators are going away, what has replaced them?
Heck if I know....I'm from Ontario, actually Toronto... which means I know less.
Mike Goble
Well-Known Member
Grain elevator - Wikipedia
Beautiful film. Thanks for sharing that.
In regard to the video Dan posted, a brief comment about the 'internal workings' in these elevators. When the grain flowed down, it exited the center and frequently left a very steep 'wall' of grain from the center 'drain' to the outer wall of the silo. Frequently a person would need to get into the area to rake the grain down. Seemed at least once a year out in the big grain growing areas that resulted in an avalanche of grain (especially wheat), in which the person was trapped and died - just like the the danger from snow bank avalanches.
What are the circumstances when they randomly explode?
steve in reno
Well-Known Member
They randomly explode due to the grain exiting the grain drain and ending up in the pit, in the bottom below the elevator. This grain would ferment and create alcholol. It was a nasty job to clean, so that would not happen. And the cleaner would catch a buzz for sure AMHIK.
I worked in at an elevator after HSchool. Drove semi full of grain to St Louis every night as a side job.
I wasn't 18, so illegal driving semi.
I worked in at an elevator after HSchool. Drove semi full of grain to St Louis every night as a side job.
I wasn't 18, so illegal driving semi.
jmackro
Well-Known Member
Perhaps they were built in Maranello, where the products just randomly catch fire and explode.