Re: [CBQ] CB&Q Grain Elevators, Grain Covered Hoppers, and Traffic

["jpslhedgpeth via Groups.Io" <jpslhedgpeth=aol.com@groups.io>]

As an example  what Doug was "declaiming" on...In summer 1958 while working the Fairmont-Hildreth local...we would have cars (boxcars) for most all the elevators along the line..The most we would leave at any place was 3..or maybe 4.  They would usually have them loaded when we came back the next day.  One night we left Fairmont with 90 mtys.  A big train..we had to switch these mtys out of the "plethora" of cars at Fairmont and make up our train.  That was one of the time it was "mandatory" that I had to "go high"..Standing on top swinging a fussee in the twilight was not one of my favorite things.

Coming back we would pick up 2 or 3 (at the most) at each station...Probably about 6 stations would have loads for us..We would get back to Fairmont with maybe 25 cars or so..Then sometimes we would have to "switch out" those loads and line them up for a mainline local to pick up.  

All this to say..it took all that effort, cars crews etc and we probably would have handled about, perhaps, 25 % of what a Unit train of today..and that's probably too much.   When the "Big John" deal was finally resolved via the Southern RR and all that stuff it pretty well spelled the end of branch line elevators. and the Tri Weekly Mixed trundling down a weedy track with a few boxcars and a 5 man crew

Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Harding <doug.harding@iowacentralrr.org>
To: CBQ <CBQ@groups.io>
Sent: Fri, Apr 12, 2019 10:49 pm
Subject: Re: [CBQ] CB&Q Grain Elevators, Grain Covered Hoppers, and Traffic

Tom I suspect that every town on the CBQ had one or more grain elevators. Instead of compiling a list your best bet would be find a Shippers Directory for the CBQ. A shippers directory would have the list you seek. Here is one source of reprints: http://railsunlimited.ribbonrail.com/Books/shippers.html Unfortunately Ted does not offer one for the CBQ. You might find one at a swap meet or eBay.

 

The transition to covered hopper occurred in the 60’s after the change in freight rates was settled in a lawsuit filed by the Southern Railroad over their Big John covered hopper https://lionelllc.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/freight-car-friday-freight-cars-that-changed-the-world-big-john/ Not all elevators could load covered hoppers, and used boxcars to the end. This was for several reasons: 1) the track could not handle the weight of the 100ton covered hoppers and 2) the capacity of the elevator was not sufficient to fill a string of covered hoppers. An elevator that could fill four boxcars could not fill two covered hoppers. When railroads began demanding unit train loadings, even at 25 loads, many smaller elevators could not get the shipping rates for unit trains because they could not fill that many cars.

 

Most grain elevators modified their existing spouts or added new ones higher up to top load grain into covered hoppers. As the grain was coming down the spout from the head house at the top of the elevator it was a simple modification. You will see photos of some wood elevators with two spouts, the original lower one for loading boxcars, and a new higher one for loading covered hoppers.

 

One reason many small grain elevators ceased to exists was because they could not unload the larger grain wagons and semi trucks that farmers began using in the 80s. The covered unloading sheds were not large enough to accommodate the grain wagons or semi trucks. Without expensive remodeling and adding additional capacity the small wood elevator became obsolete.

 

Doug  Harding

www.iowacentralrr.org

 

From: CBQ@groups.io [mailto:CBQ@groups.io] On Behalf Of Tom Mack via Groups.Io
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2019 8:26 AM
To: CBQ@groups.io
Subject: [CBQ] CB&Q Grain Elevators, Grain Covered Hoppers, and Traffic

 

There is a slide for sale on eBay right now of a Q freight train in 1968 at Sandwich, IL that really caught my attention:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-SLIDE-CHICAGO-BURLINGTON-QUINCY-RR-GP7-262-SANDWICH-IL-1968/113707418438 

1. With two GP7's on it, I take it this is probably a wayfreight and not a manifest freight. Correct?

2. This is one of the only photos I can recall seeing of a CB&Q freight that has a string of high capacity covered hoppers in it. These appear to be PS-2CD 4427 cu ft "high side" covered hoppers, like the Proto 2000 HO models. The letter boards on the side look like they are probably TLDX Leasing signs, commonly applied to these yellow covered hoppers. Most of these were for grain service, so this is a neat photo to find. Does anyone else recall published photos of a CB&Q freight with a string of covered hoppers like this? A four car set could easily come from or being going to a small grain elevator, if this is indeed a local wayfreight, as the two GP7's would suggest.

3. Since grain was such a major part of CB&Q shipping, I was thinking it might be neat to put together a list of grain elevators on the Q. This would be not only interesting for the historical aspect, but as a modeler, it would be neat to possibly see the evolution from the boxcar grain loading to the high capacity covered hoppers. Anyone interested in working with me on this?

4. An operations question: How easy was it for the older grain elevators to transition to covered hoppers, if even possible? When I think about the loading of a boxcar with grain doors, either wooden or paper ones nailed into the car, or later cars with the little grain doors built into the plug doors, it is clear that the loading chute at the elevator would go into the car from the side, with the chute having to be lower than the roof of the car. When you move to the covered hoppers, the later high capacity CHs have trough hatches at the top of the car. This would require the loading chute to be located in a totally different location than for a boxcar. Did the older grain elevators make changes, or did many of them just stick to ordering boxcars, perhaps until they added newer and/or larger silos? Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this?

Tom Mack
Cincinnati, OH



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Tom Mack
Cincinnati, OH

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