The easiest grain elevator kit to assemble would be the Walthers, either the Valley Growers Asso or the Farmers Cooperative. Valley has plastic sides that look like corrugated metal and Farmers looks like wood siding. Both are the same elevator, only difference is the style of siding material. Either build into a generic traditional mid-west grain elevator. Either would be appropriate in the pre WWII era, though the wood sided elevator was more common.
The laser cut kits from AMB, Micro-Mark and others are more complex and thus more challenging to construct with more detail. Also more expensive. They also add variety if you are modeling grain operations in several towns.
Grain elevators came in all sizes and shapes. From as small as 16’ square up to 36’ square in the traditional wood “prairie skyscraper” look. 24’ and 30’ were very common sizes in corn country. Larger ones prevailed in wheat country. Others were rectangle in shape or even round. The head house on top also varied in design. Concrete elevators began showing up in the very late 40s and early 50s, thought a few had been constructed far earlier.
I just unpacked my grain elevators after a recent move. From left to right they are: front row scratch from 2x4s and wood clapboard siding, scratch from styrene and aluminum foil side, Walthers Farmers unpainted, AMB laser cut plastic, Walthers Famers kitbashed, Walthers Farmers unpainted, Walthers Farmers painted, unknown metal (most likely Suydam/California Models). The back row is Walthers ADM silos, part of Walthers Glacial Gravel, and two Mountains in Minutes foam building flats. Some of these were given to me or purchased at train shows. Others I have assembled and finished.
Doug Harding
https://www.facebook.com/douglas.harding.3156/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK8X8Yb8NEAZqbZjHT5z0sA
From: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io> On Behalf Of Tad Blacketer
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2021 12:31 PM
To: CBQ@groups.io
Subject: [CBQ] grain elevator kit suggestions
I am looking to build a simple grain elevator spur on my layout. I am not up to building my own elevator at this stage and am looking for a good representative kit. My interest is Golden/Early Transitional period rural Illinois. I was hoping to stay Pre-WWII, but finding build dates prior to 1940 is proving difficult and I also really appreciate the streamlined look of the 1940's diesel so I might need to make 1949 my cutoff date. (I am trying to be as focused as possible so my wife will still support my "collection.") I am looking at the Walthers Valley Growers model as it seems a decent intro kit. Open to input.
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