Pre-covered hopper grain unloading

[OldEastRR]

I'm modeling a grain elevator set in the early '50s, for receiving train carloads. I know they shipped grain in boxcars back then, with plywood bulwarks or heavy paper barriers across the inside of the doors. I assume these were unloaded into an under-track hopper, with most of it shoved through the open doors with shovels. I can't believe they hand-shoveled grain into wheelbarrows and moved them through a freight door. If they used under-track hoppers, where can I find info/pictures on them?

[Spades]

Googled

Unloading grain from a boxcar. 

Choose the video tab, 

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHZN_enUS1008US1008&sxsrf=AB5stBgdWfNVsF_XFADnNos-zUnjoutUrA:1688326394701&q=unloading+grain+from+a+boxcar&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjippX44fD_AhWNEUQIHftTANMQ0pQJegQIBRAB&biw=1707&bih=916&dpr=1.5

The All and Image Tags should provide the required information

[Chris333]

Probably not the norm, but

[Chris333]

http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2015/11/carrying-grain-in-boxcars.html

[lock4244]

Probably not the norm, but

Shaken, not stirred.

[nkalanaga]

In most cases, they did shovel it out the door!

If the customer received grain regularly, they'd have a pit with a conveyor in the bottom.  If not, they used a portable conveyor, usually with a sheet metal pan, and transferred the grain to a wagon or truck.  The pan would be under the door, as much of the grain fell out when the grain door was removed.

Those doors were sectional, and would be removed, one piece at a time, from the top down.  The entire load didn't come out at once.

[OldEastRR]

Thanks! I figured there'd be a pit for a large receiving elevator, they open the door and the grain spills out the door. So I'll use that, which means I need some kind of structure to protect the operation from the weather. (at least precipitation).

[nkalanaga]

Yes, a regular customer would probably have a covered unloading area.  For a freelance elevator, a shed similar to the truck/wagon unloading/loading area on country elevators, but sized for boxcars, would be fine.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You likely want a copy of this: https://www.walthers.com/the-model-railroader-s-guide-to-grain-softcover-96-pages

[BruceStikkers]

When I was growing upon the 1950s/1960s I worked for a farmer who hauled corn to an elevator on the south side of Chicago that had one of those boxcar tippers. We usually had to wait in line to get our semi unloaded so I would wander over and watch them unload. They could unload a boxcar in a short period of time. They loaded ships for export.

Bruce Stikkers
St. Joseph, IL