Hi everyone!
I made a huge mistake yesterday with a new model I was building, a grain elevator. I glued the grain elevator in the wrong direction. What I mean by that is that the door that is supposed to face the train is now facing the truck entrance.
After a little bit of thinking, I decided that it was impossible to unglue the elevator from its base. So I decided to cut the truck entrance part from the elevator. I will have a lot of sanding to do so the truck entrance can fit properly onto the elevator.
I was also thinking about using the smallest white part on the picture and glue it on the base of the elevator. I think I will have to use some putty and sanding to make this little part fit.
What are your thoughts about this? Do you agree with I want to do? Do you have other suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
Stef
Take a deep breath and be happy you will have something a little different on the layout. I love grain elevators and have visited quite a few as I have journeyed around the prairies and they are bashed and crashed and no two look the same or are in pristine condition.
Is your elevator wood or plastic and what kind of glue did you use?
I made a similar mistake when I was distracted by my little children (at the time) coming into the room after I applied the glue but before I put the pieces together. So far I seem to be the only one that knows.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I see your kinda new here Stef. to the forum!
That dyslexia stuff attacks me when I least expect it and happens all too frequently. So don't feel bad.
Your plan to correct the situation sounds good to me. At least after you fix your mistake you have a place to put your new model on the layout. And it's looking really good I may add!
I built a prairie grain elevator from scratch because I always wanted to build one. I found out after approximately 80 hours of patience, I had no room to put it on the layout.
Something had to go. The model will just be a showpiece on the shelf now. Maybe I'll build a diorama for it someday.
TF
Thanks guys.
To answer some of your questions:
- The model I have is a plastic Walthers model (Valley Growers Association).
- I have used Testors liquid cement for plastic models.
To repair my mistake, I did what I said I would do on my last post. I sanded the smaller red part (truck entrance) and now it fits perfectly on the elevator.
I also glued the smaller white part on the bottom of my elevator, added Testors Contour Putty, let it dried and finally sand the bottom of the elevator. Everything fits perfectly now.
Next part is to glue the truck entrance on the grain elevator, like it was before, and continue to assemble all the remaining parts.
Question: I was thinking of maybe adding a light, in a few months, in the upper part of the elevator but I don't know if normally we can see lights inside a real elevator like this. What do you think?
Here is the photo of the corrections I have made on my kit. You can zoom in to see the details.
Here's a helpful hint - nobody but you will ever notice even if you leave the mistake unchanged.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Cut a new door, and maybe a 'nuther window while you're feeling brave?
Here in South Dakota, there are grain elevators all over the place. Sometimes multiple elevators in towns of 300 or 400 people.No two are alike.Finish the model in a way that looks good to you, and pretend you intended it all along.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
Hands up all you MRRs that messed up in the construction of a model.
Look at that sea of arms.
see below!
Track fiddler
After all this time you still have your fingers glued together.
Me lucky dog!
Da glue least of da problem. Dem truck tools, My what Big Teeth dey have
P.S. Actually I was trying to do the Spock thing but couldn't quite get it.
Live long and prosper
Track Fiddler your scratch built prairie grain elevator is an outstanding work of art. Just wow.
Why don't you mount a small extension shelf off the layout to hold this beautiful beast? Shame she won't ever see trains rolling past her.
Anyway this is why I use Elmer's school glue exclusively on all my model kits and train parts. If I screw up I just pop the part off and re-do. School glue is tacky like Alene's, dries clear and strong, and you can adjust the part's position if need be for an hour or so after applying. Sure you gotta handle things with care but the benefits outweigh this, I truly believe. -Rob
I was so busy screwing around I didn't notice your post right away.
Thanks Rob I appreciate that.
I've been considering giving the model to my younger brother. His layout is so big it'll probably take him almost 10 years to acquire or build all the buildings he needs.
The only reason I haven't decided yet is I know my grip will be delayed when I hand it to him because of all the hours I have into the thing.
Here's a closer view of the Interior I forgot to do when I was building it so it was an afterthought.
I couldn't recess the grain grate, which is a piece of paper from the Walthers catalog under really thin styrene strips. So I just had to slip it in there and glue it on top of the slab
Thanks for the compliment Rob
Everything is going fine right now with this model. I am building and painting at the same time.
I need to know if the upper part of the grain elevator can be illuminated during the night or if it doesn't happen? I need to know because I will be closing the roof on the top of the building if there is never any lights during the night on this type of building.
I am waiting for your answers!
You know Stef, I don't know the answer to that one. I know Ed posted a video once, "The Beacon" I think it's just called Grain Elevator and he usually posts it once a year.
The guy that ran the grain elevator (Jonn) after his father did went up there because the different shoots when changing the grain shaft to a different bin would stick and I'm sure the windows up there helped during the day to see.
I would imagine there would be a light up there if someone was working late. It certainly won't hurt to put one in and then you have that option better then if you don't
Just remember the most important rule to having fun. It's your layout and you make the rules. There ain't nothing wrong with light.
ModelTrainI need to know if the upper part of the grain elevator can be illuminated during the night or if it doesn't happen?
Hi Stef,
It makes sense that there would be at least minimal lighting inside the elevator. When the harvest is happening the farmers often work late into the night so it stands to reason that the elevator would be working too.
Don't forget to add exterior lighting as well. There would be lights over the truck doors and any man doors, and probably some yard lighting too.
By the way, you did a fine job of correcting your mistake. Only you will ever know. The rest of us promise to be silent!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Double post error
I don't think you'll mind if I post your video Ed.
Stef, I seen John even had a light on up there during the day right in front of the stairs
I always liked this video
BATMANHands up all you MRRs that messed up in the construction of a model.
Me Me Me!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Track fiddler I don't think you'll mind if I post your video Ed. Stef, I seen John even had a light on up there during the day right in front of the stairs I always liked this video
Wow, thanks for this cool video. I am not just modelling but also learning about history, buildings ... Now I understand how an elevator grain works.
Question: Are those kinds of elevators still in use today? I live in Québec, Canada and I don't remember seeing one like those here. From what I have seen and the little I know is that here our grain elevators seems to be more circular and metallic in shape.
LastspikemikeSlightly amusingly, I note a stock car spotted near the elevator in the photo above. That's the one type of box car never used for grain hauling...
How's this, better?
Lastspikemike That's the classic small local elevator. There are still hundreds of these dotted all over the prairies and anywhere else out West where grain was grown. They are no longer used as far as I know. Since heavy trucks are able to haul large volumes of grain long distances driven by just one person these elevators have fallen into disuse. Custom feedmills or local seed cleaning perhaps. There's a working replica at our Heritage Park which is interesting to see. Grain is grown on the tiny farm which forms part of the mostly outdoor exhibit. There's a full sized railroad loop, Wye and turntable. Elevators like this were built every 7-10 miles apart with spurs to serve them. That was the maximum feasible distance a wagonload of grain could be hauled, emptied and returned to the farm in daylight. Even when grain was trucked initially the trucks were of the small variety pictured in the National Film Board short. If you have room and inclination one of these belongs on any layout placed in grain country. You really date your model if you show it in use. Anything pre 1940 presents no obstacle. But by the late 70's to maybe the late 80's you would not see a boxcar or hopper spotted on those elevator sidings. Slightly amusingly, I note a stock car spotted near the elevator in the photo above. That's the one type of box car never used for grain hauling... Note the elevator siding was graded very gently. This permitted one man to roll and spot the empty box car and also move the loaded one on down the siding. The process is one way all the way. Except for the elevation procedure. Note the "modern" boxcar juxtaposed beside the very old elevator. Note the high tech cardboard panel "reinforced" with sheet metal strapping the elevator guy nails to the inside doorframe. This would be in the 70's still. There are models of later boxcars with grain doors let into tops of the steel doors which duplicate these cardboard shields. Then, all of a sudden we get covered hoppers. 150 box cars per year become, what, 50-70 huge covered hoppers, top loaded. Pretty quickly the round hatch hoppers got replaced with trough filled hoppers, for speed. Then the heavy trucking of grain to huge unit train elevator complexes basically happened "overnight". Trucks go in and the loaded and tare weights taken in just one step. Boxcar strings are spotted "uphill" from the elevator spout and removed from the downhill side. The slope of the grade is imperceptible by casual look which is why the casual observer is impressed by the strength of the elevator man. He got all the City girls.... Note the danger sign shown in the video (it's actually a movie, remember those?) and the almost complete absence of metal anywhere in the elevator building. Certainly no metal to metal contacts were permitted in normal operation. The engine house is completely separate and the drive belts go under that wooden decking between the buildings. Note the use of a grounded trouble light when descending into the elevator pit to grease the machinery. Note also the heavy fall of grain dust (think very robust whole wheat flour, then think of those flour bombs from your childhood chemistry book) as the elevator man descends. Note all the dust everywhere, that's pure grain dust and highly explosive. Note the windows really high up. Those are for light, no electric lights up there. Somewhat ironically, the main man made danger was static electricity generated by the various belt drives.....kaboom for no apparent reason. I'm pretty sure no local elevator ever operated after dark. Dawn, sure but never after sundown.
That's the classic small local elevator. There are still hundreds of these dotted all over the prairies and anywhere else out West where grain was grown. They are no longer used as far as I know. Since heavy trucks are able to haul large volumes of grain long distances driven by just one person these elevators have fallen into disuse. Custom feedmills or local seed cleaning perhaps. There's a working replica at our Heritage Park which is interesting to see. Grain is grown on the tiny farm which forms part of the mostly outdoor exhibit. There's a full sized railroad loop, Wye and turntable.
Elevators like this were built every 7-10 miles apart with spurs to serve them. That was the maximum feasible distance a wagonload of grain could be hauled, emptied and returned to the farm in daylight. Even when grain was trucked initially the trucks were of the small variety pictured in the National Film Board short.
If you have room and inclination one of these belongs on any layout placed in grain country. You really date your model if you show it in use. Anything pre 1940 presents no obstacle. But by the late 70's to maybe the late 80's you would not see a boxcar or hopper spotted on those elevator sidings. Slightly amusingly, I note a stock car spotted near the elevator in the photo above. That's the one type of box car never used for grain hauling...
Note the elevator siding was graded very gently. This permitted one man to roll and spot the empty box car and also move the loaded one on down the siding. The process is one way all the way. Except for the elevation procedure.
Note the "modern" boxcar juxtaposed beside the very old elevator. Note the high tech cardboard panel "reinforced" with sheet metal strapping the elevator guy nails to the inside doorframe. This would be in the 70's still. There are models of later boxcars with grain doors let into tops of the steel doors which duplicate these cardboard shields. Then, all of a sudden we get covered hoppers. 150 box cars per year become, what, 50-70 huge covered hoppers, top loaded. Pretty quickly the round hatch hoppers got replaced with trough filled hoppers, for speed. Then the heavy trucking of grain to huge unit train elevator complexes basically happened "overnight".
Trucks go in and the loaded and tare weights taken in just one step. Boxcar strings are spotted "uphill" from the elevator spout and removed from the downhill side. The slope of the grade is imperceptible by casual look which is why the casual observer is impressed by the strength of the elevator man. He got all the City girls....
Note the danger sign shown in the video (it's actually a movie, remember those?) and the almost complete absence of metal anywhere in the elevator building. Certainly no metal to metal contacts were permitted in normal operation. The engine house is completely separate and the drive belts go under that wooden decking between the buildings. Note the use of a grounded trouble light when descending into the elevator pit to grease the machinery. Note also the heavy fall of grain dust (think very robust whole wheat flour, then think of those flour bombs from your childhood chemistry book) as the elevator man descends.
Note all the dust everywhere, that's pure grain dust and highly explosive.
Note the windows really high up. Those are for light, no electric lights up there.
Somewhat ironically, the main man made danger was static electricity generated by the various belt drives.....kaboom for no apparent reason.
I'm pretty sure no local elevator ever operated after dark. Dawn, sure but never after sundown.
Wow, thanks for the detailed explanation. I will not put any light inside this elevator.
Here is a photo of my progress right now. The elevator is almost completed. I only need to add the ladder and the spout. But the weathering has not began yet.
I also need to build the two other buildings in this kit: the storage bin and the office.
Question: What is the use of the storage bin? I thought all the grains were stored in the elevator. I am probably missing something.
ModelTrain Track fiddler Question: Are those kinds of elevators still in use today? I live in Québec, Canada and I don't remember seeing one like those here. From what I have seen and the little I know is that here our grain elevators seems to be more circular and metallic in shape.
Besides the seal housings and special bulbs for lighting related to the old prairie grain elevators, new modern day precautions are much further advanced.
http://www.kcsupply.com/compliant-lighting-grain-handling-facility/
BATMAN Lastspikemike Slightly amusingly, I note a stock car spotted near the elevator in the photo above. That's the one type of box car never used for grain hauling... How's this, better?
Lastspikemike Slightly amusingly, I note a stock car spotted near the elevator in the photo above. That's the one type of box car never used for grain hauling...
Perfect! Actually I don't think you're too far off Brent. Makes perfect sense to me.
ETHANOL!!!
Apparently your grain elevator is stocked with corn
I have visited a few elevators in the past when traveling across the Western Provinces and I am going from memory of what I learned from those visits most of which were decades ago. When electric light was introduced the lighting was specialized and actually called "grain elevator explosion-proof electric lighting". In Manitoba, I saw the packaging in my Uncle's basement in 1966.
A metal (lead?)pipe (steel conduit in later years) was run up the outside of the elevator and the colour of the light where the distributor was located up top was amber as just like fog lights, amber helps you see through the dust just as fog lights do on cars. The bulbs were specialized and placed inside a sealed glass covers. Sometimes there were also red and green lights at different locations around the elevator, I cannot remember what those colours were for.
Most of my photos are on slides in a box somewhere, but I did take this one about ten years ago that shows the covered bulbs and conduit. Up top, at a different elevator, the setup was the same but with an amber bulb or amber glass cover maybe and the wire ran through old steel pipe threaded at the joints.
I am no expert on the subject and yield to anyone that is.
ModelTrain Here is a photo of my progress right now. The elevator is almost completed. I only need to add the ladder
Here is a photo of my progress right now. The elevator is almost completed. I only need to add the ladder
Nicely done Stef!
LastspikemikeI've lived on the Prairies for over 50 years. I've never seen a grain elevator lit at night.
Me neither.