Unloading Boxcars full of grain.

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hi.

Does anybody know how they got all the grain out of boxcars when they reached the major ports seeing that the cars had no hoppers?

Thanks

Sheldon

2

The grain boards were removed or the paper grain doors were cut allowing the grain to flow. Some terminals had lifts to tilt the cars to one side to help. After that, it was manual labour. Men with shovels and/or brooms to clean the rest of the grain out. A real good workout for a days wages.

Steve

3

Here’s a video of a laker being unloaded at a Buffalo grain elevator before the pneumatic conveyors were used. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C94kUUncuBc&list=FLHyTsAVwIQ2zKtTcc8ez3yQ&index=169

Steve

4

Thanks Steve for the info and video. A real good workout for a days wages!

Sheldon

5

More info on this thread including a link to a photo of a boxcar in a car tipper:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/209594/2294085.aspx#2294085

Link to article that described operation of tipper - Feb 20, 1958 Hendersonville NC Times-News

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1665&dat=19580220&id=KUMaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PyMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6300,2155746

Article with photo - May 1921 Popular Science

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZioDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=grain+unloading+car+tipping&source=bl&ots=LsU-qL_13J&sig=Fdyrqr2wLzYKzNLYtsEzFZptvM0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VjwyUcT7HqagywG_6IGgAQ&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=grain%20unloading%20car%20tipping&f=false

There is a link to 1952 vidieo that shows tipping operation on RailroadForums.com

http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41763

6

Maybe that is how the leaf blower got invented.