looking at walthers HO scale ADM grain elevator online, i am curious if anyone can tell me if its normal for a grain elevator headhouse not to have any side doors on it. All i see on the kit is windows. also with no side railings on top, would a structure like the ADM elevator if full size be in violation of federal and state safety laws?
It’s been a long time since I was up in any elevators. There has to be access to the top of the bins usually to work on things, unplug stucks that can happen, etc. I’m looking at the pic of the 933-3022 kit, so assume that’s what you have. In this kit, that’s all enclosed by the windowed headhouse. Thus there’s no particualr reason to be on the roof in most cases.
Lack of doors might actually be one of the measures required to be taken to prevent falls, depending on the year you’re modeling. That has grown significantly tighter in recent decades, starting the late 1980s, too late to help a fellow I know who fell to his death because of inadequate training and safety equipment, not on a silo, but you get my drift that what you model up there depends on what year and maybe even the location. Down on the farm, my aunt and uncle’s silo had no such access by door, just a panel that could be taken off if access was needed IIRC. of course, we could climb the highest bin, which was around 90 feet[:O] Yeah, just a ladder, no safety harness or anything else like today. It’s a wonder any of us survived childhood…
But you say you want doors up there? Like to live dangerously?[;)] Then on another page my 2012 ctalog shows 933-2942, Head House. This one has doors, but also railings around the top of the silos, so safety is still a consideration. It says it’s an add-on to 933-3022, but it’s unclear if the 8 siloes are in addition to the ones in that kits, as they seem to be illustrated, or are more like detail parts for the siloes in 933-3022, like the text implies? I checked the website and they have clarified that it includes 8 more siloes. It’s even on sale right now.
thanks for the input mike, i have never worked in or on grain elevators, so i did not know how accurate or inaccurate walhers’ ADM grain elevator was. at least i know now.
Glad to help. Some folks call 'em prairie skyscrapers.
Each state and or the federal government has different regulations. But since there is no door, their is no violation. Up in the northlands it is completely natural to see the top house fully enclosed, and there would be no need to go out side of it.
So I took my trusty computer and swiped pictures of some elevators near us.
The Red Trail Energy plant in Richardton. This is a new plant, and yes, there are railings around the towers, but then there is no head house either. Since this is an Ethanol Plant, railings and lighting come under the same laws as refineries.
Across the tracks is the Stone Mill, a plant that deals with specailty crops, especially “Organic”. The tall bins do have railings, the smaller ones, the portables do not. Organic grains must be kept separate accordidng to each producer and product, thus all the smaller bins. There are more on the other site of the street. The owner of this plant also operates another plant, Amber Waves, that makes those portable bins. He has also sold hundreds of them to Haliburton for fracking sand.
Here is one of the older elevators in town. No guard rails up there, and no egress from the head house either. This one has since been torn down by order of the Railroad since it was no longer deemed stable.
This is a shot of the rear of the tower torn down (right) and an even older elevator (left) which is still standing. Again there is no egress from the head house, and no railings around the tower.
Wandering further afield, this is the new and ever expanding tower
Even with handrails, if your up that high a good gust of wind could blow you over side. It is a long way down and that sudden stop at the end will completyl ruin your day, so safety harnesses are not an option if you do not have death wish.