Freelance 2013-2 (MAW)

[FCIN]

They may unload grain at modern elevators using several methods. The tilt-up truck unloaders, trailers with hopper bottoms or trailers that unload by raising the truck bed and even by shoveling the grain out of smaller trucks. I've seen them use all these methods at various elevators throughout the mid-west. Here's an example of a grain trailer with hoppers: http://www.musgraveangus.com/images/grain/semi.jpg and a rather poor photo of a grain truck being unloaded by tilting the whole truck: http://www.bigrigphotos.com/images/378_G...peters.JPG. Some of the elevators I've seen have covered unloading bins while many others are out in the open. I would assume that loading/unloading is halted in the pouring rain.

The Walther's ADM elevator has a shed on both the rail side and the road side to allow for covered loading/unloading. I should mention that the many of the elevators that I've seen don't have covered sheds over the rail loading point either. Here's an interesting rail loading facility that might give you some ideas for layout:     This is on the Indian Creek Railroad at Frankton, IN. The RS-11 is sitting on the siding at the elevator and grain is loaded on the "main line" to the right of the structure you see in the photo. Grain is moved from the numerous storage bins to the loader via the overhead conveyor above the locomotive. Note the spilled corn near the loader. An interesting mini-detail to include. Here's an aerial view of the facility: https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.192418,-8...7&t=k&z=18. There are so many variations at modern grain elevators, almost anything would be prototypical.

Best bet - find an example or two that interest you and model yours similar to them.