# Help needed for ideas on my first grain elevator themed switching layout



## punchy71 (Dec 1, 2014)

I've been thinking for a long time now about building my first model railroad. However, I'd like to start very, very simply. I've been thinking of going with maybe a shelf layout along one wall that is a switching layout, but I am lacking in ideas and could use some guidance. I was thinking of going with a pre-designed switching layout, designed by someone that knows what they're doing. The problem is, I'm kind of wanting to do a rural grain elevator setting and most switching layout plans in books, magazines and websites I've seen are all of urban (city) settings. So I'm not sure what to do. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

Get on Google maps and find a rural grain elevator in a small town. Study how the tracks are laid out. Design your shelf layout so that it can be incorporated into a larger layout at some future point.


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## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

Take a look on Google Maps, at the Agrex facility, Enola NE, it is an interesting switch, especially for pulling the load. Empties come in from the south, and the loads go south as well. 100 cars, could be spotted in 30 minutes, but takes about 4+ hours to put a loaded train together.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Grain trafic plans*



punchy71 said:


> I've been thinking for a long time now about building my first model railroad. However, I'd like to start very, very simply. I've been thinking of going with maybe a shelf layout along one wall that is a switching layout, but I am lacking in ideas and could use some guidance. I was thinking of going with a pre-designed switching layout, designed by someone that knows what they're doing. The problem is, I'm kind of wanting to do a rural grain elevator setting and most switching layout plans in books, magazines and websites I've seen are all of urban (city) settings. So I'm not sure what to do. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


punchy71;

Several articles have been published in Model Railroader magazine on "Granger railroads." These prototypes were typically located in the flat farming center of the US and Canada. I suspect that the urban track plans you have found could be equally well used as rural layouts. Basically, you are just changing the industries, and scenery to suit your rural setting. Switching a small industry usually involves a train dropping off empty cars to be loaded, and picking up loaded cars from that industry. A simple pair of sidings would be enough to serve a single, small, grain elevator, or two. Larger grain industry complexes would need many more empty cars, and generate many more outgoing loads. This would, in turn, mean more, and often longer, tracks would be required. Some big grain shippers would have their own small yards for incoming, and out going, cars. They might also have a company-owned switch locomotive on the property to get all those cars in order and ready to go, when the main line railroad's train showed up.
Kalmbach Publishing, https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/products/books has put out many books on specific rail-served industries. You might check there to see if they have one on the agricultural industry in general, or even one on grain shipping in particular. I just checked their site, and they do have one. "Model Railroader's guide to Grain" $19.99
Once your train has dropped off, and picked up cars at the grain elevator; it needs to go somewhere. A hidden staging track could serve as "The rest of the world" to let your train hide from view. Two hidden tracks would let a "Westbound" train come out of staging after the "Eastbound" has disappeared. Most grain is shipped in covered hopper cars. This is handy for modeling, since you can call a car "empty" or "loaded" and no one will be the wiser. 

Good luck;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

Modern or old time?
I suspect that modern rural grain elevators are serviced or filled by truck, then unloaded/shipped by train. Meaning a single siding along the main. Use google maps an look at Greenwood Nebraska.

I looked a a couple of others and they have very little railroad nowadays. 
Maybe replace a couple of roads in this view with railroad spur tracks .

https://www.google.com/maps/place/G...500dfa4c88e718!8m2!3d40.9627758!4d-96.4411197


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## BCFx (Jul 22, 2018)

You can also look at the CN across Iowa. 
Dubuque to Waterloo has mostly passing sidings, a couple ethanol plants, and some small industries. 
Waterloo to Fort Dodge has a couple smaller rail served grain elevators. Try Duncombe, IA. off the top of my head. 
Fort Dodge, IA. has a nice ethanol plant that the CN serves. 
From there the CN splits and heads towards Omaha and another route heads to Sioux City. There's more rail served grain elevators on the Omaha sub. 

These are all smaller sites, but it may be the simple layout that you're looking for.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Kalmbach Publishing, publisher of Model Railroader magazine, publishes a book onnthe subject : https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/book/12481

These are often available in bookstores, hobby shops, and Amazon.com in addition to directly from the publisher.


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