South Milford, IN: Regional Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

I caught a train servicing the elevator in South Milford when I made a side trip to photograph the elevator.

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In addition to some photos, I took a video since I was so lucky to catch a shortline train.

Bryan Burton Photography posted
Nickel Plate Road 765 at the South Milford Grain Company. 07/2023

I made a special side trip up IN-3 from US-6 to get pictures of this grain elevator because it was the owners of this elevator that bought the Wabash track when Norfolk Western filed for abandonment. Their tracks are now part of the Indiana Northeastern Railroad.

I learned from a relative that most of the big farmers in LaGrange county use this elevator for grain that they are selling. Because of the rail service, it can offer the best price in the area. Indeed, at 5:08 (maybe even 6:08 because it is in the Eastern Time Zone), there were several farmers waiting to unload.

Above at camera resolution

There was even another trailer truck off to the left that I could not fit into the frame even at 18mm. In addition to four trailer trucks, we see there is a tractor with two gravity grain wagons and a full truck (in the far left background) at the scales by the office being weighed and sampled.

The train I saw moving to the elevator when I entered town seemed to be parked for the night.

When I continued my trip east, I used county road E 750 S rather than go back to US-6 because I had recently driven on US-6. I passed another tractor pulling a couple of gravity wagons to the elevator. Note the bracket on the rear wheel to hold a second tire. With the duals off, he fits in a highway lane.

Some farmers have more storage and dryer capacity than many small town elevators have. They can avoid setting in line at the elevator during the harvest rush and then sell later in the year when the prices are higher.

Update:

Rural American History Captured posted
South Milford looking east and looking west.
LCHS

A $250,000 grant:

Industrail Rail Service Fund FY 2020

The above link shared by Lukas Irons with the comment: "Edds supplies in Shipshewana Indiana will be building a fertilizer terminal on the Indiana Northeastern on the west side of South Milford Indiana."

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