Decatur, IN: Bunge/Central Soya Soybean Processing Plant

(3D Satellite)

This was one of the soybean oil extraction plants built by Central Soya. The remnant of the Penn/Grand Rapids & Indiana route between Pennsy's mainline connection in Fort Wayne and Decatur is now operated by the same regional railroad that took over the Pennsy mainline --- Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern (CF&E).

This is the first time I have seen permanently covered storage piles.

Satellite

Mike Snow posted six photos with the comment:

Chicago Fort Wayne & Eastern at the Bunge Plant in Decatur Indiana.. On the former Pennsylvania's Grand Rapids & Indiana and likely the largest single customer along this Route taken 2/7/18

Dennis DeBruler My Dad retired from Central Soya. I remember we took a tour of this plant because it had one room that gave a new meaning to the word "stink."

Elmer J Hershey FOR A SHORT TIME IN ABOUT 1986... I worked what we called the South Wind...Fort Wayne to Decatur local. The track was only good for 10mph at the time and it was an all-day trip to make it to Decatur and back in 12hrs. Central Soya was the main switch and an occasional load of lumber. The track ended at the old Erie crossing.

Mike Snow That track still isn't in the very best of shape.. I figured for the amount of traffic that crosses it that it would being much better shape.

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Screenshot @ -1:55
Central Soya Open House- 1952
Dennis DeBruler The boxcar dumper at -1:55 is really neat. Even though the film had exposure issues, you can see how it tilted the car back and forth to dump the grain. This video is a reminder that the covered hopper was not developed until the 1960s.

Richard Miranda posted five photos with the comment:

Central Soya once had a Fort Wayne presence until they moved their operations to the greater St. Louis area in June 2004.

Central Soya no longer exists as a corporate entity. It was purchased by Bunge Limited in 2002 when Bunge bought central Soya's parent firm, Cereol S.A.

Randy Harter: In 1960 the company went public on the NYSE, then in 1985 the firm was acquired in a leveraged buyout by Roy Disney’s Shamrock Capital, who raided the company’s pension fund and then resold it in 1987 to an Italian company, who sold it to a French company, and so on.

By 1988 the company had plants and facilities in 65 locations and over 2,000 employees scattered around the world, and shipped its products to over 55 countries.

The company as we knew it has since been divided into two pieces, with the animal feed (Master Mix) division now owned by Archer Daniels Midland, headquartered in Chicago, and the edible soya oil processing division is owned Bunge North America, headquartered in St. Louis, including the original oil processing plant just as you head south into Decatur.

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Decatur, Indiana - History & Celebrations posted
Central Soya Bean Bowl looking south down Second Street in the early 1960's.

Decatur, Indiana - History & Celebrations commented on their post
November 1, 1961 a large explosion occurs at the local Central Soya Plant on n. Second St.