Putman, IL: Grain Elevator with a "truss" or "super-flow" across a railroad

(Satellite)

This is one of those rural towns that has almost as many grain silos and bins as houses. Andy Miller posted the following photo on a post concerning grain facilities near Onida, SD.

Andy Miller commented on a post, cropped

Andy Miller commented on a post
This is Rumbold & Kuhn’s Putnam facility. The “truss” or “super-flow” is what we call the conveyor on the catwalk you guys are referring to. It’s a belt conveyor if you were wondering, has been “Grandfathered in” since years ago when the facility loaded out by rail. We haven’t loaded rail in many, many years from here but I think that’s why even when we had to take it down to put support towers underneath a few years ago, we were allowed to put it back up. But it was a major hassle and a lot of money and paperwork involved to let that happen. It was actually pushing the concrete silos that it was anchored to away from each other, so it had to be done.

6 large bins have been added to the south since this picture. Along with a dryer upgrade on the highway side, the scale was moved, and the concrete dual overheads and pit near the highway were knocked down as well.

Also, the 3 small bins near the highway near the shed to the south have been removed, and a pit added near the pad. Which has been eliminated as well, thank god.

The railroad was the Rock Island. It is now operated by Iowa Interstate (IAIS).

They went with bolted-steel silos rather than slip-form. It is interesting that they added a big jump-form silo across the tracks before adding another small jump-form silo on the highway side.

One of 44 farm scenes posted by Sam Carlson. On July 10, 1996, four pieces of EMD power lead a southward Iowa Interstate train through Putnam, IL.
Mike Tisdale Interesting arrangement of the silos on either side of the track. Gives the trains a frame. So, this is the Rock Island Peoria line, eh?
Dennis DeBruler A conveyor across a railroad's mainline is rather rare. I understand a lot of paperwork has to be filled out to do this.
Sam Carlson I wonder if the conveyor went in when the line was abandoned after the Rock quit in March, 1980. Then the line ran in fits and starts for awhile until ownership was settled. EJ&E tried running it for a month or two; then some outfit came along with 5 yeller U30Bs and that didn't work out either. CSX got in on it, too.
Dennis DeBruler 1980 would be consistent with bolted steel and jump form silos on the west side and then a larger jump form silo and bins in the east side expansion. I had checked a 1939 aerial to determine that this elevator expanded from the west side.

Street View

A 1939 aerial photo supports the theory that the elevator started on the west side and then grew on the east side rather than merging two elevators into one.

1939 Aerial Photo