Take the space you have, and

Take the space you have, and design your own, so the facility fits the way you want it to.

I Googled HO scale grain elevators, and got lots of images to look at, and ideas.  Some of Walthers "foot print" of their ADM mill also was there.  At least the images will give you a size reference to witch help show just how big the structures should be.

Which is another idea, to get started, Most Walthers kits have the instruction and foot print you can download from the web site, when you are looking at the product.  It's usually down the page a little on the right side.maybe that will help you get started.

Mike.

Historic American Buildings Survey

Not exactly HO scale, but the Historic American Buildings Survey should have several plans for feed mills and elevators that you can get a start with.  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/

Lou in Idaho

Why do you think you need

Why do you think you need plans? I f you look at the many photos on line, you will see that there pretty mutch all alike.

You need a tall structure for the leg,a dump pit, some room for mixing equipment and storage.Pretty simple.

Take a look at walther's offerings and go from there

Maybe the person likes to scratchbuild

I thought this was the forum of "It's your railroad, do as you want"?

HABS-HAER

I second the HABS-HAER site Lou suggested, look at the Continental grain elevator in Brownwood, TX

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/tx1057/

For something bigger, here's another one.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/ny1669/

I work in the grain industry

If you're looking at modern grain bins, there's a multitude out there. Family-wise, the most popular are a 48' diameter and 60' diameter bin. Commercially, the most popular is usually a 105' diameter. Height-wise, most farming tends to be 25' to 51' in height, before reaching the 30° sloped roof. Commercially, they can be anywhere from 51' thru 110' before reaching the roof. Of course, this is a rule of thumb, and not correct in all cases. Some family ones are enormous, and some commercial ones are extremely small--or are up to 156' in diameter.

It's all up to you.

Great timing

Grain/Feed Mills

Thanks to all for the info even the snide remarks. I will gladly design and build my own, but was just looking for some input ideas for what might look best on a model RR. without taking up to much space for the foot print. And NO I really don't need plans. The wording was to just to get some dialog started. I have looked through all of Jim Six post and yes do see a great amount of ideas and differences in them.

Richard

I believe we are talking a

I believe we are talking a grain/feed mill and not a shipping elevator.  So the "silo' would not be needed

An older wood elevator for storage and a work house for the grinding/mixing machinery.  Add a warehouse for the supliments that the farmer would add to his grain mix.  They may also stock chicken feed, etc.

My thoughts are that they very seldom ship any grain, but might buy bagged bran, and others items to add to what to locals bring in to grind.

Just my thoughts.

Howard Garner

Many unanswered questions

When I saw Richard's initial query in another post, I noted that he needed to clarify some. This isn't unusual for folk asking questions.

Questions such as (but not limited to)

1. What era
2. What kind of feed (believe it or not, there are chicken feed mills)
3. Associated with another grain industry such as an elevator or a CO-OP
4. Market size (a small feed mill might get raw product by truck, not rail)

Someone remarked that most feed mills are very similar. I disagree. It depends on the era. And where it's located. Just as grain elevators in various states vary with one style predominating over others in a region.

A feed mill will have some sort of storage for raw material and other storage for the finished product(s). There will be processing equipment plus It will have a mixing plant.

For some good illustrations, I'd recommend using Google image search:  https://www.google.com/search?as_st=y&tbm=isch&hl=en&as_q=feed+mill&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&imgar=&imgcolor=&imgtype=&cr=&as_sitesearch=&safe=images&as_filetype=&as_rights=#imgrc=_

Another good source of ideas is to simply use Google maps and "fly" over places that would likely have feed mills. Follow the rails. Look for the facilities. Then go to street view. For myself, I have little desire to drive all the roads in Kansas looking for the differences in grain facilities.

Educating yourself on what the plant actually does helps in design. Or research places that build plants, such as  https://www.grainfeedseed.com/feed-mill-systems/

IMO, whatever gets designed will be a compromise. It's that way for most things we model. Selective compression. There are things I wouldn't necessarily scratchbuild, like a leg (it's not that difficult, but tedious).

Now I would recommend taking a look at Mike Rose's Pbase pages, especially his grain elevator photos and techniques. Very good materials.

Good luck and good modeling.

Grain/Feed

Maybe I used the wrong term for what I was asking. From the looks of it from feed back (no pun intended) I have gotten I was probably referring to a storage facility and not a actual grinding mill. I will end up designing my own for the space I have available for it. But in the mean time here are some pictures of another one I am working on for a different town. I am guessing that it will be for truck deliver/pickup operations. The only question I have in this one is the small single silo structure. I am debating with myself if maybe it's base section should be all concrete instead of concrete and brick. My idea was to have a structure that didn't look like every one we see. I am not a rivet counter, but I do want something that looks like it might fit.

Yup, that is a shipper

That is a shipping facility. You need the dump site, for the trucks where it is then hauled into the bins. This sort of place is a buyer. Farmers bring their crops in when they think the price is the best and the shipper buys it for the current going rate. They then hold it and sell it when they, hopefully, can sell it for even more. Many times this happens in the spring.

A feed mill is a totally different animal although it can have elements of a shipper as well.

Around here, a feed mill is

Around here, a feed mill is just that. Farmer brings his own grain,corn or oats usually,has it ground and mixed with other stuff and sent back to the farm. On the same truck or balk.Little or no rail use.

What we call an elevator; Farmer brings in ''wet'' grain from the field, corn wheat or soybeans. The elv. will dry the grain,then eather store it for the farmer's future use,or buy it and then resell. Some but not all have rail. these places get really busy come harvest time. many times they had to stop receiving wet grain while waiting for rail cars. There you would see a truck scale/office, legs, conveyors,,wet bin, dryer and bins/silos. no buildings to speak of. A lot of grain is sold on contract befor it's even planted. Most grain is bought and sold by brokers.

I have hauled dry grain to a facility that just stored an then shipped out by rail. Nothing ther but scale house/office and bins with equipment.

Couple years ago a new place opened, Just a siding,and some portable conveyors. they would load the rail cars by moving the truck and conveyors along the track.Kinda like a team track. No buildings or equipment.

So you could  have almost any of the above,or a combination, and have it believable.

BTW that building with the tank on it ,looks to me,more like some kind of liquid storage.

Feed mill - loadout

December 1955 Model Railroader had plans for the feed mill in Wales, WI, along the CNW Waukesha-Madison line.  It burned down in the early 1980s.  I was attending elementary school nearby and saw it. 

I believe Campbell made a kit for it, Montgomery Feed and Seed. 

A very modelable grain loadout is at Williams, WI, (about 3 miles from Wales) along the WSOR (ex-MILW).  The main building is fairly unique, looking to be of cast concrete construction, with a curved roof.  The track holds 3 grain covered hoppers end-to-end, but 2 get spotted, so they can be moved under the spout for loading.  They usually chain up a fairly large John Deere tractor to the cars for the movement.  There are some shots on Flickr of this facility.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/wizzells2012/27630514159/in/pool-wsor/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/wizzells2012/10236406836/in/pool-wsor/  Map and aerial view: https://binged.it/2RDviAg

There are other unique feed mills along the WSOR.  Some of the most photographed ones are at Richfield, Palmyra, and Fairwater.