Prior to the covered grain hoppers, the railroad used to use standard box cars to ship grain. When I was in high school, I got a summer job working for the local grain elevator putting doors in box cars.

The railroad would spot empty box cars on the siding and we would go out and clean out a car then stock it with the required number of doors.

We could put in doors faster than they could be loaded, so we would get two or three cars ready then roll them up to the loading side of the elevator. The loader would then bring the ready cars up to the chute to load. When we had all of the cars boarded up, we would get a break. Then headed back to the elevator where we helped to unload the trucks, and spot and transfer the box cars.

During harvest time, it was not unusual for us to stay open unloading trucks and filling box cars until midnight and we would be back the next morning at about 6am going at again until the harvest was pretty well wrapped up.

It was about 10:00 one evening and we had just finished boarding up the last box car. We were going to spot the cars by the loading chute, getting them ready for the loader. The guy I was working with crawled up the box car and got on the brake wheel. I crawled on the tractor and eased up the lead box car got off and hooked the chain onto the lead boxcar. I got the cars moving and they were rolling pretty well. The guy on the brake hollered that the brake was frozen. I stopped the tractor got off and grabbed some 2x4’s to put under the wheels to try and stop the string of cars.

My co-worker was scrambling across the roof to another car to try the brakes on another car. The wheels were just rolling over the 2x4’s like nothing.

We had about 500’ to get the string of cars stopped. We were not successful. He found a brake that would work and I could hear the screech of the brakes at the same time as a thud and crunch. The cars rolled into the boxcar being loaded, which knocked the chute and platform loose and made a good mess of things.

Needless to say, the owner was upset at us. There were trucks lined up waiting to unload and we had just messed up. The elevator was full and the only storage was in the box cars. We were sent home.

The owner and his key man worked on the chute and platform all night getting it repaired.

When I came to work next morning, things were up and running fairly normal. The guy I was working with and I got some stares that were not too nice.

Today as I watch the covered hoppers filled and how easy they are moved around the elevators by the tugs or switchers, I sort of grimace.

The grain harvest is a major business for the railroads out in the heartland, trucks being a major competition to haul the harvest. With the flooding in Iowa, the railroads are using all types of detours to get to their customers and get the grain shipped. One of the few times there is some cooperation among the railroads to get around washed out rails and bridges.

There is a small regional carrier in Iowa that operates on some of the old Rock Island trackage. Some of their right-of- way was washed away or under water. They are using Burlington or Union Pacific track to get around and others are using their rails.

When it comes harvest time, getting the crop in and moved becomes of utmost priority and the crops will be moved.