“I worked BN (exCBQ) Agent/Operator positions in Western Nebraska and Colorado. These were all small-town agencies. The agents talked with their elevators about the number of boxcar shipments they forecast loading out the coming year. From this information, an order for grain doors was placed with the storehouse in Lincoln, NE for the upcoming harvest season. One boxcar of grain doors for the year was shipped to each station if the order was large enough to warrant the full 40ft boxcar. Often times the grain doors for several stations were combined into a car going to several stations in the same area as a stop-off car. The boxcar was spotted on the house track at each agency. The local elevators came and unloaded their share of the doors from the boxcar then the car. The agent kept track of how many doors each elevator took. If not watched they would often take more than their allotment. After everyone picked up their grain doors the car was billed out to the next station as non-revenue company material.
I am sure the larger elevators may have received an entire boxcar or more loaded with grain doors. This would be a one-time shipment for the season, not something that was shipped a few at a time. I have no memories of any grain doors being stored at the agencies.”
Is Robert referencing wood grain doors or Signode type paper doors? What year(s)?
