Tim, actually I have a Bob's photo of DL&W 55203, built 3-57 Magor CC, in San Diego at a bakery in April 1957 one month after building. The car is stenciled "RETURN TO BUFFALO FOR FLOUR LOADING." apparently the Buffalo flour cars did get around. Buffalo was the grain milling capital of the world. I admit I don't understand the economics of shipping wheat east by boat the flour west, but it did happen.
The photo is also interesting in that it is the only time I have seen ditto marks used for stenciling.

Brian J carlson

On Thursday, January 13, 2005, at 07:41 AM, Garth Groff wrote:

Brian,

Not all wheat is the same thing, nor is flour just flour. Different
grains and flours have specific qualities which makes them useful for
certain products, and worthless for others. Seminola wheat, for example,
makes the best pasta, but doesn't make very good bread (IIRC, it doesn't
rise well). Special types wheat might be milled only in a few locations
due to the need for special equipment (for example, some berries are
much harder than others, or too much oil in the germ could clog regular
milling machinery). Thus it is quite possible that some mills in Buffalo
had a near-monopoly on milling and distributing certain flours that
would be needed nationwide. Now California does (or did) raise and mill
quite a bit of wheat, but it might not be suitable for the products made
by that San Diego bakery.

Kind regards,


Garth G. Groff

This is not intended to put some one down. I worked for International Milling Co as a Control Chemist. I would like to correct some miss conception about wheat and flour.
Flow is milled in 4 types. Patent, 1st clear, 2nd clear and red dog. Each type can differ with in its self a per type wheat used. Hard wheat does not require any different machinery than soft wheat. All are mild in the same mill. Where I worked we had two mills in the building. Also the oil in the germ stays in the germ. Also another misconception is bleached flow is bad for you is the fact Flour will bleach itself in 90 days.
Patten flout is the first flower off the mill. The wheat kernel is slightly broken. The some of the flour falls out with some bran and germ. This goes through the sifter. Then the flour goes to the grinder. The germ is a solid piece and goes on it's way to a collector.
There is a 2nd, 3rd and 4th breaks. Each break opens the kernel further and more of the flour falls out with more and more of the bran.
A flour is graded by the protein, ash and moisture content. That was my job to test for this. These are controlled by The type of wheat that is blended for the grind. Also how much of the flour you blend back into the first break from the 2nd, and 3rd breaks. The 4th break has so much bran it it it is always used in the Red Dog
Patent flour is used in baking cakes and some breads. 1st clear is used in beard flour and lesser products.
General purpose flour you get in the store is 1st clear. You can buy patent as cake flour.
2nd clear is always used for export flour.
Red Dog is sold to the animal feed market.
Flour does not come off the mill already ground. The flour is little hard pieces. Cream of wheat breakfast cereal is unground flour.
Wheat germ is very seldom ground and is mixed 50/50 with bran for the market.
I think I have covered things but any questions please contact me off list as this is OT and mike has been very good to us.
thank you
Larry Jackman
ljack70117@...
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