Cruisin' for Deals March 29 2019

Current Until April 26, 2019

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Cruisin’ for Deals

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Cruisin’ for Deals

Current Until April 26, 2019

2006 Ford Mustang GT

2010 Dodge Journey

4.6L V8, 5 spd manual, convertible, brand new tires, tinted windows, leather, keyless entry, all equipped! Only 67,093 kms. $16,499. Dealer permit #4222. Call Kyle 204-822-3047.

3.5L, 6 spd auto, heated leather, nav, DVD system and more! Only 75,388 kms. $11,999. Dealer permit #4222. Call Kyle 204-822-3047.

2010 Dodge Caravan

2013 Dodge Journey

6 cyl auto, pw, pdl, cc, ac, Bluetooth ready, Stow & Go. $7,499. Skyline Autobody at 204-325-8155.

2.4L 4 cyl, auto, keyless entry, cruise, air, pw, Canada Value Pkg. 193,677 kms. $7,997. Call Steinbach Dodge at 1-888-458-5094.

2008 Chevrolet Equinox Sport AWD

3.6L V6, auto, air, cruise, heated leather, pdl, pw, sunroof, tow pkg.

155,853 kms. $7,500. Call Pete at (204) 331-3326 Pembina Valley Auto.

2013 Chevy Cruze LTZ

4 cyl turbo auto, two-tone leather, only 65,000 kms, $9,299. Skyline Autobody at 204-325-8155.

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1964 Ford T Bird

2door hard top, 390 V8, Automatic, Fold over steering wheel. Manitoba Safetied, runs and drives. Local automobile selling at our May 4 auction Jct 3 & 14, Winkler. Along with farm equipment, tractors, trucks, RV, Lawn garden. See list www.billklassen.com, 204-325-4433 or cell 204-325-6230.

1949 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe

2000 New Holland DC100 Crawler

6 way blade, 3700 hours, in good working condition. $27,500. Rite-Way Rentals, 150A Foxfire Trail, Winkler, MB. 204-325-2201

2007 RAM 3500 Cummins Diesel Mega Cab

5.9L Cummins, auto, air, leather, pdl, pw, tow pkg.

675,130 kms. $12,000. Call Pete at (204) 331-3326 Pembina Valley Auto.

2008 Heartland Bighorn 3100RL

216 6 cyl. 3 spd. standard. Runs very well. Local automobile selling at our May 4 auction Jct 3 & 14, Winkler. Along with farm equipment, tractors, trucks, RV, Lawn garden. See list www.billklassen.com, 204-325-4433 or cell 204-325-6230.

2008 Ford F-150 FLARE SIDE FX4

2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L

5.4L, auto, cruise, pdl, tow pkg, keyless entry, air, pw. 212,427 kms. $9,999. Dealer permit #4222. Call Kyle 204-822-3047.

3.5L auto, AWD, heated leather, backup cam, nav and much more.

203,000 kms. $9,999. Dealer permit #4222. Call Kyle 204-822-3047.

2015 Dodge Grand Caravan

2008 Canyon Trail by Gulfstream 3.6L 6 cyl, auto, keyless entry, air, cruise, pw, Canada Value Pkg. 160,140 kms. $10,997. Call Steinbach Dodge at 1-888-458-5094.

2014 RAM 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4×4

31’ Fifth wheel, 3 slides, AC, propane tank, awning, fridge, stove, microwave, front TV, Fireplace and more. $17,900.

Call Pete at (204) 331-3326 Pembina Valley Auto.

33’ Fifth wheel, Sedona edition, Fireplace, 3 slides and more. $17,900.

Call Pete at (204) 331-3326 Pembina Valley Auto.

5.7L HEMI, auto, air, cruise, pdl, pw, tow pkg. 192,000 kms. $15,400. Call Pete at (204) 331-3326 Pembina Valley Auto.

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Current Until April 26, 2019

Current Until April 26, 2019

Your Buying Guide

Cruisin’ for Deals

Your Buying Guide

Cruisin’ for Deals

Current Until April 26, 2019

Portable Elevators and Rail Boxcar Evolution The Dickson Henderson Families of Boissevain donated to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum digital photographs taken on the farms the families operated in the Boissevain area. These photographs have proven a treasure trove for the Museum showing the activities and machinery in the photographs.

One photo in particular depicts a portable elevator filling a wooden CPR boxcar most likely in the 1930s. Unfortunately at this time the man in the photo cannot be identified. It is believed he is not a member of either the Henderson Family or Dickson family and instead maybe a hired man for one of the families.

The portable elevator has been pulled up beside the boxcar, the leg elevated and the spout ran into the car. A grain wagon has been backed up to the hopper which feeds the leg. A stationary engine can be seen behind the young man seated on the frame of the elevator. This engine powered the leg which elevated the grain.

Also visible is a 2x8 plank running between the leg and the framework that could be folded into the travel position. This plank likely locked the leg in the vertical position. Given the large surface area the leg presents to the wind, such a lock would be wise idea. Also visible is a rod that runs between the top of the leg and the frame.

What this rod was used for is a mystery. One would not think that it controlled the flow of grain into the spout as shutting off the grain flowing into the spout would potentially result in the leg plugging. It was better to shut the flow of grain into the leg and let the leg clean out.

Portable elevators had been in existence for some time before this photo was taken. There is an ad for a portable elevator built by the Carberry Wood and Iron Works in a 1906 edition of the magazine Canadian Thresherman and Farmer.

A release on this ad can be found at mbagmuseum.ca/portable-elevator1906-style. The Carberry portable elevator was a very elaborate machine as it not only elevated the grain but it also incorporated a horse treadmill that powered the leg and a wagon lift which raised the front of the grain wagon up to reduce the shoveling necessary to empty the wagon. The treadmill also operated the wagon lift.

The portable elevator seen here was a comparatively simple machine. Grain was dropped out of the wagon box into the hopper feeding the leg. When the grain quit running out of the wagon box, it was time to start shoveling. A shovel can be seen hanging on the side of the leg.

At that time scoop shovels were more than likely made of steel as aluminum was expensive material.

In the book “The Canadian Grain Trade” written in 1932 by D.A. MacGibbon, he said that the railways only permitted the owners of portable elevators to use

out of planks that has been fastened across the inside to the opening.

Both doors in the boxcar have had grain doors installed, a process called “coopering”. The grain doors were necessary to hold grain in the car as the sliding doors on the car were not meant to hold any weight.

ing the grain spout to come into the car.

In any event a boxcar usually could not be filled to the very top to avoid being overweight which resulted in damage to the wheel bearings and axles, plus railway bridges and track structures. In a

and ended up in a poor position to make a claim on missing grain. If the producer loaded to the interior marks on the car then apparently the railway would come to an agreement on any claim.

Interestingly, flax was hauled in these cars and to make the car tight

The boxcar is one of the first types of steel framed boxcars purchased by the CPR, nicknamed “Fowler” boxcars. Previous to these cars the CPR and other Canadian railways used wooden boxcars. By the early 1900s, more powerful locomotives had come into service resulting in longer trains and it was increasingly realized that wooden cars were in danger of not being able to handle the forces thrown on them in train service. Steel framed cars became the answer. The CPR designed the Fowler cars in 1908 and by 1914 had ordered some 34,000. The CNR also purchased over 30,000 cars of the Fowler type. Fowler cars began to leave service in large numbers in the 1950s with the last car being used in 1980.

127340, the number of the car in the photo, was built in 1912 by the American Car and Foundry Company in Detroit, Michigan.

these machines to load railcars. He went on to state that the railways instituted this policy because of the danger posed to the rapid movement of grain resulting from the elevator system if portable elevators replaced a portion of the grain elevator system.

In considering MacGibbon’s statements, one has to realize that much of the grain flowed to port in the fall before freeze up of the Great Lakes with a marked drop off in shipments after freeze up.

Railways came into heavy criticism for failing to provide enough cars to carry the fall traffic however; many boxcars were largely parked after freeze up earning little revenue until the harvest began next fall.

The grain elevator system with the grain it stored trackside allowed for speedy and efficient loading of railcars in all weathers which increased the number of trips to port the boxcar fleet could make in the fall.

Returning to the photo, the door on the boxcar has been slid open and one can see the grain door made

As the car is to be unloaded, one of the grain doors is pushed by brute force into the car against the grain far enough so that grain pours out around the door. When sufficient grain has escaped, the doors are then pulled out and unloading resumes.

Grain elevators kept a stock of grain doors on hand and when they ran low, the agent would order a car load of doors from the head office, which delivered grain doors from the stocks at the Lake head terminals. At times, new doors were built after breaking during unloading. And as the doors were made of plank, doors sometimes were “diverted” to other uses.

In many photos of elevators, there can be seen a stack of what appears to be lumber beside the elevator.

This stack is usually stockpiled grain doors. Where the farmer here got the doors is unknown, however it may be that the farmer just obtained two doors from the local elevator. As can be seen the grain door does not extend all the way to the top of the door opening allow-

wooden car such as this, there are lines painted on the inside of the car which show the levels which various grains could be loaded to.

A broom can be seen on the side of the boxcar beside the door. Most likely the farmer swept out the car before coopering the doors. The farmer would also inspect the car for damage to the sides as grain could leak out through any holes.

While loading, the farmer usually did not have access to a scale before filling a railcar.

Wooden cars were prone to leaking grain and the railways issued instructions to station agents and other employees of the railway to watch grain trains as they passed.

If a car was leaking grain then the train crew was alerted to stop and repair. With a car loaded at an elevator the weight of the initial grain loaded was known and the railway would pay for missing grain.

However the weight of grain loaded by a producer was not known

enough to hold flax, the railway would supply heavy paper lining for the inside of the car. The paper came with pre-formed corners to fit into the corners. Flax was crushed to make linseed oil which was the common ingredient in paint at that time.

The opening above the grain door was useful for other reasons. Often when the loading was done, someone would have to climb into the car through the opening to level the load. As well at this time, inspectors for the Board of Grain Commissioners sampled each car as it passed through Winnipeg on the way to the Lake Head. Grain cars moving to Vancouver were sampled at Calgary or Edmonton. The inspector would usually take the sample through the openings. The sample was then graded and when the car arrived at a terminal the grade of grain was already known. The car could then be rapidly assigned to a terminal for unloading.

The Manitoba Agricultural Museum is open year round. For visitor information, events and hours of operation visitag-museum.mb.ca.

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1930 Prairie Grain Pricing Depended on Closeness to Port and Grade

Producer boxcars were a popular option for farmers in the early days of the grain trade. It offered ability to access better prices for grain, avoided elevation charges at the elevator and access to grading and weighing carried out by the Board of Grain Commissioners’ employees.

There were downsides too. A producer had to have sufficient grain of one type and grade to load one of these cars. While a farmer, in theory, could load different types or grades into a boxcar, this meant “bulkheads” or walls had to be built inside the box to divide the grades. As well as the producer bearing the expense of the lumber needed, the producer had to pay at port for the increased expenses incurred while unloading such a car. Railways disliked bulkheading as it resulted in damage to the wooden sides of the boxcar.

However, bulkheading appears to have not been a common practice.

Other downsides to using producer cars included complicated damage claims in the case of producer cars leaking grain and potential demurrage charges in case loading of the car was slow or there were problems unloading at port.

The advantages of a producer car included access to better prices for grain. In the 1930s producers used a number of ways to sell grain. Pre 1935, a producer had the option of selling wheat through the voluntary pool schemes offered by the three pooling organizations in each of the Prairie Provinces. After 1935, a producer had the option to sell wheat through the voluntary pooling scheme operated by the Canadian Wheat Board.

In the 1930s the producer also had the option of marketing grain to private industry; grain companies, grain dealers or grain brokers. The farmer could simply take grain to an elevator and sell it to the grain company operating the elevator. The grain companies offered what was termed “street” price for grain purchased on the elevator driveway.

The farmer also had the option of marketing grain to private industry using a producer car. If the producer had enough grain to load a boxcar it would be ordered and loaded, then a variety of price options became available. Once the car was ready to ship to a port terminal, grain companies or grain dealers could offer to pay “track” price for the grain before the car even left the point it was loaded. Track price was usually higher than street price as the grain companies or dealers knew the grain was loaded and ready to move to port or wherever the customer wanted it.

Grain cars moving to port were sampled at Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton and the samples graded while the car was enroute to port.

As a producer car passed through sampling and grading checkpoints the grain was offered a “billed and inspected” price by grain companies or grain dealers. Billed and inspected price was higher than track price as the grade and volume of grain was known plus the grain was closer to port.

When the grain was unloaded, weighed and put into storage at a port terminal, the producer could

then be offered a “spot” price. Spot price was higher than “billed and inspected” price as the grain was at port ready to ship.

Usually the “street” price for grain was the lowest of all price options, making the loading of producer boxcar attractive.

The Canada Grain Act at this time made reference to special binning. If an elevator offered special binning, a producer with a car lot of grain could request special binning for grain and have the grain kept separate from other grain in the elevator.

The producer could then load a car through the elevator and still retain ownership. Elevation and storage charges would be assessed by the elevator but loading the car would be much easier.

As well as receiving a higher price for the grain the producer would avoid elevation charges at the elevator if the producer loaded a producer car. In addition, the Board of Grain Commissioners inspectors would inspect, grade and weigh the grain.

These inspectors were seen by many producers as being neutral in their decisions as they did not work for a grain company and would grade and weigh grain more accurately.

Against these benefits, the producer would have to consider the problems in loading a railcar at the time. Depending on the car supplied the producer would need approximately 1,800 bushels. This was an issue particularly if harvest was done with a threshing machine which was a slower process making the harvest even more exposed to weather issues. As well, hauling the grain from the farm to load a car was slow and laborious in the days of grain wagons.

A Cockshutt advertisement from 1919 showing the company’s car loader. As well as small manufacturers selling portable elevators, major companies such as Cockshutt were too. The swiveling hopper was a very modern feature for 1919 and offered the same advantages that the swiveling end on a modern auger does. From the markings on the swiveling end and on the elevator itself, it is suspected that Cockshutt purchased these machines from the Rustad Company for resale by Cockshutt. While the arrangement to raise and lower the elevator looks more elaborate than necessary, such an arrangement may have been necessary because of the chain and shaft arrangement used to drive the swiveling hopper off of the elevator. The chains and shafts would have to remain in precise alignment with each other as the bottom end of the elevator could only be rotated as it elevated, around the axis of its bottom shaft. A stationary engine can be seen in the drawing. It powered the machine. Owners of this machine would have appreciated the ability to drive the wagon alongside rather than back up the horse team and wagon immediately above a hopper.

evators, there were marketers active on the prairies that owned no facilities. They instead purchased grain on “track” “billed and inspected” or “spot”. There were also grain marketers which were only active at port.

Several important factors facilitated the use of producer cars to move and market grain. Port terminals up to the 1920s were “public” in nature. That is the terminals took in any grain forwarded to the terminal and stored it. Generally before 1920 port terminals were not owned by companies which operated elevators on the prairies. Public port terminals were not allowed to own grain; they just simply handled and stored grain.

This situation began to change in the 1920s and many terminals became semi-public terminals handling grain owned by their company as well as The railways during the fall “grain pended on the local weather events handling other people’s grain. rush” only allowed 24 hours for Generally railways wanted to In this time period there existed loading and would charge demurrage maximize the number of trips their on the car if the car was not loaded boxcar fleets made between loading a “no mixing” rule in the Canadian grain industry. By 1930 this rule had 24 hours after being spotted. Conpoints and the ports in a fall. Railevolved and was only applicable to sidering the average grain wagon ways operated 2 to 3 trains a week could haul at most 100 bushels, 7 or on most branch lines which ensured the top grades of wheat. Once a load of wheat had a grade of Number 3 8 trips were needed. Given a horse cars were dropped off soon after drawn wagon was not a particularly allocation and were promptly picked Northern or higher assigned to it, no other grades of wheat were allowed speedy vehicle; a producer workup to move to ports. It appears in to be mixed into this wheat either ing alone would have to be located most years the flow of boxcars to at the elevator or at the port. Wheat within several miles of the rail sidand from port to prairie loading grading Number 3 or higher arriving ing on which the car was spotted. In points was well organized and exat port was then forwarded to an asaddition, the producer would not be ecuted with minimum delay. signed terminal for that wheat grade entirely sure when the railcar would Farmers could and did use comarrive for loading. One thing the mission agents and the commission and dumped into a bin containing only that grade regardless of who producer could count on was that the houses of grain companies to assist car would not be arriving on a bright with producer cars. These agents and owned the grain.

What the owner received from sunny day when the producer had organizations would act as agents nothing to do. of the farmer in disputes over grade the terminal was not an actual grain ownership; instead the owner Obtaining a railcar for producer and weights. They also, assisted in loading was a fairly simple process arranging storage at port if necessary received a warehouse receipt which was a recognized financial instruas at the time each railway station and in selling the grain as it moved ment. The owners of the grain could had to maintain a car order book in through the system. deposit warehouse receipts with the which each person, grain company There were a number of grain Port Shippers Clearance Associaor individual, wanting a railcar filled companies active during this time, tion active at each grain port and in out a page. Cars were allocated in marketing wheat. While many the strict order the pages were filled marketers of prairie grain owned el- return receive a Shippers Certificate. out. In addition, individual producers were restricted to having one car on order and grain elevators were restricted to two. The railways operated a car distribution system which allocated cars on the basis of demand at stations and took into account the size and timing of the harvest across the prairies which de-

Given a horse drawn wagon was not a particularly speedy vehicle; a producer working alone would have to be located within several miles of the rail siding on which the car was spotted.

The Shippers Certificate could be sold or if the owner wanted to ship grain out of the port, the owner would give the certificate to the Shipping Clearance Association to be loaded on a specified vessel and giving the Association the date the vessel was expected in port.

When the vessel appeared to move the grain, the Shipping Clearance Association assigned the vessel to whichever terminal had the necessary grade of grain that had the capacity to load the vessel regardless of where the grain owner was actually located. After the vessel was loaded the paperwork was reviewed with the pertinent shipper’s certificates and warehouse receipts cancelled.

If the owner of the wheat holding shipper certificates still had wheat in storage, not loaded onto a vessel then appropriate paperwork in the proper tonnage was issued. The ‘no mixing’ rule meant that at least for the top grades the ports were relatively fluid.

However using a producer car to move wheat grading Number 4 or lower to port was more of an issue as when the car arrived at port, the car had to be directed to a particular terminal to be unloaded with agreement for handling to be arranged beforehand between the terminal and the owner of the wheat. Commission agents or commission houses of grain companies would have been useful to make these arrangements. Demurrage on the car may have been charged by the railway if the car had to wait at port before a terminal had space free.

Doubtlessly some wheat grading Number 4 or lower was shipped using producer cars but in general most farmers using producer cars realized that it was best to ship the higher grades of wheat.

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