On the way back from the O Scale National in Lombard, Illinois I stopped in Atlanta, Illinois to visit the J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator museum.

The J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator was built in 1904 on the former in Atlanta. The east-west crossed the busy, double-track Chicago & Alton RR a block east from the elevator. According to town’s website, found at https://atlantaillinoistourism.com/grain-elevator-museum/, The historic J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum was in operation for 75 years and is one of the few all-wooden grain elevators in America — and it still runs! A unique piece of American farming history, this museum is a must-see exhibit.

I first discovered the place in 2005 when I drove from St. Louis to Chicago for a Naperville RPM event. It is just a one-minute drive west off I-55 in Atlanta, ten or so miles south of Bloomington, Illinois. One doesn’t see an original, all-wood grain elevator every day so it’s a real treat. I thought a walk-around of the site would be helpful for our prototype modeling efforts. All the photos below were taken in March, 2024 except as noted.

Below is the overall view as you drive up to the site. The signal guarded the Illinois Central crossing with the C&A. It’s a B&O type and yes it’s prototypical, as the B&O controlled the C&A for many years.

A major feature of the museum is the Wabash auto car, spotted and ready for grain loading.

Here’s a view, below, from my first visit in 2005. There haven’t been too many changes to the elevator, but the auto car has aged and lost it’s nice Wabash paint.

Here’s a well-lit view facing east, below. Simple details seen include the brick foundation, internal braces, unloading ramp and door, and shingle roof.

Below. A view facing north. Note the building is not quite as long as the 40-foot car.

Below. Turning slightly to the left, this view is facing west along the roadbed of the former IC line to Peoria.

The grain loader can be seen between the car and the elevator below. Harder to see is the sliding door below the grain loader, but it’s there. I doubt the little deck is original as it provides practically zero clearance.

The auto car includes a little display explaining how elevators and railroads collaborated to move grain to market. Look how tight the boards still are. By the way I’m not going to make a big deal about an auto car being spotted for bulk grain loading.

Below. The little brick building is original. It contained an internal combustion motor that provided power for the elevator equipment.

The northeast corner of the elevator is seen below. Here is the access door for wagons and trucks. The dirt ramp, wood ramp and brick foundation are all interesting features for modeling.

Above. The southeast view, showing the unloading door on the other side of the elevator. This elevator is on a slight hill which requires a taller ramp on this side. Interior building braces can be seen on this side of the elevator. Weathering patterns are noteworthy too.

Below. Now we are back around to the track side again, looking north. Here’s a view of the B (brake) end of the Wabash auto car.

Above. A detail view of the lower side of the B end including the wheel-stop.

That ends the walk-around. I got some great modeling ideas from visiting the site and I hope you did too.

Incidentally, in 2005 when I first made my first St. Louis to Chicago drive—much of which follows the old Chicago & Alton line—most of the line still looked like this below. This photo was taken nearby in Williamsville, Illinois at the former C&A Depot Boxcar Museum. There were telephone poles everywhere and B&O color-position signals still in use then (B&O controlled the Alton in the 1930s and 1940s). Back then it still looked like a railroad.

The C&A line was rebuilt in the 2000s as a high-speed Amtrak corridor linking St. Louis and Chicago. UP freight trains share the line as well. However, in 2024 the line’s C&A identity is just about gone. It’s been sterilized like most UP-system lines.

A closing comment on the Atlanta elevator. Those Wabash auto cars are a favorite prototype of mine. When Speedwitch introduced an HO model in the early 2000s I bought one and built it right away. Here’s my Speedwitch build, in the foreground. The photo was taken in 2017.

Wabash 46611’s bigger brother seen above is an O scale Rails Unlimited kit. I bought the bigger model in 2014 and finally built it when I lived in Europe. Mine is a “fine scale” proto87 version, fitted with Proto48 trucks with scale-width wheelsets. Decals are from Protocraft. It’s a gorgeous kit.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. – John