Southwest Manitoba Elevator Trip, Part 8 - Hartney to Minto

Back in August 2014 I took two days (Aug 8-9) to photograph every grain elevator in southwest Manitoba. Here's part 1 and part 2 and part 3 and part 4 and part 5 and part 6 and part 7.

After Reston, I carried on to the town of Hartney.

Hartney

The town of Hartney has a single grain elevator, a former Manitoba Pool elevator that seems to have had some additions done to it.

I'm not sure what that low structure is between the elevator and the street. It might be part of the dust collection equipment. I thought it was curious that it had two roll-up doors, one on each level.

The elevator has a siding but it doesn't appear to be in use.

Hartney is served by the CP Estevan subdivision. It used to be served by the CN Hartney subdivision until that was removed in 2007 after the Southern Manitoba Railway failed. CN and CP used to cross with an interchange track. Check out this diagram on display in the Hart-Cam Museum:

CN-CP interlocking in Hartney

Speaking of the Hart-Cam Museum, it was open when I was in Hartney so I spent about 15 minutes walking through it. They have a lot of items on display and they are well displayed in a nice walk-around format on two levels.

There's a caboose on display in Hartney, CP 437207, that apparently used to be the village information office.

CP 437207 on display in Hartney

After Hartney, I carried on to Hathaway. On the way I spotted this old farmhouse in the distance.

Hathaway

This grain elevator is owned by a nearby farm. The structure itself seems to be in reasonable shape but does not appear to be used for much.

Hathaway used to be on the CP Boissevain subdivision until it was abandoned in 1975.

The lettering on the side shows its heritage.

The Pool Co-Operative Association phrasing is the same on all elevators, it seems.

Notice something in this photo?

I spotted that old car on the former right-of-way and had to investigate.

I can't really tell what kind of car it used to be. If it were a boxcar I would not expect to see windows but if it was a caboose it should have a cupola. Curious.

The lettering inside seems to indicate it was a boxcar that perhaps was modified afterward to add the windows. Note what appear to be load lines below.

Next on my list and just up the road was...

Regent

I drove to where my GPS said the elevator was, and... nothing. There was no elevator in sight. I drove on for a bit, passing one house, but there was no elevator to be seen other than the distant Hathaway elevator I had just visited.

I did, however, notice a foundation with some blackened remains on it. Fearing the worst, I stopped at the house and knocked. A lady came out and I asked her what happened to the elevator. She said the owner had moved away and didn't own any land around it, and wasn't willing to maintain it and keep the pests out of it, so in the spring of 2014 they set it on fire and burned it down.

It still smelled like a fire had been there.

I had to watch my step as there were a lot of nails and sharp objects around.

So that was the Regent grain elevator. A miss.

With a heavy heart, I carried on to...

Elgin

At least this one still existed!

Like many ex Manitoba Pool elevators, the letters are falling off.

This one is emblazoned with Dodds Farm Ltd.

Elgin was also on the CN Hartney subdivision and was the end of the Southern Manitoba Railway track.

I had lunch at the diner in Elgin - quite nice - and then visited the outside of the museum in Elgin. They had UGG and Manitoba Pool logos outside so I had to model one.

Vanna White, watch out!

After that it was on to..

Minto

There are two grain elevators in Minto... or at least there were two when I visited in August. Notice a problem with one of them?

Tornado-strength winds went through Minto in July 2014 and pretty much ripped the cupola off this elevator.

 It is basically flipped over and hanging on by not very much.

A pigeon curiously gazes upon the exposed machinery.

The damaged elevator appears to have been a Paterson elevator. The other elevator is still marked for Paterson.

There was lots of tape around the damaged elevator to keep people away - quite wisely, since that cupola could have fallen at any time.

After Minto, it was on to Nesbitt to see the two elevators there - the old Pool and the newer Cargill elevators. Next post!