Begin your tour at the Paterson Elevator, on the north end of the row of Inglis Grain Elevators

(Click on the pictures to see full size)
   

In 1919, CPR began negotiations to build a north of Russell. In the fall of 1921 the rail was laid to Cracknell from Russell and in 1922 the line was finished to the newly-created village of Inglis.

The rail line opened November 22, 1922 and passenger service first started on May 13, 1923. A train to Inglis left Winnipeg on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 9:35 a.m. and arrived in Inglis at 7:25 p.m. the same day. The stores were always open for business on these nights.

On a strictly passenger run, with no freight, there would usually be one rail car for passengers and mail combined.  Passenger service ended on September 27, 1953.  Freight shipments continued until the station closed August 9, 1971. Grain shipping services continued until July of 1995.

All five of the Inglis Grain Elevators have a great deal of mechanical integrity, which means that they are very much in their original condition.  Since the tracks had been under the threat of closure since the 1950s, companies would not spend large sums of money on repairs to the elevators.  This is why the National Elevator was never repainted and also why only one, the Paterson Elevator, has a dust collection system.

The Paterson Elevator, at the very north end of the row, was built in 1922 by N.M. Paterson and Sons.  Paterson owned it throughout its entire period of operation.  When it was first built, it was considered to be a "Cadillac" of elevators.  It is the only elevator in the row with a dust collector. This elevator has been completely restored and now serves as the interpretive centre. It has a balloon-type annex, built in 1951, and an adjoining office. This office has been completely restored and serves as our administrative centre.

   
The next two Reliance Elevators were operated from one office. Matheson-Lindsay built the smaller elevator, in 1922.  It developed a lean towards the track side, probably due to improper loading and the soil conditions in the area where the elevator is located. Due to the extent of its leaning, part of its leg and hopper were dismantled some time prior to 1990, when its use was discontinued. 
   
The Province Elevator Company bought this elevator in 1928 and in the mid-1930s, the company changed its name to Reliance.  In 1941, Reliance built the second larger elevator.  Manitoba Pool bought both elevators sometime before 1952, and then UGG bought both in 1971. These two elevators have been completely restored.

    The adjoining office was built in the 1930s. The office was a very important feature of the elevators.  Before the elevators were hooked up to electricity in the l950s, diesel engines were used as power sources.  In addition to serving as the operator's headquarters, the offices housed these engines.  The engines were located away from the elevators for firesafety.The Reliance office has been restored to its original condition, featuring early vintage equipment and a Ruston-Hornsby engine.

    These two elevators also have a round metal annex, unlike any of the other elevators.

    On the northeast corner of the smaller elevators you can see a square cement block with an engine on it.  This was the car puller for that elevator.   When the operator wanted to load the next grain cars he would pull the cars ahead to put an empty one in front of the platform.

Walking south again, you will see the National Elevator, which was built by the Northern Elevator Company between 1920 and 1922. This Company became part of National Grain in 1940 and as you can see it still bears the National logo. Cargill bought the elevator in 1974, but opened it for only a short period before it was sold or traded to N.M. Paterson and Sons.  Paterson owned it until its closure.

In the final years of operation, the grain cleaner was removed from the ceiling of the elevator's driveway, to allow large trucks enough height to unload. Two annexes, one permanent vertical crib-type and one tempore balloon-type were built in 1949 and 1953.

The office is the original one, built in the 1930s. It also has a storage room occupying half of it and opening to the outside. This office has been totally restored and serves as our gift shop.

At the far south of the row is the restored United Grain Growers Elevator. This elevator was built in 1925 by UGG after the first elevator they built in Inglis burned down in February of that year.

Fire was a constant concern for elevator agents, given the dry wood in the buildings and large amounts of highly-combustible grain dust.  You will notice many NO SMOKING signs throughout the site.  This message was so important that some of the signs were posted in Ukrainian, because there were many Romanian and Ukrainian farmers in the area.

UGG owned this elevator until its closure.  The office is original and has a storage shed underneath it.  This elevator also has a temporary horizontal balloon-type annex that was built in 1949.  Its rope drive was removed only a few years before it was closed and the drive wheels are still in place.

Before you leave the UGG Elevator, you may want to have a look at an original loading dock. Mounds of earth were built beside the tracks so that farmers could load grain directly  from their wagons into box cars.  The dock is difficult to see now, but if you walk south of the elevator and chemical shed (along the track), close to the tree, you can see a brush growing on the former driveway.