Sask Pool in Stranraer, Part 2

In Part 1, I rolled up on the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator in Stranraer. The elevator agent kindly gave the run of the place! Having joined him atop a 'Coke can' car he was loading, I made it down to the driveshed floor. Grease gun, tools, bin diagram and signage are all in their proper places:

The data management centre and scale:

A second farmer arrives to unload. This farmer was older, though his truck was younger! The agent again samples the grain by letting it run through his hand:

Business done, but it continues in the office. The farmer lights up a cigarette. He was a man of few words. Check out the coffee/refreshment area on that white table:

Down in the valley - Stranraer's remaining elevator, the four loaded cars and the one the agent was working on. Notice evidence of tie replacement:

Stranraer's valley location was shown in this newspaper photo. CP work train is in town:

Stranraer by satellite...look at those chiselled river valleys:

Postcards home. The postmistress in the cabin-like post office must have wondered.

Links:

• Chris and Connie made it to Stranraer in 2015, photographing the United Church and school. The school closed in 1969, the elevator in 1989. '
• Darren went there, too.
• Practically a ghost town' by 2016.
• Murals in the school windows showing the SWP elevator.
• Old photos. Really old.
• Had a ski hill. In Saskatchewan!
• Vintage aerial photo with four elevators at Stranraer

Famed photographer of trains and the Prairie scene Chuck Bohi shared a photo of Stranraer's school. Chuck visited the village in August, 1980 and noted its unique valley location. Ah, the inexorable nexus of transportation and geography! Note elevators in the background:

Running extra...

Stranraer will be one of many locations profiled in my upcoming Trains and Grains project. As the title suggests, it will be a mix of...trains and grains. Due out next spring, I'm spending this fall and winter putting the pieces together. Be sure to check the Trains and Grains blog every so often, right at the top of the right sidebar! I'll be drumming up interest in the blog (photo, above) for the ten folks that will be interested in this project.

American Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday...Time-out Tuesday. This weekend will be a blur for most. We did our bit to keep the economy going, sure. But why not stay home and work on my Green Mountain Lines when not practising retail therapy? Latest addition to my HO scale layout was the repainting of my green Beaver Lumber into Vermont's Allen Lumber Company: