| A remnant of the GN Interstate Bridge is dwarfed by the Hwy. 535/Hwy. 53 Blanik Bridge, as seen from the Vista Star during Vista Fleet's Grand Sightseeing Tour of the Duluth & Superior Harbor at Duluth, MN on 25 Jun. '16. The massive elevator complex looming beyond the bridge is General Mills Superior Elevators S & X, Superior, WI, with a capacity of 12.7 million bushels. The original elevator at the site, Elevator A, was erected by the GN in 1886, Elevator X followed in ‘88. Both were made of wood with corrugated steel sheathing and had a capacity of 1,750,000 bushels (some references list X’s capacity as 1,500,000 bushels). Elevator S, the most prominent part of the facility, was designed by Max Toltz, a mechanical engineer with GN. It was constructed almost entirely of steel, a rarity in grain elevators, with a capacity of 3,100,000 bushels (billed as the largest in the world when completed). It is 364’-6” long, 124’-6” wide, stands 246’ high and cost $1,229,150. Construction commenced on 1 May ’99 and it received its first grain on 26 Feb. ’01. Elevator A was destroyed in a massive fire on 8 Nov. ’07. Annex No. 1, capacity 2,400,000 bushels, made of concrete, was completed on the east side of Elevator S in ’09. Annex No. 2, made of concrete, was built on the north side of Annex No. 1 sometime between ’09 and ’30. Annex No. 3, capacity 3,000,000 bushels, made of concrete, was completed on the north side of Elevator S in ’30. Elevator X was destroyed by fire on 10 Jan. ’42, a new, concrete Elevator X was erected in ’47. The facility has been operated by General Mills for quite some time, but I haven’t been able to learn exactly how long. Some references state the facility is still owned by the railroad, now BNSF, and is leased to General Mills. Additional information about the harbor cruise can be found at http://www.vistafleet.com/. |