Building a silo from the ground up

@JudyEv (366498)
Rockingham, Australia
October 16, 2025 7:02pm CST
This grain silo was built by Jack Jones in 1949 when heavy lifting equipment was in its infancy. The heavy timber mainframe was made from bush timber and hoisted into position with two Fordson tractors. As the fledging silo was filled, then another round of corrugated iron was erected and the silo gradually increased in height. When the silo was filled to the desired height, then the roof was put in place. Jack was renowned for his innovative methods and won an award for an early trailer sheep feeder. The silo was dismantled and re-erected at Mukinbudin, the nearest town to Jack's farm.
8 people like this
8 responses
Anna
@LadyDuck (488247)
• Italy
17 Oct
This is an interesting method to build a silo.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (488247)
• Italy
17 Oct
@JudyEv I am pretty sure they needed some machinery to move those timbers.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Oct
Those timbers are so huge. I can't imagine how they got those in place.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Oct
@LadyDuck They used two tractors but even with those, it would still be hard.
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Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (20940)
• London, England
17 Oct
More fun to start at the top and work down!
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Oct
You'd need skyhooks for that!!
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Oct
@Ronrybs I doubt it could get more difficult in the first place! My mother minded my little nephew once and he had a tantrum because a sheet of hard plastic wouldn't stand on its side.
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (20940)
• London, England
18 Oct
@JudyEv Now you're just making it difficult!
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Amber
@AmbiePam (107545)
• United States
17 Oct
I saw someone make an old silo into their actual home. It was quite an inventive plan, and it turned out great.
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Amber
@AmbiePam (107545)
• United States
18 Oct
@JudyEv That’s so cool.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Oct
@AmbiePam There are old silos in Bunbury that are now upmarket apartments.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Oct
They do that with big sea containers too. The old wool stores at Fremantle have been made into apartments. Our friend lives in one now. I think there are several hundred in the complex.
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Loretta
@noni1959 (11287)
• United States
17 Oct
This is so interesting. I wondered how they did this back then.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Oct
They really had to work with their brains back then as well as their brawn.
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Loretta
@noni1959 (11287)
• United States
18 Oct
@JudyEv Some times the old ways were smarter though harder. Just amazing.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Oct
@noni1959 They are cheaper in the long run too.
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LindaOH
@LindaOHio (207421)
• United States
17 Oct
Very creative way to solve a problem.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Oct
The framework would have been the most difficult part.
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Jim Bauer
@porwest (111531)
• United States
17 Oct
It would have been more impressive had be built it top down. lol
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Oct
As I said to Ron, you'd need skyhooks to do that!
1 person likes this
Jim Bauer
@porwest (111531)
• United States
19 Oct
1 person likes this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (80680)
• United States
17 Oct
That’s fascinating! I know that I’ve looked at those and wondered how they got built back in the early 20th century or earlier.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Oct
I still can't imagine how they got those big timbers in place just with two tractors.
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Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (125832)
• Marion, Ohio
17 Oct
That's one way to build
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (366498)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Oct
Where there's a will, there's a way I guess.
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