Read time: 4 min.

I work at a factory that makes plastic pellets. They eventually get melted and molded into nearly everything you could imagine. Before that happens, though, the pellets get pumped into a series of towering silos outside. One of those 100-foot giants needed an inspection the other day, which meant that someone had to scale it. I was lucky enough to get a look at the view from the top. The photos were totally worth the vertigo! 

At least so I’m told. If you thought I was the one climbing that beast, you’re out of your mind! The nearest Ferris wheel is already enough to terrify me, thanks, but my friend Dylan took one for the team and made the climb. He’s our production manager, and if that’s not servant leadership, I don’t know what is.

At any rate, Dylan sent me some photos he took from the top to share here. This first one faces south and shows the domed top of Silo 13. Part of our recycling facility and the beginning of our rail yard can be seen off in the distance. Even if it’s pictured from a new angle, you might be familiar with the yard if you’ve followed my monthly railcar spotting posts. 

The next shot looks east from the top of the silo and offers a sweeping view over the roof of our massive factory. From this height, you really get a sense of just how sprawling the place is. Just beyond it, you can spot a slice of the Anderson Speedway. Towards the middle is what was once a Milk Barn convenience store. The most prominent structure off in the distance used to be part of Guide Lamp, once a major player in the local automotive industry. After years of remediation, our factory was built atop much of what Guide left behind.

None of the cars in this shot appear to show any standout graffiti, but I haven’t done a full sweep of the railyard for August just yet. In the meantime, here’s a look at a few lined up on the tracks, with a peek into Anderson’s Belmont neighborhood to the west. It’s always interesting to see how these industrial lines run right alongside everyday life. Anderson’s old Long Line tower is barely visible at the right.

Here’s one last shot from the top of our silos, this time looking north. If you look closely -about two-thirds of the way up toward the center in the concrete- you’ll find me as a tiny speck. Before you ask, that’s a thumbs up, not a middle finger I was giving!

No amount of money could convince me to climb to the top of those towering silos- not even for the best photo op in the world. Luckily, Dylan’s made of braver stuff. He made the climb and came back with some great shots that offer a whole new perspective on our factory and the world around it. It’s a view that many will never experience firsthand, and frankly, I’m okay with that! Still, I’m glad he brought it back to ground level for the rest of us.