AN AGEING grain silo at Underbool, west of Ouyen, has sprung a leak.
A hole appeared about a third of the way up one of the concrete silos on Monday afternoon.
The sight of tonnes of wheat spilling out of the silo, which was built in 1939, made an impromptu tourist attraction for locals.
The Underbool site, in the heart of the Mallee cereal growing area, can receive up to 60,000 tonnes and is believed to be 50,000-tonnes full.
GrainCorp spokesman David Ginns said repairs were made to the silo about five years ago and the hole was in the same place as those repairs.
He said the silo held 1200 tonnes and 500-600 tonnes had spilled.
"The weather forecast for the next few days is good so we expect to recover 99 per cent of that grain, so there will be no big losses," Mr Ginns said.
He said the cracking was significant and engineers would check the integrity of the silo.
"Engineers are on site and we've created an exclusion zone, on the chance it might rupture and fall down," Mr Ginns said.
He said any growers who delivered grain into the silo would not suffer any financial loss.
"All liability rests with us and no-one will face any losses except us," Mr Ginns said.
The grain emptying from the silo has blocked the renovated Murrayville to Ouyen train line.
The train line was closed in 2007 and Victorian Transport Minister Lynne Kosky announced it would be re-opened last month, following an upgrade.
Murrayville farmer Matt Parker, who lobbied for an upgrade of the train line, said grain growers were still waiting for it to re-open.
"Everyone would like to see that first train on the line," Mr Parker said.
Mr Ginns said GrainCorp would not need to move grain along the train line until mid-February.
