Model Railway Forum

Can anyone advise on typical applications for a railway weighbridge in the steam era? I don't mean the typical coal yard type for lorries and carts, but those that actual rail waggons rolled over.

I have a very nice Cooper Craft weighbridge kit that I bought in the last century that I would like to use on my (revamped) layout.

http://shop.cooper-craft.co.uk/product_ ... ducts_id=8

I am planning a siding to some sort of factory facility and thought I could use it there. But I am not sure if it would be within the factory siding or prior to joining the main line or what?

Coal mine, harbour, anywhere where the weight of a wagon us important I guess. Have you Googled it there will be lots of pictures.

Coal yard - I remember working with my uncle, the local coal man, when he filled up at the West Drayton coal depot. They had one there, right next to the mainline from Paddington.
The lorry had to drive on and be weighed empty then reweighed as it left - the difference being the amount of coal he would be charged for.
Of course if he left the ‘lad’ in the cab going in, but got him to walk out under his own steam, he would get an extra sack of coal for nothing. Not that it ever happened of course.

Just added a weighbridge to my goods yard but not for weighing the wagons that darkscot wants.

I should have read the first post properly, but it sparked a good memory for me.

I am thinking of something like a leadworks? I would think they would have to weigh the rail wagons before sending them onto the mainline?

Or a mine.

Weighbridges were an integral part of a private siding, far more so than a station goods yard. Before a loaded wagon could be despatched a consignment note was required and it was usual for a certified weigh-bill to be produced beforehand so that the weight could be accurately declared and entered on the consignment note. First the empty wagon would be weighed, this was the tare, and it should correspond to the painted tare on the side of the wagon. Then the wagon would be weighed loaded and the tare, deducted from the gross weight, would give the weight of the load.

Inward loaded wagons would be dealt with similarly but in reverse order. The gross weight less the tare gives the actual load, and this would be verified on a weigh bridge.

One of my jobs as a railway manager was to audit the weights of wagons of scrap metal entering a local steel works. Occasionally the declared weight differed from the weighbridge results, so I would get a phone call to attend and witness the weighing as an independent official. It was occasionally the fault of the scrap merchant mis-declaring the wagon. There were forms to be filled in and signed.

Usually the weighbridge was located at the inwards side of the exchange sidings . Some weighbridges had a separate set of rails for weighing so that movement of vehicles not requiring to be weighed could travel over an independent set of rails. Others had a locking mechanism so that the table was jacked up and supported clear of the scales to reduce damage and wear.

This is a weighbridge in a coke works near Sheffield

Brilliant! Thank you LC&DR.