Weighbridge

[Ray H]

I bought a Wills plastic weighbridge and hut kit when on one of minor spending sprees - one of the last big spenders - thinking that it would be useful on the layout that I was thinking of building at the time. Neither got built.

 

However, I now have a built layout and was rummaging through the numerous bits and pieces and found this kit. This led me to wonder when a weighbridge would be justified/provided.

 

I have a minimalistic goods yard on my layout that will have a small (single) coal merchant's facility and small goods store. Am I right in thinking that a weighbridge would be unlikely in this instance?

 

 

[Boris]

I can think of several yards round here that were extremely small but still had a weighbridge provided, I wouldn't worry about it.  And at the end of the day it's your layout.

[Rivercider]

I don't think size matters, weighbridges more likely to be provided for traffic being loaded out rather than traffic being received. 

Bridgwater and Lawrence Hill both retained working weighbridges into the 1980s.

The weighbridge at Lawrence Hill was used to weigh 16t minerals of scrap which were loaded in nearby yards,

 

cheers

[bizerba]

Hi Ray

 

Weighbridges actually came in 3 types. Rail for weighing the wagons. Landsale for weighing lorries etc. Combination for weighing both.The common size for landsale when working on them from the 1960's was 20'x8' and the plates at the time had a diamond shape on them.you could tell an older machine as the middle was cast with a deeper shape to give horses something to grip on.You didn't give any time period,earlier they were known as cart machines and as time went on size increased.

 

Regards bizerba

[roythebus]

Weighbridge, a dyslexic place between Surbiton and Woking.

[Ray H]

It looks as though I can probably get away with it then. There are few buildings on the layout as it is so another won't hurt.

[Fat Controller]

Don't forget that, even if rail traffic was fairly light, that the weighbridge might well serve as a Public Weighbridge for the local area, so that vehicles not involved in rail traffic might be seen.

[Ray H]

That's yet another reason excuse to include one.

 

Thanks.

[The Stationmaster]

Don't forget that, even if rail traffic was fairly light, that the weighbridge might well serve as a Public Weighbridge for the local area, so that vehicles not involved in rail traffic might be seen.

Very true, and often a good source of revenue even at 2/6d a time (1960s price).  Some goods yard weighbridges spent far more time weighing non-railway items than they ever did railway traffic - don't forget a sign by the yard gate announcing 'Public Weighbridge'.

Edited April 16, 2014 by The Stationmaster

[philwaglab]

I don't think size matters, weighbridges more likely to be provided for traffic being loaded out rather than traffic being received. 

Bridgwater and Lawrence Hill both retained working weighbridges into the 1980s.

The weighbridge at Lawrence Hill was used to weigh 16t minerals of scrap which were loaded in nearby yards,

 

cheers

 

The weighbridge at Wapping Wharf also weighed scrap in transit.It was also used to check weigh loaded coal hoppers inwards for Western Fuel and weigh out the duff from Wapping Wharf to Uskmouth Power Station

[philwaglab]

Very true, and often a good source of revenue even at 2/6d a time (1960s price).  Some goods yard weighbridges spent far more time weighing non-railway items than they ever did railway traffic - don't forget a sign by the yard gate announcing 'Public Weighbridge'.

 

The weighbridge at Newport Lliswerry was often used to weigh non rail scrap traffic