Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-01-17
4 SOURCE OF TROUBLE
* TRACK SCALES on All
RAILROADS.
An Inspector OF Scales Gives some In,
teresttng Points OF System on
the a.. a o..

The railroad track scales are a new
err ceasing bother TO the railroad crew,
to the section men and 10 every body
concerned from the SUPERINTENDENT to
the track walker. The scale depart
ment OF a railroad is q most important
feature Of the whole system. as on the
accuracy OF these must depend the
weights of all freight haudledover the
road from coal, iron, steel. etc. to
tie excess charged the travelling public
On baggage. The system for inspec-
ton Of these scales is Most interesting
aud requires ome skillful work.
Mr.. !. u. 0liver.of this CITY, assis-
tant Inspector OF rairoad scales talked
verv interesting %ooucening this
hr8nch Of the railroad business. Mr..
Oliver a 7 4 track scale is tested by
running the inspection 4 each Sec
fieu pf Z scale. Tho c9 weighs ex-
$1,000 pou iGs. uo more 81 no less,
and Il the seale refuses 10 properly in
dieate this weight ii is incorrect and
must be adjusted properly. This Is
done by means of slides which operate
on ! ueanl. Each section Of 4 scale II
nd. ustea seperately. The weather has
saaa effast on the action Of these
scales bar aot very mnch.a rs The adjust.
ment nart of tho mechanism Is under
groand ami aet If reich of frost and
SEQ sonsetifsfs. however, snow and
ice 90 work down between the end Of
tho pltsfaem scale aud the end of the
track, c~apsing the scale to sticE.
When weighing a train Of stone or
any Other article. If the cars are Of the
Same class. oaaally loaded. vary ia
weirht to pny great extent then the
scales are known to be incorrect and
tle inspector and his queer htte car
are sent for, the trains intended to
weigh at other points causing thereby
a surpins Of business at other points,
which i'll MI probability nave enough
trouble Of their oan. There are about
199 track scale stations on the b. q
%. railroad east of the Ohio river. of
which Mr.. William Shafer, of Cum
beflana. Nd. is inspector. aud abont
50 west of the Ohio, Of which Mr.. w.
IL AZ. Harrison, jr., is the Inspector.
THESE scales are situated at all princi-
pal o. terminal stations and in the
ceal regions. At certain stations, such
rs Wheeling, Baltimore. Cleveland,
PittsDare and other large cities the
II. 5. mail is weighed once every two
years. The INSPECTORS over the Balti-
more and P~hiladelphis scale STATIONS
make "A special report to the u. S.
government. The inspector after Wis
ting a scale must make q report to the
railroad company. The scale has two
tracks laid on it, u called the scale
track the ether the service track. No
engine is allowed TO run ver the scale
track, as it would be verv likely to
break. it being SO much heavier than
any car load which could be placed
thereon. Engineers generally get an
enforced vacation of about 30 days for
this offense. The scales are inspected
once every three months. At Philadel-
phia and Baltimore the government
requires all imports and exports to be
weighed. The Pennsylvania railroad
has about one hundred scale stations
west Of Pittsburo. of which ten are ON
the Pan Handle division. The system
on this road is the same ms that on the
b. & @. railroad.