A 40 tonne, 20ft weighbridge was installed at Ballarat in
1910. Freight at this stage was
predominately charged on tonnes carried, requiring wagons to be weighed to
ensure customers were being charged at the correct rate. Weighing of a 4-wheeled wagon took an average
of 15 minutes. The weighbridge was
fitted with a relief road that allowed locomotives and other rollingstock (that
did not need to be weighed) to pass over the weighbridge without placing any
load on the bridge.
By the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the use of country rail
weighbridges was declining as the Victorian Railway’s was tending to charge
customers by the wagon load, train load or on an agreed estimate weight rather
than on the true weight of the goods.
During the period modelled the Ballarat Rail weighbridge was used to
weigh mill grain in GY, GH and VHGY wagons destined for Garden City (at
Ballarat North), Joe Whites (at Wendouree) and Elliot Magill (at Redan). It was
also used to determine the tare weight of wagons outshopped from Ballarat North
Railway workshops and to weigh FJ and VPFX hopper wagons used to convey flour from
Ballarat to Williamstown and Westall.
The weighbridge building is made from Evengreen styrene
(clapboard and strips) using an article and plans by John Gilbert from the Australian
Model Railway Magazine (p52-54 August 2002).
I used a photo from www.pilbararailways.com.au taken on 6th April, 1991 (http://pilbararailways.com.au/gallery/displayimage.php?album=96&pid=2418#top_display_media)
to detail around the building (including the discarded cans, planks of wood and
44 gallon drum).
Although the model weighbridge doesn’t work, it will be used
in operating sessions with grain wagons arriving at Ballarat needing to be
conveyed to the weighbridge road for weighing before being taken by a pilot to
one of Ballarat’s Mills.
 |
| Y150 shunts GH wagons onto the Ballarat Weighbridge for weighing |
Ballarat was the last operational country weighbridge
Victoria, continuing to be used up until 1990.
Unfortunately it hasn’t been preserved, having been burnt down by
vandals.
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