Tradition meets technology: the transformation of an historic railway weighbridge

Track scales were once standard equipment on many industrial and works railways. They provided reliable service for decades - robustly constructed, mechanically sophisticated and often embedded in solid steel structures. With their lever mechanisms and counterweights, they not only reflect the technical expertise mof past decades but are often also silent witnesses to industrial development. Whether weighing loaded freight wagons in steelworks, dosing bulk material in cement works or checking locomotives during maintenance work - rail scales still play a central role in the logistics and quality assurance of heavy rail transport. However, many of these systems are getting on in years. Spare parts are hardly available, the mechanics are maintenanceintensive and modern requirements for accuracy, documentation and digital interfaces can hardly be met with old technology. At the same time, a complete new build is often out of the question - for example, if existing structures are economically viable or worth preserving for historical reasons. Kilomatic Wiegetechnische GmbH faced precisely this challenge when modernising a 60-year-old weighbridge in Hildesheim, Germany. The aim was to preserve the existing steel bridge and at the same time make the system fit for current requirements - including Verification capability. “This is one of the last scales with a mechanical lever system that is still in operation,” explains Andreas Kühne, Managing Director of Kilomatic Wiegetechnische GmbH. “We wanted to preserve this existing system and at the same time create a future-proof solution - without compromising on precision and operational safety.”