Question about Virginian Class AE operations following

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Any idea when the weigh-in-motion scale was developed for railroad use, and where its first several applications were on the N&W?
N&W's first application was probably at Prichard, WV circa 1970. Later, a
weigh-in-motion scale was added near Celco on the former VGN side.  Not
all trains crossed the weigh-in-motion scale and adjacent rails routed the
the no weigh trains around the scale.   Back when  6 1/2" X 12" journals
were  good for 263,000# gross weight, one could find coal loads  originating
say from the Clinch Valley crossing the scale at Prichard with a gross weight
of 290,000 lbs plus.  Not only had they traveled overweight for 150 miles 
(+ or -), but they'd move Prichard to Portsmouth before the excess coal
was scooped out.      
  
   
  
  
Prior to the 1943 new hump at Shaffers Crossing, and the weighing of coal at that location, did the N&W also weight its Tidewater coal on its arrival at Norfolk, like the VGN?  
  
   
  
  
Yes.  Speaking about Pier 6 here -- the coal would roll by gravity
from the barney yard and cross the scale just before entering the
thaw shed.  On cold days, when the thaw shed was in operation,
the loads would back up so that one end of a loaded hopper still
rested on the scale.  Another would drop from the barney yard
and couple to the car already on the scale.  Even though there
were three trucks resting on the scale, the weighmaster could
come up with a weight for the 2nd car.  I never figured that out.

I suspect the scales on the hump at Shaffers Crossing were for
weighing only "junk" coal going to mom and pop operations,
or for coal going off line.  Bluefield was making solid Tidewater
trains that by-passed the hump.     Harry Bundy




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