How Do I Choose a Rail Scale?
Choosing exactly what you need in a rail scale can be difficult. Fortunately, B-TEK, our supplier of choice for rail scales, has put together a video to help you better understand your options.
We distribute B-TEK railroad scales that comply with AAR (Association of American Railroads) and the AREA (American Railway Engineering Association).
Brechbuhler Scales can also offer truck and rail scale combo scales that allow customers to weigh rail cars as well as trucks. Additionally, we offer coil car scales for heavy capacity and custom applications.
WHAT WE OFFER
Rail Track Scale
Combo Truck/Rail Scale
In-Motion Scale
Rail scale calibration and service
A railcar can carry well over 100 tons, and the weight on the ticket often sets the freight bill, the inventory count, or the payment to a supplier. Instrument Calibration Solutions (ICS), a Brechbuhler Scales company, calibrates and verifies railroad track scales as part of our rail scale service, with digital certificates available 24x7 through ScaleSuite.
What we check on a rail scale
A track scale is tested against known reference weights, and the results have to hold up across the whole weighing platform. Depending on the scale, a calibration visit covers:
- Section and shift tests to find load cells or sections that read differently from the rest of the platform
- Increasing-load and decreasing-load accuracy checks against certified test weights
- Return-to-zero and repeatability checks
- Junction box, cabling and indicator review, since moisture and rail-yard debris cause many rail scale problems
- Rail, bearing and check-rod condition where the scale design uses them
- Comparison against your reference railcar or certified test car when the application calls for it
Static, in-motion and combination scales
Static track scales weigh a car at rest. In-motion scales weigh cars as they roll through, and they are checked under motion conditions, not only with static weights. Combination truck and rail scales serve two kinds of traffic on one platform, so both need to be checked. Tell us which type you have when you call and we will plan the visit around it.
Legal-for-trade rail scales
When rail scale weights are used to buy, sell or bill freight, the scale is normally held to the requirements in NIST Handbook 44 and to your state weights and measures program. For many rail customers, the AAR scale requirements apply as well. A calibration certificate from an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory documents your scale's performance. It does not replace a state inspection or registration where one is required.
Signs your rail scale needs attention
- Weights drift or do not return to zero after a car leaves the scale
- Weights differ when the same car is weighed on different tracks or from a different direction
- A customer or carrier disputes weights
- Water, ice or debris has built up in the pit or around the load cells
- The scale was struck, repaired, or had a load cell or indicator replaced
Rail scale calibration FAQs
How often should a rail scale be calibrated?
Many rail scale owners calibrate at least once a year. Heavier traffic, weather exposure, a recent repair or a customer dispute can call for more frequent checks. Your state program and your own quality system may also set the interval.
Can you calibrate a scale used for in-motion weighing?
Yes. In-motion scales are tested differently than static ones. Contact us with the make and model of your scale and we will confirm the approach before scheduling.
Do you calibrate combination truck and rail scales?
Yes. We check both the truck and rail sides of a combination scale, and we can service other equipment on your site during the same visit.
Is a calibration certificate the same as a state inspection?
No. A calibration certificate documents how your scale performs against traceable standards. A state weights and measures inspection or registration is a separate legal step for scales used in trade.
Where can I find my rail scale certificates?
Certificates are available online at any time through ScaleSuite, so you can pull records for a carrier, customer or auditor without waiting on a callback.
Looking for calibration across every type of scale we service? See our scale and balance calibration page, or learn about our truck scales and laboratory balances.
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