Strain Gauge On Railway Lines

Your question is laughable, yet sad.

Practical Applications of Strain Gauges

Is this a test question?

An interview question?

Or, God forbid, do you work for someone who is getting paid to devise a system of weighing railcars?

In any case, Google can answer your questions. if you ask.

Try an internet research for "railway wagon scale".

Out of 8 MILLION hits on Google, here's one:

Train weighing scales and systems for the rail industry ...

BAN ANONYMOUS POSTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why?

You seem to like them. They seem to get a lot of attention. :-)

They inconvenience millions of electrons for no good reason.

Precisely why holes move...

That's uncaring of you. Everyone like a change of scenery from time to time, even electrons.

Don't forget, most of the data we consume traveled mainly via photons until the 'last mile' or if you have FiOS, the 'last twenty feet'.

I agree with you rarely, but I have to agree with that wish!

Actually starting a Blog Anonymously is really, really bad news....and show a complete lack of backbone or character!!

(Posting with my own Avatar!!)

Such schemes are also known as "weigh bridges", which may be another good search term; yet another might be "railcar weighing". There is a CR4 guy whose name I forget who does conveyor weighing systems, which are similar but typically smaller.

The whole point is to measure to the yield point of the rails. As i worked for Sperry Rail service in my youth this was not a consideration. The major effort was flaw detection in the rails which can lead to catastrophic failure and deaths.

dies kann helfin- meanz like thiz you wantz.

PeeeWee

There is a comparator gauge available, that gives weight of the car based on the diameter of a US penny after compression.

Weighing systems don't usually use strain gauges here, Mildred, because the section of the rails vayies with time and tonnage.

You can get self-weighing wagons, if that's of any use to you?

I'm giving you a GA because you are the first person that made an attempt to answer the OP's question as he presented it.

I gave YOU a good answer for pointing that out.

Good post!

Furthermore, repacking under the sleepers by the "Rail Gang" would alter the characteristics each and every time of the normal rails....at least a short length of rail must be "supported" in some other manner....obviously!!

We tried it. Didn't work. Can't be done.

You juzt needz zome donutz & keffee

Peeewee

While I am very reluctant to criticize any member of this community, in this case I have to agree with you wholeheartedly. Not only do I find his idiotic comments to every discussion annoying, I feel that his intentional abuse of the English language is a gross insult to all our non-English speaking members who have made the effort to respond to our discussions using reasonably proper spelling and grammar.

Watch the installation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR7xiu-Bne0

Good Luck, Old Salt

Good job!

Peeewee

I, being the undisputed expert on all things weighing, There are any amount of systems available, Avery and Schenk immediately spring to mind. You want dynamic or static weighing, batch weighing, load-outs. Ah the possibilities are endless.

Whoeverz zed no iz nutz. Look clozer junge, zame tranzduzer- "ztrain gauge" - you zee? Iz it nicht? Thiz iz a Load Zell.

Peeewee

I have in the past constructed a rail weighbridge using an isolated bridge supported by conventional load cells and torsion bars. Static weighing accuracy was not too bad although some countries use semi rigid couplings which can cause errors if the track is not level.

Dynamic weighing is a different story and should be avoided. Railway wagons develop flat spots on the wheels over time which can cause the weighbridge to resonate and cause huge errors.

I hope this helps.

In the sixties, my Electronics professor (Eng. Roberto Ortiz), from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus, invented and patented a strain gage weighting device for railroads. The device could weight trains speeding at over 65 MPH (with less than .01 % error). Previous to that date, train wagons had to be weighted one by one by stopping at the scale device. Since he had a grant from Fairbanks Morse at the time, he had to hand over the patent to them which, I believe are, to this day, the righteous owner of the invention. I do not not know patent's expiration term, but probably, they have revised it along the years with improved technology. So you see, my friend, you are 50Yrs. plus late to the idea and invention.