HO RTR UP Maxson Scale Test Car #903006

Proper billing for many commodities requires weighing cars. Toaccurately weigh both loaded and empty cars, railroads andindustries alike use track scales. These scales must be calibratedperiodically and to do so, railroads use scale test cars which havea precise and controlled weight. Many of these track scales usesmall segments. To accurately test them, many of the cars usedare equally small. These small cars have to be spotted and re-spotted on each segment by a locomotive.

In 1974, Benjamin Barnard and Michael Puareia filed a patentfor a new scale test car design. Their concept involved a self-propelled car that could be re-spotted on multiple segmentsby a single worker. Four legs would descend from the center ofthe car to lift it off the rails and apply the full known weight to thesegment. This saved the time and cost of a full locomotive andcrew during the calibration process. The cars were first built bythe Maxson Corporation and later by FMC. Similar cars were foundon railroads nationwide from the 1970s to today.

Controls for the car were all located in a central storage cabinet.The lower ends of the car were filled with weights. Unlike most ofthe smaller test weight cars, Maxon’s cars included operating airbrakes as well as handbrakes.

Typically they could be handled anywhere in a freight trainwhile being moved. But often these cars still received specialhandling towards the end of the train.

Test weight cars were typically under the control of a masterscale inspector who often traveled with them to performcalibrations. A master scale was maintained as well and thesecars would frequently be sent back to that terminal to make suretheir own weight was still correct. On your layout, these cars canbe an interesting addition to any train as they travel to their nextassignment; or an extra switching job at the scales themselves inyards or industries like elevators, mines and tipples.

Modern era modelers can finally add these scale testingoperations to their layouts. Lionel’s new models feature all newtooling, separately applied detail parts, operating scale metalcouplers, metal wheels, plastic trucks with rotating bearing capsand of course, they’re weighted!