Weight: useful to know for transport requirements

Anyone with a near complete engine taken it over any scales / weighbridge to assess the weight?

Tim

Hi Tim,

I intend to do that very soon I have a public weighbridge near me and I was going to take the trailer and engine and test both together and then just the engine. I was going to do this after the flywheel to get a near finished weight but that could be a long wait I think the flywheels will still be some time However it wont be difficult to add the two together I will endeavour to do this shortly.

Cheers Kev.

Hi Kev,

Can you also put it on the scales with the appropriate amount of water? Then we will have a good idea of the weight when the tanks are full

All the best,

Brian

Brian M wrote:Hi Kev,

Can you also put it on the scales with the appropriate amount of water? Then we will have a good idea of the weight when the tanks are full

All the best,

Brian

Might be simpler to calculate the volume of water carried then add that on since 1 litre of water is near as darn it to 1kg.

If I may be so bold as to correct you, the definition of a kilogram is 1 litre of water. It is all the French fault! Started in 1799, 1 gram is 1cm cubed of water,1 litre is one kilo etc.

Have a look on wikipedia!

With best wishes
Simon

MrStationHouse wrote:If I may be so bold as to correct you, the definition of a kilogram is 1 litre of water. It is all the French fault! Started in 1799, 1 gram is 1cm cubed of water,1 litre is one kilo etc.

Have a look on wikipedia!

With best wishes
Simon

But what is 1cm? and height above sea level also changes it slightly.

Techinically it is one litre of water at one atmosophere! I don't have time to look up one atmosphere, but that is presumably at sea level.

With best wishes
Simon

Simon,

you are correct my friend as its relative to density which uses water as a reference point which is at sea level 1kg/litre this is also calculated at a fixed temperature which I think is about 6 oC (water not air temp). From that point density is based on a ratio for all materials, right back under my rock, any more and I will have to start looking at my old uni books
Dwain

....and for next weeks lesson...the calorific value of steam coal.

Now that's an interesting topic - coal! Calorific content, ash and volatiles. The right combination - got to be Ffos-y-fran best Welsh every time.

And the moral is "If you fire your engine at the top of Everest you will need a lot more water".

Mike

will be interesting to see how close the stated weight is to the actual weight in the real world.

Has anyone weighed theirs yet?


Kev

Having put the engine as it stands in the trailer for this weekends do I have taken it to the local public weighbridge and can give you an exact weight. Needless to say it caused a great stir as I unloaded it from the trailer and lots of photos were taken.

I have an Ifor Williams BV84 single axle, with the engine in including fittings in the trailer and the original MW wooden trailer MK1 plus a few bits it clocks in at 1350Kg. The engine on its own is 570Kg with all current kits fitted. The gross weight for the trailer I beleive is 1400Kg so I reckon just inside. I cant afford the next size up and I don't think my motor mover for the wheels would work on a double axle but I'm happy as it is. Shouldnt be too much of a strain to add the next kits to it value to get the final total.

Just for reference this is the Road Loco.

Put the mover on the rear axel and wind the jockey wheel up. Works a treat.

Yes but still doesnt find the odd £1500 additional to the sale of the old trailer to upgade, plus it has to fit on a relatively small drive in a tightish space.

Thanks for that info Kev.

i will probably be selling on my BV84 trailer at some point, as the Showman's will probably go over the weight limit, especially with water on board. My Galaxy will tow 2000Kg, so this should be OK with the next size up Ifor Williams trailer, the BV85.

Any (sensible) offers for the BV84? One careful owner etc. etc.

Tim

lynnr wrote:Put the mover on the rear axel and wind the jockey wheel up. Works a treat.

Until the jockey wheel sinks into the soft ground!!

Regards

Tom A
Lynn, See you at Castle Fraser??

Just a thought Ifor willaims Box trailer, and trailers....

BV84 Single Gross Weight on axle 1400Kg - The Weight of trailer 515kg

Total Payload 885 kg

Not enought load weight, Engine, Coal, Water wagon ETC

Try this Bv84 Twin Gross Weight on axle 2700Kg - The weigght of trailer 605Kg

Total Payload 2095Kg BUT.....

Please note if your towing vehicle states 2000KG, then you only have a trailer with a capacity of 2000kg. You can not legally tow a trailer with a higher Gross weight.

Nothing can stop you towing any trailer BUT if you pulled up and checked you up the river with out a paddle! even if its unloaded

Some trailer companys will re class the towing plate to suit you.

Ps I do not work for a trailer company!

Thanks Shaun. I was aware of this, but the dealer I bought my original trailer from said that the law had changed recently. It is now OK to pull a trailer nominally beyond your car towing weight, so long as the total load does not exceed that weight. Still possible to get a trailer re-plated, however.

Tim

Yes two of the local dealers told me the same ref weights.

Thats wrong, I am sorry to say.

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/preparing/preparing.aspx

Please take a look

Shaun:
NTTA site doesn't actually seem to say about the legality or otherwise of towing a trailer that is plated over the towing weight of the car; even though the total weight that the car may be towing is within its limits, which is what the dealer said was now acceptable with the police.

It is explicit on not overloading your car and that has to be the prime concern. Maybe we should inflate our engines with helium!

Useful site, you found there.

Tim

Also if you passed your driving test since 1997 you have a reduced weight and size of trailer which your licence allows you to tow.
here's the details.

Driving Licences

Summary
You must hold a full driving licence to tow anything.
Most drivers who passed their test before 1 January 1997 have licence categories allowing them to drive vehicle and trailer combinations weighing up to 8.25 tonnes.
With effect from 1 January 1997 the second EC Directive on Driving Licences (91/439/EEC) came into effect, affecting new drivers passing their test after that date and HGV drivers who obtained their licence after 31 December 1991.
The net result is that new drivers will only be allowed to drive and tow the following combinations:
Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes (category B) with a 750kg trailer (4.25 tonnes total MAM).
Category B vehicles with larger trailers i.e. > 750kg, provided that the combined MAM does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and the gross MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle. To be able to tow combinations outside this ruling requires the passing of an additional test.
New HGV drivers and those who have passed their HGV tests since 1 January 1992 will be restricted to towing trailers up to 750kg until they pass an additional test.
Detail of the Regulation
The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 1990 SI 1990 No 842 classifies vehicles according to either:
"Maximum authorised mass" (permitted maximum weight). Vehicles over 3,500kg MAM are classified as LARGE GOODS VEHICLES (LGV's) ? Number of seats. Vehicles having more than 8 seats (not including the drivers) are classified as PASSENGER CARRYING VEHICLES (PCV's)
Requires Additional qualifications for people to drive LGV's

oh and remember whilst towing any trailer the fast lane on all three or more lane motorways is out of bounds costs three penalty points plus fine. Ouch!

Ian

Anyone weighed there more or less complete showman' s engine yet?

Tim

Sorry not yet. Never had Crystal on the trailer when a weight bridge was available.