Bridging plate??

[UK Jack]

Morning all.

I am sure that we have discussed this before but I am looking for information on the yellow bridging plate that we used during WW2. I think I know what it is for but could do witha bit of clarification!!!

Yours beggingly

Jack.

[Kees51]

The engineers looked at each bridge and put up a plate on it that said what the maximum weight in tons was of the vehicles the bridge could carry. Each vehicle also had a plate stating how heavy it was. When there are two numbers on the vehicle plate, the largest one is for the vehicle fully loaded, the other one for the vehicle empty. No vehicle with a weight higher than stated on the plate on the bridge could pass that bridge, so it wouldn't collapse.

[John V Cliche]

Hi Jack

A couple of comments.

Vehicles towing ( or able to tow ) had brige plates with the two numbers as posted by Kees The top number was for the combined ( truck and trailer) weight, the lower number was for the single vehicle weight

All numbers reflected a loaded vehicle never an empty weight.

And to confuse matters more
The wheel base of the vehicle and / or if it was tracked also affected the bridge plate weight ( due to load distribution) not unlike todays ( Bridge Formulas) so although a vehicle may weigh for example 25 tons its bridge plate plate may say only 20 tons

Hope this helps
John