Coin-operated weighing machines to return on Mumbai stations

The coin-operated weighing machines, which were ubiquitous in every platform a few years ago, will return.The Central Railway on Monday placed orders for new machines at all its major stations.

“Those who have grown up in the city will have memories of these machines. Many of the machines are old and we have called for tenders for new machines at all our major stations,” said a senior official.

0“The machines have been an inseparable part of a station and I r0emember using it every time I went to the station,” said 60-year-old Noel D’Souza, a retired architect.

People are nostalgic about dropping the coin in the machine slot and wait for the weight ticket with the horoscope. “One line about what would be your future and a picture of a Bollywood star above it was the standard design for ages,’ he added.

“Every week or a fortnight, the company’s agents would stack in the machines with tickets. The machines, with multiple glowing bulbs offered hypnotic designs with their circular movement, and they were a favourite time pass for many,” said another official.
Eastern Scale Pvt Ltd and Northern Scale Company have  installed the machines at stations. While the railways provide space for the machines, the bills are cleared by the company under a revenue sharing agreement.

“The railways should now think of putting in colourful tickets in them,” said Vaibhav Singh, another commuter from Vile Parle. But Santosh Joshi, a commuter from Dombivli, said the attraction of the weighing tickets was the old look.