Engine moving

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thej611
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:26 am

Engine moving

Post by thej611 »

Good Afternoon to everyone . My dad has completed his 1" to the foot Little engines Pacific and we need some help . He is wanting me to make up a way to move the engine in and out of a trailer. He drew up a quick rig that would need 4 people to move the engine with out tender . I am wondering if anyone has any plans or pictures of what you use to move your engine? I would like to do it with out four people as we don't have a lot people around :shock:
Steve Goodbody
Posts: 219
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 7:16 am

Re: Engine moving

Post by Steve Goodbody »

Hi there,
The first few minutes of the attached video may help provide some ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FbTqFqHD-M
Best regards
Steve
jscarmozza
Posts: 599
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:09 pm

Re: Engine moving

Post by jscarmozza »

I store my engines in the basement over the winter, getting them from the driveway in the front of the house to the basement entrance in the back of the house and then down the stairs was a nightmare. I found an old transmission jack on Craigslist and modified it to lift my engines up and down the the basement stairs. The front legs come off and short legs position the jack on the stairs into the stair well; in the down position the jack is the height of my engine stands and I roll the engine onto it then jack it up to the top of the stairs. I have an angle iron bridge that connects the Jack to my transfer wagon, everything is pinned together to keep it secured. I welded up the transfer wagon from 1" steel pipe and added a HF scissor lift to raise the engine into the back of my SUV. I should have coupled two jacks together for better stability, once the engine is in the lifted position I have to place 2 braces to stabilize the engine before rolling it into the vehicle. It's a way that works for me, you may have different needs, I'm moving 1" Atlantics and a 0-4-0 switcher, a Pacific may be a bit more challenging. Whatever you make, MAKE IT STRONG!
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jcbrock
Posts: 511
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 7:50 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Engine moving

Post by jcbrock »

Keeping it simple we've transferred mine from floor level to tailgate height by just picking it up (dry and cold) with two people. It was heavy but not oofda heavy. I strap it to a 3/4 sheet of ply that has a couple rails attached so it doesn't ride on the flanges.
John Brock
pat1027
Posts: 444
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 3:45 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: Engine moving

Post by pat1027 »

I'm assuming you are moving between a low trailer deck up to a convenient working height. A 1" scale Pacific less tender would weight 200-250lbs. While four guys could handle it. Myself I'd prefer something like Steve has in his video. Your not depending on the extra two guys and no one can stumble and fall with the locomotive coming down behind them.
David Powell
Posts: 523
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 10:38 pm
Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Re: Engine moving

Post by David Powell »

I am somewhat disabled, My main tool to load and unload from my pick up truck is a second hand electric operated hydraulic table with " Beaver Tails' You can see a photo of it with a 4 inch scale steam wagon on board in the thread regarding Clayton Steam wagon ports and passages.REgards David Powell.
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Greg_Lewis
Posts: 3014
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
Location: Fresno, CA

Re: Engine moving

Post by Greg_Lewis »

You might check Harbor Freight. They have an assortment of lifts, one of which might do with some modification. I bought the motorcycle lift years ago (I see the price has more than doubled since then) as it was cheaper than the materials to make one myself. It works great.

https://www.harborfreight.com/automotiv ... egory=2137

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q= ... ble%20cart
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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dnevil
Posts: 373
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:19 am
Location: Springtown, Texas
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Re: Engine moving

Post by dnevil »

Daris Nevil
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North American Region
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RONALD
Posts: 754
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:27 am

Re: Engine moving

Post by RONALD »

How about one of these, it surly could move a model locomotive of any size!
DSCN0021.JPG
Actually the above would be overkill for all of us.

I use a Toro TX427 Dingo to move most of my stuff, it's sorta a Swiss Army Knife, in that you can buy or make all kinds of attachments for it.

In my case I put together the Snorkel like attachment that is shown, works great for all kinds of equipment.
DSC_1999.JPG
DSCN0009_3.JPG
DSCN8347.JPG
Library - 3304.jpg
That last photo shows Jeff Hook and Ean Alexander directing me in moving a new locomotive.

For just lifting we have this at one end, and a similar lift at the other end.
08-09-06-0032.JPG
Berkman
Posts: 679
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:55 pm

Re: Engine moving

Post by Berkman »

How much is a econo lift like that last pic? Looks like with a set of rails under it to move sideways, it would be a great unload/loading ramp setup.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Engine moving

Post by Bill Shields »

I have a screw lift that I built from 2 x 3 channel. Probably not the simplest way to get there -> but another concept to toss out.

It uses 4 lengths of acme threaded rod (and nuts) connected by a chain and driven by a 12 DVC surplus gearbox that I scrounged. Runs from from a transformer 110 VAC to 12V transformer with a full wave diode block -> but can run from a car battery if no AC is available.

Height is adjustable to accommodate my truck / roller stand inside the house.

roll stand to the back of my truck -> set height -> roll loco on -> roll stand to the basement door -> roll loco off onto a wheeled carrier in the basement which lives on the other side of the door threshold.

excuse the mess but as you can see, it has not been used for a while (since COVID) so is buried in leaves and other whatnot
loco lift.jpg
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Engine moving

Post by Pipescs »

You might check Harbor Freight. They have an assortment of lifts, one of which might do with some modification. I bought the motorcycle lift years ago (I see the price has more than doubled since then) as it was cheaper than the materials to make one myself. It works great.
having the same issues, I went with Greg's idea.

With my son off at college, I asked my wife to help put my American and Cars into the Pickup. She proceeded to remind me of a friends motorcycle lift that had been purchased at Harbor Freight. With no modifications at all it has been working great for both the LE American and the large Forney project.

It was packed in a wooden crate that was easy to slide out of the back of the pickup, Came Assembled, and serviced. It comes with a few extra parts you don't need.

Plans are to add a larger foot print with better casters. Thinking about removing the large deck and replacing with a track frame, but like the large deck as I am currently using it as an adjustable work stand.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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