Useful jack for rerailing?

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PRR5406
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Useful jack for rerailing?

Post by PRR5406 »

Some of our locomotives are pretty darn heavy when rigged for operation. It can be a boiler full of hot water or a Diesel carbody filled with batteries. I've seen some interesting lever systems used, but in general, they require at least two people to both lift the loco and put the wheel flanges in place. Has anyone come up with something using an old automobile scissor jack? I've been poking around Youtube for ideas, but perhaps some of you folks have designed something that works, that can be copied by the rest of us?
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NP317
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Re: Useful jack for rerailing?

Post by NP317 »

I have seen lever arms that pivot on a steel pad which rests on the rails in front of the locomotive, allowing the long arm to pivot the lifted loco back onto the rails.
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Re: Useful jack for rerailing?

Post by Gra2472 »

I’ve used a shovel and a few ties stacked up on the rail to lift my electric back on the rail. Simple, easy, no special parts.
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SPSteam2491
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Re: Useful jack for rerailing?

Post by SPSteam2491 »

There is going to be a trade-off for portability of the lifter and how many people are required to operate it safely.

A lifting mechanism can be made that only requires one person that can lift the engine and hold it in the air while adjustments are made to set it back on the track. It will need to have a wide base for stability on various track/roadbed conditions, be sturdy enough to hold 1.5X the engines max weight, and allow for left/right adjustments. All of these items together will make it large and heavy, even it can be broken down to ride in a gondola.

On the flip side, if you have two or more people, someone can steady the engine while the other lifts using a fulcrum mechanism. This is more portable and is commonly used now.

In any instance of lifting a locomotive or unloading/loading from a trailer or a vehicle, having a minimum of two people is a good idea for safety in case something goes wrong. If your engine is derailing a lot during running, perhaps a better alternative to finding a one person lifter is to review the track or engine for improvements. If you don't derail in the first place, you don't need to rerail the engine.
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Odyknuck
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Re: Useful jack for rerailing?

Post by Odyknuck »

I would suggest that if there is no one handy to help get it back on the rails, then go find someone. Even with a
lifting devise, it would be difficult for one person to do it safely, especially a steamer.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Useful jack for rerailing?

Post by Bill Shields »

Nothing beats a jin pole and chain fall when the steel hits the dirt... and you have 2000# of hot loco nose down in a turntable pit...
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