Juhani Saloranta has constructed a very practical loco lift for his 300 kg (650 lb) Decapod 2-10-0 engine. It lifts the loco high enough so he can roll the loco straight in and out of his van.

His design uses a hydraulic car jack to lift a "cage" with angle iron rails that descend all the way to ground level. This enables him to transport the loco, and lower it directly onto the track. The angular braces (painted with red primer) you see on each side are pivoted and keep the cage level at all times.

Just as an aside, here's Saloranta's stationary engine...

Veijo Kivipelto, in turn, has attached the rods to his 2-8-0. Here we all admire his work...

And here, we've coupled his loco frame, tender, and one of my cars together...

... in order to "run in" his tin-bronze bearings, by towing loco & tender around the track behind my 3003!

Here's a movie (5 Mb) showing how we did it!

A sunny fall day with "Little Beast" at the Hyvinge track.

Here you see a side view, clearly showing the profile of the propane car. Even though it's not very "prototypical", it provides a comfortable seat for the driver...