Railroad Jack

Collect an Interesting Piece of History with a Railroad Jack

A railroad jack can be the centerpiece of a collection for anyone from the dedicated railfan to the antique hunter. These heavy, solid machines have a real heft to them, and the majority of them are still very much operable. They can safely lift enormous loads, with some designed to lift 5 tons, and some designed for many times that weight.

What are these railroad jacks made of?

Train jacks, house jacks, and other antique railroad jacks on sale in this eBay marketplace are made of solid, weighty metal components. The more common materials are cast iron or steel. Some of the jacks are painted with hard enamel paint, while others are sold with a patina of mild surface corrosion as they were found.

Are these railroad jacks safe to lift heavy objects?

Unless the item description specifically says otherwise, it should be assumed that these railroad jacks have not been tested with extremely heavy weights for some time, possibly generations. It would be unwise to put large loads on them without thorough inspection and a process of testing. Although the sturdy metal construction of antique railroad jacks is quite likely to have survived the passage of time with little damage, there is no way to know whether the jack has been improperly stored or maltreated in the intervening decades since its construction.

Mechanisms used by railroad jacks

The nice thing about railroad jacks for sale is that they are simple, easily comprehensible machines. The majority of them have open workings so that visual inspection is sufficient to determine their mechanism and their state of operation. The method of operation can be unique to each of these durable collectible machines. One railroad jack for sale uses a screw mechanism to raise and lower tons of weight, another uses a ratchet, and a third has complex geared device to lift as much as 25 tons.

What can these railroad jack and house jacks lift?

If the railroad jacks for sale on eBay are inspected, tested, and either found to be in proper working order or repaired, then there is no limit to what they can be used for. They were originally designed to lift boxcars, locomotives, and entire houses. With sufficient footing and a secure point of attachment they can be used to lift a car or any other heavy object that may so be desired. These jacks are designed to not slip or lose ground unexpectedly, but any object lifted should be well secured before moving.