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Not too much interesting to report, but the tractor is torn all the way down and cycling parts through the dip tank and getting primer on them, starting to have more parts cleaned and primed than dirty so that's good, made a good order from Wheelhorseparts, a bunch of odds and ends that I'll need to put things together so I'm excited to get that in the mail. The engine ran really well so I don't plan on tearing that down although I have taken the shields off to get ready for paint and clean the whole thing up. I plan on just cleaning everything well and painting the block and the shields and putting back together.

I inherited a DeWalt shorty electric and have grown to like it a lot as a replacement for the pruning saw. Same squirt bottle oiler (yuck). But I may go back, as the extra arm exercise was probably a good thing for keeping strength and flexibility. I’d trade it for a power pole saw in a heartbeat, though!

Today I took a portable train layout for an assisted living facility for show and tell. I had some pictures projected upon a screen of how I made some of the items and a video of my layout at home. Talked about how I got into trains (wife's uncle passed and left them to us). Answered questions how I made mountains, buildings and other items. I anticipated spending 30 minutes or so and ended up over an hour. The residents (some 20 of them) seemed to enjoy and appreciate The activities director asked who and where they rode trains. Interesting stories. Lots of laughter and memories for these folks. One funny part. I normally run my trains pretty slow--just looks more natural. Someone asked "will it go faster?" Another "Yeah, lets see it go fast." So I opened up the throttle and nearly all of them cheered! Not too bad for a 79 year old engine.

When I was in college, the family went to visit my sister and her husband in Vermont. One of the stops we made during the trip was to ride the cog railway up to the top of Mt. Washington. Was still steam powered at that time. Quite a ride.

Well, I have a plan for the upper steering shaft on the 523-H, but it will be the weekend before I try it. I want to add a couple inches to the length to raise the steering wheel, so I'll definitely need some additional support. Hopefully it'll work out.

Trains and trolleys were my transportation while working in Europe. My fave was the cogged train to the base of the Matterhorn at Zermot.

This morning

Actually the later 520's moved the steering shaft bushing to up under the dash. The dash can be drilled to accept a wheel bearing as well. A couple of mine have been done this way.

It depends on exactly what happens and when. On paper each cylinder should be able to lift 4500 lbs, and so should be capable of lifting anything I will ever put on this lift (that Explorer is literally the heaviest thing I own that isn't a building, at about 4300 lbs curb weight), so one cylinder should also be able to hold it up by itself. However a leak in any part of the hydraulic system compromises the whole system since there is only one power head. If it is a slow leak that started while I was working on something but didn't have it on the locks it should do as you said, safely and slowly leak down until it rests on the lock, or the ground if you are below the first lock ( vehicle approx 2 ft off the ground). The leak I had, if it had started while something was already in the air it may have not been so slow, but the locks should still have stopped it. On the other hand I saw a video recently where a guy was in the process of lowering a Mustang when a cylinder failed, so he had the locks released. The car was on the ground before he could react. Let's just say, there is a reason I chose to reseal both cylinders at the same time. Also, when I took the "good" one apart, I inspected the pressure seal carefully before disturbing it at all. These are a mildly pliable plastic material, not a teflon or rubber seal. The pressure seal on the "good" cylinder was intact, no breaks, no chewing wear like on the failed one. As soon as I tried to stick a pick under it to work it out of its groove it shattered.

Did you take the keys? Be prepared for some folks to slip in and run it!

Picked these vices up at a flee market, thay are cheap but they work. First one was $15 and second one $10, they were pretty dirty and banged up. I made the crank handles

We got out the HO set two years ago so the grands could see it. Two of them appreciated how to handle and use them; two of them were ready to start being rough. Sigh. Been lucky enough to ride lots of trains: commuting to NYC for 30-ish years, Auto-Train to Florida, overnight and high-speed trains in Europe, the Acela, the Eurostar through the Chunnel, subway systems in lots of cities. The train through the Rockies and maybe a transcontinental are still on my bucket list. Heck, @Bill D drives trains for a living!

79 year old locomotive. - 1945 Hudson? My memory is not good enough to come up with the Lionel model number. A Polar Express tender, but the rest of the cars look to be from the 50's? Prewar transformer? Good job on the layout. Looks to be 3' by 6'? I've got a late 40's Hudson in my collection that looks like it has about a million miles on it - worn wheels, worn pick up rollers, worn paint, but still runs like a top. Reasonable puller, too. I always enjoy running it. I've taken it to several events where I have set up and run a layout. Always enjoy talking with the folks when I set up a demo layout like that.

Took the Worx 5" chainsaw I got for Mrs. 8n along when I walked the dog today. We walk on a section of the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail - a rails to trails conversion along the B&O rright of way. Last weekend, there was a small tree that blew down and was leaning over the trail not quite blocking it, but in the way. A couple of cuts and it was clear. I also cleared a couple other places that were encroaching but not impeding the trail. Mrs. 8n likes my 10" B&D battery saw, but has difficulty working the safety on the trigger. We picked up the Worx saw because it is easier for her to run. I've only made a dozen or so cuts with it, but it seems to be a reasonable tool. Biggest drawback, so far, is that the chain oiler is a 3oz plastic squeeze bottle - kind of inconvenient. Got back to the porch project on the lake house today. My plan B to hang the tarps seems to be working. Forecast for the wind tonight is in the high teens. Will be interesting to see if the 2 tarps I hung up today are still there in the morning.

Today I took a portable train layout for an assisted living facility for show and tell. I had some pictures projected upon a screen of how I made some of the items and a video of my layout at home. Talked about how I got into trains (wife's uncle passed and left them to us). Answered questions how I made mountains, buildings and other items. I anticipated spending 30 minutes or so and ended up over an hour. The residents (some 20 of them) seemed to enjoy and appreciate The activities director asked who and where they rode trains. Interesting stories. Lots of laughter and memories for these folks. One funny part. I normally run my trains pretty slow--just looks more natural. Someone asked "will it go faster?" Another "Yeah, lets see it go fast." So I opened up the throttle and nearly all of them cheered! Not too bad for a 79 year old engine.

My apologies, I didn’t realize you are in Poland! Yes, getting parts across the ocean is pretty difficult. A map of all the members is at the top of this page (Member Map). From it, you may find other members who might be able to help you with your parts search. As for leaks, the fuel pump has a lot going on. The very first thing to check is whether or not any fuel has leaked into the oil sump. Look for it (and smell it) on the dipstick. Other sources are around the diaphragm/gasket between the two pump halves, or from the inlet or outlet connection.