hojack,
I got this one at Amazon, and I'm very happy with it.
That one is also a possibility. How much weight can it handle?
here's from one of the reviews on amazon:
"This one is the solidest I have come across. It uses a steel cable instead of a fabric cable, so it can lift heavier items (up to 5 pounds per the directions). The head can be rotated 90 degrees, which is a nice feature. It will pick up a piece of lint, a sheet of paper and even an iPhone (despite another review to the contrary) with ease. I have books and DVDs stored on high shelves that this also works fine for fetching. It seems really solid and well built. I suspect that some of the negative reviewers have unrealistic expectations. There may be heavier-duty units out there, but so far, this is the best I have used."
I have one that I got at HD. It can pick up plastic freight cars but the typical engine is too heavy. Some steamers can weigh upwards of twenty pounds so even the one on Amazon will not pick up a steam engine let alone a scale diesel. I don't usually have derailments but I have had engines stall out on a switch and I was able to use the grabber to push the engine through until power was restored.
What you really need is a "Skyhook".
