I built one of the new Ruby kits a couple months ago. It is my first live steamer. I don’t think you can go wrong by getting one.

The instructions that come with the kit are nothing but a few exploded parts diagrams that show how everything goes together. But I found the kit rather easy to put together, and I didn’t even have all the proper tools. I found a video on YouTube that was helpful for setting the timing.

I can answer question 1. And the answer is yes. The fuel tank can be removed. It just bolts to the cab floor. I’ll leave questions 2 and 3 for those with more experience and knowledge.

-Howard

 

2. Is it possible to add a sight glass?
3. Does anyone make a pop safety valve?

I'll take a swag at those:

2. Generally it is not possible to add a sight glass unless you are a serious machinist. It requires adding another bush or two to the boiler, which will need to be bronze and silver soldered.

As you can see from this photo (off the Livesteamstation.com website) there is a blank fitting on the turret where the steam valve is mounted - I suspect that is for the pressure gauge [recommended option.]

P.S. Accucraft sight glasses are notoriously bad at showing the actual water level. You might be better off without.

3. Wee-Bee used to make pop valves, but is no longer in business. Accucraft safety valves are much improved since the early days, and I personally don't like pop valves suddenly firing steam at my eyes while I am trying to couple my loco to a train.
My EBT #12 safety used to weep all the time, but it had little or no affect on performance.

 

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I think for my water level concerns I would see how long the stock butane tank burns for then at that time mark add more water.
I understand what you are saying about the pop valves, my c-25 is pretty violent haha. My k-28 has a weebee and its pretty calm.

 

If your kit doesn't have an actual instruction manual, PM me and I'll send you a PDF of it. (It may not correspond 100% to the current kits, because Accucraft has made changes over the years, but it will be much more helpful than an exploded diagram.)

I have modified the heck out of the Ruby (3 locos). I have a 2-4-0 modeled after the D&RG No. 1, a 0-4-4RT (Forney type) and a 0-4-2ST based on a Hawaiian plantation engine.

The 2-4-0 is one of the first kits - s/n 089 - and was involved in a collision (with an anvil, apparently, in the US mail), so I rebuilt it a couple of years ago. A thread about the rebuild is here: Stripping down and rebuilding an Accucraft "Ruby"

I did a thread on building the 0-4-2ST, but it disappeared when the MLS server changed. I saved it, though, and you can access a PDF of it here: Building Machita.pdf

Tom Farin did a masterclass on building a Ruby kit, and there are lots of photos of various wheel arrangements there (including Kevin Strong's gorgeous 2-4-2).

http://www.npcrr.com/Articles/MasterClassLiveSteam/SC04-Chp-01.pdf

http://www.npcrr.com/Articles/MasterClassLiveSteam/SC04-Chp-02.pdf

http://www.npcrr.com/Articles/MasterClassLiveSteam/SC04-Chp-03.pdf

http://www.npcrr.com/Articles/MasterClassLiveSteam/SC04-Chp-04.pdf

http://www.npcrr.com/Articles/MasterClassLiveSteam/SC04-Chp-05.pdf

And I did a page of Ruby modifications, which I haven't kept up to date for several years because there were just too many, but it will give you an idea of what others have done with it.

Things to do with an Accucraft Ruby

A resource site for those interested in small-scale live steam railroad locomotives as a hobby.

www.nmia.com

Ruby project gallery

A resource site for those interested in small-scale live steam railroad locomotives as a hobby.

www.nmia.com

 

Kevin,
Don't put the Ruby in the featherweight class.
So far I don't have enough cars to see if the C-18 can out pull my Ruby.
The 4 main modifications I made to mine.

1. Move the gas tank forward to where the lubricator is normally. The gas knob hits your first car on curves otherwise. To do this I moved my lubricator to the driver's side in front of the Johnson bar. One reason I pose for keeping the gas tank in the cab and not in the tender is for cold weather operations. I run in snow, and besides the initial fire up, I don't see a difference in performance from summer to winter.

2. I opened the ports in the valve chest to a #50 drill. Bill Allen has a write up on this. It basically fixes the admission timing problems so that you don't need to time it for best forward vs reverse running. I still have my eccentrics flipped for inside admission though.

3. Got a 60 psi safety from The Train Department. The boiler test certification has the capacity to increase the working pressure.

4. I added 3 pounds of ballast weight to the side tanks. If you're removing the side tanks, the weight can be added in other ways, but it will require more creativity.

I guess the only other modifications I've done are a coupler, Goodall valve, and RC.

I've yet to find anyone who has regrets of playing with a Ruby.

 

I have two Ruby's and they are fine engines for the price. I did the same modifications to the cylinders that Tdreabe did to his. Search this site for Ruby information and read it all that is written. On one of my Rubys, I removed the side tanks and replaced them with ones made of solid steel to increase the pulling power. Not necessary, but just fun.

As far as I know, the Ruby kits and fully built locomotives are out of stock until the new ones arrive. They will be different than the old ones, being made in Japan instead of China and may not need the mechanical modifications. Contact Accucraft to see when they will be available.

 

After looking the Mabel might be the better option for me considering the mods I would like to do.

 

That was going to be my other suggestion with your ideas of adding trucks. I'm considering a Mabel as well. I think I would get a Blue one to line it for my Bluewoods & Roche-A-Cri Railroad.

From building my Ruby, the Accucraft kit is a lot like the Erector Sets, or Meccano sets I used to build as a kid. It was a lot of fun. And it gave good insight into the construction of these engines to make repairs and modifications easier.

I had to warn my wife about my building tendencies with kits like these. If I'm allowed to start on it at 6pm after dinner, don't expect me in bed until 2 am or when it's finished. And if the kids start WWII, I won't notice until they bump my table and spill screws. Even then, I just pick up the pieces and keep going.

 

I really wouldn’t mind having that new Baldwin 0-6-0 with a tender but with price getting close to $2600 I’d probably rather save a “few more dollars” and get a c-18 kit and letter it for my freelance RR also.

 

Wee-Bee used to make pop valves,

I just saw an ad on Facebook for an Etsy shop that sells Wee Bee pop valves, and a few other goodies. Brian at Midwest Rail: MidwestRail - Etsy