Accucraft RUBY

Well, I'm here in Michigan, and pick up a new issue of MR.... well low and behold I see a Accucraft RUBY Kit out of St. Aubin, and fell in love with the little bugger. Come to find out though that the loco was a kit....

Is it wise to buy it as a kit or RTR???
Also, I want to put on Bachmann couplers... is it possibile???

James,

First off - Accucraft offers it in a variety of schemes. The first two schemes are the same - but #1 is RTR, #2 is kit version. Go up the scheme numbers, and you will find variations based upon the #1 version - these might include a pilot or trailing truck, water tanks that "straddle" the boiler, and so forth, and even a tender!

You could get the kit version. Basically, the kit version, from what I hear, consists of the complex assemblies already put together, and then you put those assemblies together to complete the locomotive.

My suggestion is that if you want to LEARN how to build a locomotive, get the kit, and you will learn how to put it together, and will be able to figure out how to reverse the steps in order to repair it, if the need arises.

Get the proper tools before you start building it, so that you are ready, and aren't tempted to "jury rig" some tool in order to complete the task.
Mike

i just finished up my ruby to be named "pop-pop's legacy" in honor of my grandfather who got me started in the hobby...

it is a fairly easy engine to build and maintain.. accucraft did an exceptional job on the instructions albeit it is not for those with out any mechanical knowledge... it does require some knowledge of how things go to gether and live steam locos but as my first live steamer ive built it came out pretty dang good id say...

now... to get my grandfathers 3/4" scale praire back on the road as well as the reminants of his machine shop so i can finish up the cli shay he started nearly 20 years ago...

Just started thinking seriously about garden railroads and the Ruby looks like an excellent entry-level live steamer. One question - is the gauge the same as LGB? Does it represent narrow gauge?

The ruby does indeed run on LGB track - G scale! 45mm to be exact. I have one, and steamed it up this past weekend. It can be bashed to many different styles, it would be entirely up to you.

It is not that hard. If you have the chance, and the patience, get the kit. It is an educational experience, and as long as you FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS and work in a clean workspace (read: perhaps the kitchen table, with a drop cloth over it to make it easier to find parts if you happen to lose one, and so you dont anger the missus with oil stains;)).

It does not take much - a can of butane with a ronson filler valve will last you several runs, a gallon of distilled water (available in the water dept at the grocery store), will go a long way.

check out www.mylargescale.com/forum - they have forums in various aspects, including live steam.

here's a pic or two of my ruby

http://www.mikewalsh.dns2go.com/RUBY/rrs/ruby1.JPG
http://www.mikewalsh.dns2go.com/RUBY/rrs/rubydouble.JPG

you can tell the difference between my ruby and the stock version.

regards,
mike

Mike... LOVE IT... I am on Larescale too, every once and a while... ("Whipperpup" is my handel)

I purchased an Accucraft Ruby in July 2006 and I have nothing but great things to say about it. I ordered a 2-4-2 from St. Aubin and painted and modified it to look like an average American-ized narrow gauge steam locomotive. Here are some photos of her running on the track I built in my side yard.


http://forums.railfan.net/Images/LiveSt ... 2_asdf.jpg
http://forums.railfan.net/Images/LiveSt ... 2_asdf.jpg
http://forums.railfan.net/Images/LiveSt ... 2_asdf.jpg
http://forums.railfan.net/Images/LiveSt ... 2_asdf.jpg
http://forums.railfan.net/Images/LiveSt ... 2_asdf.jpg
http://forums.railfan.net/Images/LiveSt ... dfdasf.jpg


If you look closely in the last picture, you'll see an old railroad spike. That spike came out and under the road I live on. My street used to have trolley tracks that ran from the CNJ mainline (about 3 blocks away from my house). There used to be 2 tracks in the middle of my street at one time. Before the road was completely re-paved in 2005 when they ripped the rails up from under the old pavement, they paved over the tracks sometime in the 50's. To make a long story short, I found a way to get a spike from the old trackage. Now it sits at the end of the railroad as a reminder of what once passed by about 25 yards away from my little layout. If that old spike could talk.

-Colin

looks good....

so... did you get it?

Still am debating to by the kit or the RTR version..... probably I'll have it by the end of the year...

get the kit.. and get it now... they are discontinuing the ruby kits, it appears.....