# Water sight glass for accucraft ruby



## shayboy1420 (Jun 18, 2010)

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone new of a kit to put a water sight glass on the boiler of the Accucraft Ruby. I have been looking into getting a goodall valve for my Ruby and thought it might be helpful to have a sight class so i don't over fill the boiler or run it too low.
Thank you,
Zeb Thomas


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a Ruby with a goodall and find that it is easier to just run it without adding water as the fuel runs out before the boiler is empty. 

There is no real kit for a sightglass. If you have any friends with some machining skills one can be fabricated and bushings soldered oin the boiler.


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## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

There was a kit for an electronic water level detector, but I don't think they've been available for several years. 
The main advantage was there was no need to add bushings to the boiler. 

Harvey C.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Heh no bushing but you drill a hole in the boiler and tap it I think 10-32, Later Bill had goodall valves with a intergrated probe when accucraft moved the filler into the cab. Ive got one on my Mogul but it cant keep up against the boiler pressure. Its disconnected currently.


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

Simply get a Goodall Valve and pump bottle, usually available on eBay or from most of the live steam dealers.

If the loco is still firing and stops running then it is out of water. You will get used to how much water needs to be added as you become familiar with your locomotive. So many pumps after so many minutes of run time. If water starts coming out the exhaust then you have overfilled the boiler.


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## Steamboil (May 12, 2009)

Sure, you can use the PM Research's water glass set-up. Its fairly inexpensive, but you will need to buy two boiler bushings, model piping, and fittings too. Also, you will need to braze the busings into your boiler. It can be found at: < http://www.pmresearchinc.com/store/product.php?productid=3124&cat=122&page=1 > .

Accucraft also makes a water glass set-up, but last time I checked, I believe it was about double to triple the price, and that is if you can find them instock. 

I have used both with good success, but I prefer the PM Research guage, for it doesn't use any banjo bolts. You can also add a check valve while you have the engine apart.


Happy steaming, 

Tom S.


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## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

There is something that I have been wondering, is a Goodall Valve just another name for a boiler check valve?


Andre


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, it is a check valve, in that it does not let steam out of the boiler but it is made so you can stick in a piece of tubing from a squirt bottle and add water. A check valve to me means a more permanent installation with an axle pump, injector, or tender hand-pump to fill the boiler.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Somewhere in the vast MLS Live Steam Forum archive there is a thread on adding a water glass to Ruby. Some key points I remember very well as the solution was very creative and quite original. (That shameless sucking up is in hope of flushing out the creator - hope springs eternal.)

Anyway, key to the solution was using the rear boiler mount stem for the bottom connect to the water glass by drilling it through into the boiler. He then drilled/taped the stem perpendicular between the frame and boiler for the bottom water glass connection. I think he used a cap nut on the bottom of the stem to both cap the stem hole while securing the boiler to the frame. (I guess you could fill the stem with solder.) The top site glass fitting, I believe, was connected to the boiler top Christmas Tree where there is an extra threaded fitting with a plug (left side). I do not believe it was necessary to drill the boiler for the top site glass fitting. 

Now, your job is to search the archive or maybe, just maybe the creator of this solution will chime in. But I think this gives you the broad basics to do it yourself. 


If you do redo this solution I hope you will keep us updated as you progress, lots of pics. Then Dwight can add your thread to the permanent Informative Threads section. Or the original author will return so his thread and yours can be added to the IT section.


Good Luck !


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

Chris,

I believe I remember two people that have added site glasses to Rubys - Harry Wade and Larry Herget?


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Shay Gear Head on 20 Jun 2010 02:05 PM 
Chris,

I believe I remember two people that have added site glasses to Rubys - Harry Wade and Larry Herget?


Larry Hegret posts on MLS under the handle "highpressure". Harry Wade's handle is "gwdriver" but I have not seen him on MLS in a long time. Harry hangs out on some other machinists sites. They are the "go to" guys on this topic. 

Jason's solution is the right way to go. For a site glass you need bushings silver soldered into the boiler.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

I remember Larry's thread on adding a water glass to his Ruby Mogul but he added a bushing to the boiler backhead.


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## Engineer Larry (Jun 2, 2009)

The thread by Larry Herget to add a sight glass to a boiler is in the archive dated 17 Dec 2007
and is the thread "Accucraft Mogul Water Glass" 



It involves drilling a hole in the boiler, and uses a solderless jobe bolt for the bottom connection. 
Larry


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

There is a issue with tapping a sight glass into the manifold on top. The throttle is attached to it. When you open the throttle you would suck the water up through into the sightglass. Basically you are making a reverse injector.


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## Steamer91 (Oct 13, 2011)

I might point out that a water glass really isn't all that necessary (although nice to have) with a little engine like the Ruby. I fitted a Goodall valve to mine, and I've been meaning to have a sight glass fitted, but in the meantime I've found it's really quite easy to run without one and not go running the boiler dry.

In fact the only reason I put the Goodall valve on in the first place was because my Ruby ran dry once under load (thankfully, there was no damage). Despite what Accucraft says, I've found the water consumption is much higher when the locomotive is under load, say about 4 or 5 cars, as compared to it running light, and the water WILL run out before the fuel if you let it, at least with my particular engine.

What I like to do is full the boiler right up to the to the top and take off 10-15ml of water when I'm first firing up, does spit water from the safety that way but at least you've got plenty of water to start out with. Then, after warming the cylinders up and running it with a train for about 10 minutes give or take, I stop and put 20 or 30ml in with the goodall valve, and that usually lasts until the fuel gives out.

With a warm boiler on the restart, I've gotten 25 minutes on one tank of fuel, although if you cheat and kill the fire briefly, top up the fuel tank, then relight once you've gotten the boiler up to blowoff pressure and warmed up the cylinders, I've gotten runs in the 30 minute region at times.

No matter what I do, I've always had water in the boiler afterwards, no water glass required. I just had to learn the personality quirks of my engine and learn when she needs her drinks to keep going, and I'm sure you could too. However, if you can get a glass fitted (hopefully with a truth drain to keep the thing from lying to you), by all means do so, they are nice things to have fitted to a loco!


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## chooch (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is a shot of my coal fired Ruby w/sight glass that Larry Herget did about 10 years ago. I would agree that a sight glass is not required on a Ruby, but in the case of coal fired version, it's a must have.


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## boilingwater (Jan 27, 2010)

Hi Fred,

..and I have the other CFR.....yes, a sight glass is requred! Someday we should get together and run those two together!

Sam


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## chooch (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Sam,
You must have picked that up at D.H. this year. I helped Rex who purchased it last year (2013) fire her up and get the hang of running a coal fired locomotive with such a small firebox. You have a water tender with axle and hand pumps. That makes it easier than my Goodall valve setup with axle pump. Have you had a chance to run her yet? I finally reversed the eccentrics this past summer. It ran so well as manufactured that I never felt the need to make the change, but time got the better of me and I had to do the reverse setup like my other Ruby. Maybe next year at D.H. we can double head if we both make the trip!


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## boilingwater (Jan 27, 2010)

Hi Fred,

Yes, actually it was the year he brought it . I missed DH this year. He had a change of heart and he knew I wanted it so he sold it to me. I haven't fired and yet so perhaps you and I can do so if we both make it down to DH this year....of course, Michigan and Wisconsin are a bit closer.....

Sam


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## Steamer91 (Oct 13, 2011)

Yeah, I'd agree that a sight glass is pretty well required equipment on a coal-fired engine, for you can keep those things running all day if you've a mind to, and you can't kill the fire instantly like you can with gas should something be going awry.

I boil on a bit of a budget, so a coal fired engine is a bit out of reach for me at the moment, although I'd dearly love to have a little one.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

I just realized when I saw my post, I though to myself when did I write this? Its from 2010. How did this get thrown to the front of the line.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

*Coal Fired Ruby*

Maybe we could join the parade at DH










https://flic.kr/p/bwBZYP

Seems as if the image icon and the input of URL does not get the job done


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