# Where to buy coal fired ruby



## csinc (Jun 8, 2008)

Was watching YouTube videos of a coal fired ruby. Anyone know where to buy one? Most of the stuff in the archives seem a little dated.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I think the coal version was offered as a kit by David Bailey(DJB Engineering) but is no longer offered. I think you can get the S&L 24 converted over by someone. Guy in Colorado used to do coal conversions, but quit, I think. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will let you know for sure, like Charles!


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

David Bailey did offer a production run that has since been sold out. I do not think Torry is doing another gauge one work. John Shawe located in England is active with a long waiting list. Oll' Fart custom made his. Justin is busy with narrow gauge. Harry Wade could make a boiler and the list goes on if one does some research. GN Steamer had one for sell awhile ago, not sure if he sold it.


Good luck with the hunt


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## bigsteam (Mar 6, 2008)

Jerry: 

The guy in Colorado did not quit, he is just finishing out the first run of conversions. These were K-27s, and he had a very strong responce to the offering ( 13 orders within 15 months.) Presently he is finishing the final touches on number 10, and will begin working on number 11 shortly. When this offering is finished, there will be another, probably K-36s, and maybe a few C-19s. 

I am the recipient of his first K-27 conversion, an excellant product. I have been told that, since the product runs so well, that at least one individual has purchased two of them. 

He is a friend of mine, and from conversations with him I can tell you he wil not be taking large numbers of advance orders again, but will concentrate on completing one order at a time before committing to others. 

I do not think he is interested in doing single conversions though. By doing a series the cost is much less than what others charge for a conversion, mine was about $3000 when ordered, compared to a conversion on an Aster of about $5000. 

John


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Glad to hear Torey is still going, I got a good Goodall pump from him a few years back. Had seen the conversions, knew he had a problem with some series and was not going to do them, guess I assumed he was done. Nice he's still going.


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## GNSteamer (Jan 16, 2008)

I have one of the David Bailey coal fired converted Ruby boilers still available for sale. I had the floor plate milled out to accommodate the fire box grate and have all of the components necessary to build up a brass caboose. The brass sheets have been cut out, scored, and rivets embossed. All that is required is the brass sheets formed up and rolled. Solder together and install trucks that I will also include. Please PM me if interested and I will email you photographs of everything that will be included. The boiler from David in the UK came to $900.00, with another $200.00 for coal fire accessories. The Mimi (Ruby with tender) donor was another $400.00, I'll take $1100.00 plus shipping for the entire package.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

John
Good to hear about Torry. I thought he had indicated that he wanted to concentrate on larger scale that he is involved with.....looking forward to his next batch!!


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2008)

Because building a model boiler is 95% hand work, builders can't realize much time (and therefore money) savings on the actual hands-on construction by building in batches. Hand work is always 1:1. However he or she can realize savings in PREPARING to build a boiler or boilers by doing them in batches. For instance by building say 10 boilers (or widgets for that matter) rather than one, some quantity savings can be had in material purchase and handling costs, the cost of forms and jigs can be amortized over 10 units rather than one, time can be saved in machine setup and breakdown time, and then it is faster to do a single hand operation multiple times rather that swap from operation to operation. The dilemma for builders, and why runs tend to be short and not repeated, is that the cost of materials and labor is such that the typical builder can't afford to build a batch and sell say half of them and then have the other half gathering dust on a shelf for years until someone decides they need one of whatever they've built. The cost to the builder in holding that unsold stock quickly eats up whatever economies of quantity there once might have been.


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## locoshay (Oct 5, 2008)

Hi All I am the one that posted the video of the coal fierd Ruby,It was scratch built by Larry Herget I don`t think there are any for sale 

Jim Sanders


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## chooch (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is a video with some clips of my Herget Coal Fired Ruby.  She is a great runner, and Jim is right, there are none available.  The video quality is not that good, but a higher quality is available on YouTube.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

The coal fired Ruby once tweaked is a pleasure to have on the rails:










We did a a thread with photo log of the Bailey build but when we moved the photo file the photos are no longer available, sorry.

So, here is a few of the process we took on in building it:

The kit and "donor" ruby 











Basic insulation setup with every thing readied for a test fire











The final adjustment was to retrofit with a different design for the cross head water pump as worked through with John Shawe:





















A short video file shows it running at the 2:25 track on this video


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## Steve Shyvers (Jan 2, 2008)

Charles, 

Would you please tell me whether the DJB coal boiler firebox has wet legs? Or is it similar to a Briggs firebox with flat crownsheet and dry legs? I see from the photos that there might be two stays on the sides of the firebox down low, but apparently no stays to the crownsheet. 

Thank you. 
Steve


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

I always wanted to learn how to build these, 

From a beginners standpoint (with great patience and high attention to detail)

What websites/books/equipment would I need to start building my own boilers.
I always see these tool laidened workbenchs. Looks like great fun.

I know a huge book could probably be an answer to my question lol.


I am also asking cause I just bought a house and now I finally have a garage for the equipment (lathe, silver soldier equipment, etc etc)


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## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

Andrew; 
"Steam Trains in Your Garden" by Brian Wilson has plans and instructions for a nice 0-4-0 with either a gas fired or coal (dry leg) boiler. 
There are also two "words and music" gauge one loco books available from the Gauge "1" Model Railway Association. 

Harvey C. 
SA1838


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Any of Kozo Hiraoka's books will do!


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## David Halfpenny (Sep 24, 2008)

Any of Kozo's books will tell you how to make a sophisticated medium-sized 3.5" gauge coal-fired boiler.

I'm not convinced that any of them will tell you how to scale it down by a volume factor of at least a dozen for little 45mm gauge Ruby! 

David


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

I will probably get the brian wilson book to start, I will kit bash my current ruby, and figure it out while I am going at it, if I mess up, so what, I am learning lol. 

The things I have to learn how to do is, silver soldiering, how to setup and bend the metal properly, measuring, the bolts to hold the non rounded parts together(stays ?). How to figure out if I have enough surface area to generate the steam needed(a ruby is nice about this due to the small cylinders), how thick the boiler walls have to be for safe operation. Once I get good at it I will upside to bigger engines for fun. Probably not ever make running gear, just the boilers for coal firing. (and other engine upgrades, axle pumps, hot water bath returns.), modifications when I get boarded of the current performance of the engine. 

BTW, where do you guys get all the small hardware, values, sight glasses etc.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve
RFC-DBJ has wet sides and dry back.


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

Andrew, google Cole's Power Models for the fittings, etc. Fine folks to do business with. 
Also, American Model Engineering Supply. 

Larry


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## David BaileyK27 (Jan 2, 2008)

* I* still have the drawings for the Ruby boiler and could supply copies, I can also supply copies of the instructions including a new design for the water pump which runs off the crosshead. I have some spares left over, grates and ashpans.
Contact me off group if you are interested.
David Bailey www.djbengineering.co.uk


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## chooch (Jan 2, 2008)

Andrew,
Larry Herget did a posting after making the two coal fired Rubys boilers. He posted pictures and gave some detail on how to make a boiler from beginning to end.  Here is the link I found in the archives. 

You can also find this link at the top of this forum under "Informative Threads Index", then about a quarter way down the page you will see the subject article written by 'highpressure'.


Hope this helps with your questions.


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

Perfect. This is what I was looking for, thanks 

(got to start using the search function, and informative thread index here lol)


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