# My Ruby's progress



## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

here is my Ruby so far with an almost complete pilot deck (thank you Scott for the template!) I still need to drill holes for mounting the pilot .Also new bronson tate baldwin cab, running boards, a tender and some paint.(sorry if pictures are a little fuzzy)





the tender is from a Scientific toys train set and the top was chopped 2 inches to make it shorter. trucks are new bright but those are temporary.



I still need a pilot truck, box headlight, boiler jacket, diamond smokestack, cowcatcher and some other minor details. The pilot beam is in the making.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice! looking good!








Scot


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

yeah the pilot was pretty easy to cut, I did not use a jewelers saw, I used tinsnips or pliers designed to cut metal. I used the dremel for the filing. was really was a pain was soldering the sides on the pilot, I had my dad do it. soldering metal together is not my specialty. Im working on a pilot beam now and im going to order a wooden cowcatcher.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice arrangement. Great look to it. Please post some vids when you get it running.

Thanks, Bob


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

here is an update on my ruby. The smoke box was painted with black fireproof paint. the pilot deck is finished however its not bolted yet. I made longer running boards. 



I was planning to use a delton C-16 cowcatcher but its too tall and I don't ant the pilot deck to be mounted really high. anybody here know what I should use?



The new headlight bracket is from a Lionel Large scale 0-6-0t since its brass. I probably wont be able to use the headlight since its a plastic bachmann big hauler headlight, I have a feeling it would melt.


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

here is the tender, to hide the crappy job i did to make it 2 inches shorter on top I wrapped the tender body in painters tape, currently it was getting some gold pinstripes.


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

I still need to find a pilot truck, make a boiler jacket and a few other minor details. I might repaint the wheels but I'm not sure.


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## Police1987 (Jun 16, 2012)

I like that. It deff looks nice with all that detail. When do you expect it to be finished and running? This weekend maybe?


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

I'm not sure when it will be finished, I still need some major parts.


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## Police1987 (Jun 16, 2012)

Are you able to run it now or it has to be finished first. It is very nice. I want to see it done and running. Hopefully soon


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blakesteam1 on 18 Aug 2012 09:03 AM 
I still need to find a pilot truck, make a boiler jacket and a few other minor details. I might repaint the wheels but I'm not sure. 

You can try Doug Bronson for the pilots, he has a few options in short and long. As to the pilot wheels I used some old spoked Lionel wheels that I turned and bored for a 1/8" axle. They are mounted in a fabricated pilot truck pivot using some music wite for a centering spring and tracking pressure. The pivot I made longer than I wanted so it would handle small curves.

And as you know nothing happens overnight as some seem ignorant to the fact that bashing and building it a labor os love.


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

I never thought of using Lionel wheels, since I'm also have O gauge I have plenty of wheels to spare.


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Trackside details has a nice BRASS headlight! I used one on my first Ruby bash.


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

Added cork lagging around the boiler to solve the problem I had last winter. the pilot deck is bolted but it still can use some more strengthening. Im also going to add some cork around the fuel tank.



here is the pilot truck I whipped up using some brass and lionel wheels. the square piece is going to be bolted underneath the frame thus where the pilot truck will go.


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## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

I would caution you on wrapping the butane tank with cork. I'm thinking that you are trying to keep it warm which is good, but as the fuel is used the tank gets quite cold because of the pressure change. If you insulate it, this will work to keep the cold in. Instead perhaps construct a tin or bras cover in the shape of a U , and have the legs of the u run out to meet the edge of the boiler. It will be a weird contour on the end of the legs because you will be coming at the Boiler from an angle. May be you could leave some cork off the boiler where it connects too. The cover could be insulated with cork just leave air space between the cork and gas tank for hot air to circulate. Another thought is to design the cover so it is remove able in the summer when you won't need the heat of the boiler so much. 

She is really looking nice. Can't wait to see videos of those big winter plumes coming out of the stack!


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

I do not recommend insulating the fuel tank. The fact that it is near the burner is an advantage, especially when it is cold outside. The butane in the tank is a liquid that must change to a gas when it leaves the jet for ignition. Butane does not do this well when it is cold. That is why isolated tanks in the tenders need to be warmed, usually with a warm water bath, when it is cold.


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

I forgot about the liguid to gas process. I'm not going to insulate the fuel tank thanks for reminding me! To tell you the truth last winter it was so cold outside i had problems, for some reason the tank was so cold the fuel would not come out but after a few minutes inside my warm house, the tank would be warm and the fuel would come out when I turned the knob.


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I actually built a heater for the fuel tank on one of my engines who's fuel tank was not close to the boiler.


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

Hello its has been a year since I have posted anything on my Ruby , so here is the locomotive as of now. Main reason why i didnt post anything cause this project was shelved last October when Hurricane Sandy hit Long Island. After that I didn't return working on the locomotive till April mostly due to school and working on other projects. I had to make a new pilot deck cause I messed up the first one. As you can see the conversion from an side tanker to tender engine is complete. The locomotive will be Bellmore Northern's > "Kimidori"


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## blakesteam1 (Jan 2, 2012)

Side view if you may notice The cab was painted to match my bachmann spectrum 4-4-0. I am very happy with how the boiler jacket came out.




Here is the tender I did a lot of work on this including new trucks salvaged from a lionel large scale caboose, air tank from a bachmann big hauler and the tender steps are the stock parts that came with the ruby.


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