Re: Ruby Radio Control Questions
I have radio control in my Ruby, just 2 servos, Johnson bar and throttle works fine that is all you need. Go to the hobby shop and buy one of the cheap 2 channel ground radios, with stick controls not a wheel radio. The servos that come with the radio are to large so you will need to buy a pair of mini servos. The radio I used is the Futaba Attack III, cost about $65.00, I'm not sure if that radio is still available but there should be something that would compare with it. Keep your steam up! RA
Re: fuel
I would think the fuel he gave you would be Ethanol as that is what we use in Sprint Car racing. It is made from corn and it is also what is added to gasoline to make gasahol, 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Rog
Re: What's the deal with JB Weld?
Steve, I picked up the JB Weld I have at Home Depot, so I know it is available there. You also could most likely find it at almost any hardware store! Roger
Re: Meteor shower tonight
We won't see it here in Iowa as the clouds are moving in' seems like every time there is one of these events the clouds head for Iowa! Roger
Re: Increasing Ruby run time [was: (no subject)]
Hi Trent, Thanks for the information, after a run I only have to add right at 45ml to bring the water level back up to where I can steam up again. So it seems to me there must be quite a bit of water left in the boiler after each run. I'll try topping off the tank the next time I steam up and keep a close eye on the water level. Don't worry I'll be sure to shut off the burner before topping off and there are no other live steamers around these parts to worry about coming by. Happy steaming, Roger
(no subject)
Hi All, Question!,,, If when Ruby gets steam up, to increase the run time if I were to shut down the burner and then top off the fuel tank before starting a run will the fuel run out before the water? I spent this evening making several nice runs with Ruby, the temp. here in Iowa this evening was in the low 50's and she sure gave off some nice steam plumes from her stack, sure was a neat sight. Ruby seems to run better every run, I don't have to push her back and forth at the start of the run anymore , just put her in reverse and give her some steam and away she goes. Keep up the steam, Roger Arndt
Re: Electronic Water Gauge
Re: servos for steam regulator
Hi Trent, On my ruby I used a piece of 5/16" brass tubing over the Johnson bar, then the connecting rod passes thru the brass tube about 2" above the floor of the cab. By extending the length of the Johnson bar this makes it easier to control the amount of throw of the servo by using the different holes in the servo horn. I am using a micro servo and the servo horn only has two holes on each end so I am using the hole on the outside end of the horn. I get just the right amount of travel from neutral to forward and neutral to reverse with this setup. Roger Arndt
Spring is here, steam up the Ruby
Hi Guys, Well spring has finally come to Iowa this week, I got some track maintenance done and steamed up Miss Ruby for the first time. Being new to live steam, could it be I am filling the boiler with to much water, as it seems to take forever to get up steam and the safety valve never pops off. After a run of maybe 7 to 8 minutes there is still a lot of water left in the boiler and it pukes gobs and gobs of water out the stack. Once she gets going she sure runs nice. Have a good one, Roger Arndt
Re: Spring is here, steam up the Ruby
Hi Guys, Well spring has finally come to Iowa this week, I got some track maintenance done and steamed up Miss Ruby for the first time. Being new to live steam, could it be I am filling the boiler with to much water, as it seems to take forever to get up steam and the safety valve never pops off. After a run of maybe 7 to 8 minutes there is still a lot of water left in the boiler and it pukes gobs and gobs of water out the stack. Once she gets going she sure runs nice. Have a good one, Roger Arndt
Re: Spring is here, steam up the Ruby
Ok I'll cut down on the water a little more, the gas valve is not leaking , much to my surprise as all I have heard about leaky valves on the Ruby. If it stops raining this weekend I'll give her another try. Thanks all for the info, Roger
Re: New Member Introduction
Welcome Don there is a lot of good information in this group! Roger
Re: Ruby and turnouts
Thanks Mike , I've got 1100's so I guess I'll have to take the file to them! Roger
Re: Updated roster
Hi, Here is my bio. Would like to join in -- -- From: Vidmanrog Subject: Would like to join in Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:55:09 -0800 -- -- Hi, I have been reading the list for sometime now and thought it was time to join in, as it seems like real friendly group, with a lot of good information. My name is , Roger Arndt, I live in Des Moines, Iowa, right now the land of cold and snow, not a good place for out door rail roading! I'm new to live steam, however I have been in to G scale for about 10 years and have a back yard rail road, I don't call it a garden rail road as I am not a gardener. My R.R. is called the " Weed Patch Woodland", it has about 300' of mainline track and is track powered. I have been interested in live steam for quite awhile, and when I saw a Ruby on e-bay I just had to have it . By the time it got here winter had set in so I have yet to steam it up, I have removed the side tanks and added running boards, I have also added radio control, with the receiver and the battery pack housed in a tender from a Bach. 2-4-2. Well I feel I have a lot to learn about operating live steam, it's not like just plugging in the old power cord and turning on the transformer, so I may be asking a lot of questions, hope you all don't mind. Rog
Ruby and turnouts
Has anyone had trouble with their Ruby going through LGB or Aristo turnouts, if so what is the answer? Roger WPW
Re: Website is getting there
Hey Ferdinand, Beautiful web site, looking forward to seeing more!! Roger
Re: Track Roadbed and Operating Pit
I play with sparkies also, and I have Aristo track that has been out in the snow, rain, mud and hot sun for over seven years an it hasn't weathered yet. Roger WPW
Re: Cleaning track
I have yet to run my Ruby on my R.R. , but in the 10 years of running with track power the only thing I have used to clean the track has been WD-40. I just walk around the layout and every five or six feet I spray two or three feet of track with the WD-40, then run the engine over the track and after about two trips around the layout the track is clean and the engine runs without missing a beat. So I would think if it works with track power it should work with live steam. Also I have several pretty good grades and the WD-40 doesn't seem to cause any wheel slippage . It sure makes cleaning track fast and easy. Roger WPW
Propane powered Ruby
In some of the photos from Diamond Head there was a photo of a Ruby that had been converted to propane with the propane cylinder in a gondola . Has anyone else thought about trying that, and what problems might there be with that kind of conversion? You would have to keep an eye on the water level and the steam oil , but it sure could give you a lot longer running time. Roger WPW
Re: Would like to join in
Thanks Steve and Salty, your welcome warms me up on this cold day here in Iowa! Roger
Re: 409
Geoff, we used to run the wheels off the 409's at the drag strip when I was a young one!...a good cleaning agent that I have found is called Simple Green, it's fabric safe but will still degrease an engine(automobile engine that is) but I can't see why it won't work on a live steamer. It should be available at your local grocery store. Roger WPW
