I want to turn my Ruby #5 from a 0-4-0 to a 2-4-2. Acccucraft is out of the spare pilot trucks, anybody have any ideas for 2 small wheel sets that do not have huge LGBish flanges. I could probably fab up the frame from brass sheet, done it in HO scale so why not G. Make up an extended pilot deck to set the foot boards farther forward, plenty of room under the cab on this model for the trailing truck. Looks to open behind the rear drivers so a trailing truck would fill this space. Just wish Accucraft still had the trucks, would have made the job easier. Mike
If you just want smaller, shorter-flanged wheels to build your own pilot, what about putting new axles on a set of steel O gauge wheels?
Mike, here us a video I made a few years ago for a similar discussion:
The video was made for this thread, which contains more info on my Ruby front pilot.
http://forums.mylargescale.com/18-live-steam/21400-accucraft-ruby-mod-questions.html
Scot
I might have the front pilot from my forney when I took it off. Or you can make it into a 0-4-4 by adding trailing trucks like I did to my RH sammie. I used the trucks from a RH tender.
Let me know if you still have that truck, If you willing to let it go, I can clone it to make the trailing truck. Not going for the Forney look,but a small logging 2-4-2T. Something that might have been seen on the Argent Lumber Company had they been narrow gauge and ran tank engines. I would love to see one of thier little Moguls with the headlight on the tender way up high on a stand done in live steam. Still looking for something more logging like to swap my Merlin Major 0-6-0 for. Open to anything live steam logging wise. The test run with the Ruby #5 on manual control went well. I was able to quickly find a sweet spot that would keep him running without stalling or derailing from high speeds. I almost found it once I added the heavy 3 coach Autism train, but water ran low. Not bad for a very first steaming with a stiff and unrun in engine. I need to get the headlight lighted and try to find a matching or a simple barrel style light from Accucraft to put the reverse headlight on the cab roof. Anybody got one of those sitting around, one thats ready for bulb and has a refector and lense? Mike