Large Scale Central

Modified Ruby

Modeling
#1

Recently I bought a live steam Ruby. I couldn’t resist ruining its resale value, so I started modding away The cab was made by using those iron-on endcaps they sell for the edges of 3/4 plywood. Just took the original cab apart, and ironed the pieces on. I got the idea from Vance Bass’ site. I think I should have done the cab roof The tender is scratch built out of styrene on a hartland mini-flatcar I’m still planning to add a boiler jacket. I’ve got some better lettering on order, and I’m planning to add remote control, then handrails and sand pipes

#2

Pretty neat. I think you’ve caught the bashing disease. :wink:

#3

The live steam is so neat!

#4

Mike.
That is looking great.

The disease is contagious.

#5

It is. Now if you would make that RCS system for controlling servos…

I think The Accucraft Shay would be a good fit for a layout with a lot of grades. They’re as ugly as homemade sin though.

#6

He does!

Check his website. There is a RCS receiver system designed for live steam to drive servos. I seriously considered it, but started out with a $30 2-Stick AM system from Tower Hobby. Unhappy with the glitches in that system I upgraded to the low-end Spektrum system for just under $100. If I already had any RCS gear Tony’s system would have been my choice, but I didn’t have the budget for it.

The Ruby looks great!

Edit: HEY - Watch who’s engine yer calling ugly. Remember were all supposed to play nice :smiley:

#7

Hi John.
Actually I did. I don’t at the moment. Mainly because of the Spektrum system becoming available.

However, it seems that a lot of people still prefer the small RCS TX-24 handpiece so I will make a decision at the end of April as to whether or not I make them again.
Range with RCS in metal locos is always a “problem”, but, with judicious placement of the antenna, acceptable range is possible.

I will have to get a new run of pcb’s made and that will take a few weeks as the only place I can get them made affordably now is China.

#8

Thanks Tony - I can’t speak for your market, you know it better than I do, but that $99 Spektrum is a big honkin’ radio. It works great, but I’d much rather have something small like the RCS TX-24. Range on the Spektrum is fantastic and the antenna is only about an inch long. I have mine sticking straight up out of my wood load. I can’t even see it unless I look close for it. So, I can understand the 27 MHz issues with range in a metal loco being an issue. Edit: Found a picture…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/SteamNSnow_01-640.jpg)

The antenna is that thin line just visible at the far edge of the wood load going straight up toward the bulb of the lamp.

#9

I looked at the spektrum radios–why in the world do they have to be so big? I took an old Futaba two stick radio that we had around apart, in order to take the springs off the control sticks, and it’s mostly air inside. The Spektrum is all gee-gawed up like a prop from a “terminator” movie. I’ll be honest, I’d feel a little silly using that thing to run a Ruby

I’m perfectly happy with the range I get from the aristo 75 mhz rc units. We’ll see if the Futaba 27 mhz I’m going to install has a lot of glitching

#10
mike omalley said:
I looked at the spektrum radios--why in the world do they have to be so big? I took an old Futaba two stick radio that we had around apart, in order to take the springs off the control sticks, and it's mostly air inside. The Spektrum is all gee-gawed up like a prop from a "terminator" movie. I'll be honest, I'd feel a little silly using that thing to run a Ruby

I’m perfectly happy with the range I get from the aristo 75 mhz rc units. We’ll see if the Futaba 27 mhz I’m going to install has a lot of glitching


The Spektrum is all air inside too. Those R/C plane guys must like big radios.

I think you’ll dump the 27 MHz Futaba after a few runs. I did. The servo constantly moved as the engine progressed over the track even though the stick wasn’t being moved. Range sucked too, and trying to deal with a foot or more of antenna wire and not make it look stoo-pid was a trick.

#11

Thanks jon–we’ll see. I agree, figuring out where to put the antenna is a “challenge” I’d rather not have!

So the Spektrum really got rid of all the glitching?

#12

Like turning off a switch. And the range is further than I’ll ever need from a 2 inch antenna.

Converting from the Futaba to the Spektrum is very easy. No need to change wiring or servos, just swap out the receiver, so if you already have the Futaba, then I’d give that a try.

Check out my Article Installing R/C In the Accucraft 2 Cyl. Shayfor the basics. I’m told the Ruby controls are almost identical to the Shay.

#13

That’s a great thread Jon–clever installation! I actually cheated and bought a pre-made kit designed for the Ruby–comes with a bracket and two servos and mounting gear.

(http://www.rc-steamers.com/images/complete.JPG)

After I ordered it I realized I could have managed it myself, but hindsight is easy. I’m planning to mount everything in the tender that I made, which is all plastic. That should help, I hope.

#14

Given the excellent performance of the Spektrum now you can see why I am hesitant to commit to making the RCS Servo Drivers again.

If Spektrum ever offer a more user friendly sized transmitter I can see a boom in their sales to the battery R/C brigade.

#15

Thanks Mike :slight_smile: That’s a slick kit. The piece for the servo connection to the throttle is porbably the toughest to make yourself.

#16

If you take a look around you’ll find there is Spektrum technology in the the RC car pistol format. As far as size of the air radios go, they’re pretty much the size of other radios. You might want to consider getting a neck strap for you radios. They change the whole feel, I always use one when flying my RC stuff.
Dave

#17

Dave -

Yes the 2-Chan pistol type is smaller, but they are awkward for live steam. Also quite a bit more expensive than the entry level 5 Chanel air system.

With an air system, you can remove the spring return from the sticks and are then able to set your throttle and Johnson bar positions and let go of the sticks. With a pistol grip even if you could remove the spring returns, getting a visual indication of where things are set is difficult.

Not saying it can’t be done, but for me it wasn’t a good solution. My first trials putting R/C in my steamer were with a pistol grip radio.

#18

Mike: looks good! I have started the same thing with my Ruby only I plan on adding a lead truck one axle and maybe a trailing truck as well. How do you plan on attaching the hand rail stantions? My tender is a mix of materials.

Paul

#19

I got the RC installed and what a blast! I was able to do a test run and the Ruby ran great–even on grades I thought it would never make. The Johnson bar was enough to control speed, for the most part. It ran like a top!

I seem to save gotten lucky–I had no glitching and no range problems, maybe because the receiver is in an all plastic tender?

Paul I ordered a boiler jacket from David Bailey in England. He said he had four sets available, pre-bent with insulation. I got a set of handrail stanchions from Trackside Miniatures and I’m planning to either drill and tap them or maybe just drill holes and epoxy them in place with BB weld. Depends on how heavy the boiler jacket is.

It really would look better with a front truck and a trailing truck. I may have to cowboy up and get to drilling and sawing