Accucraft trains Ruby 0-4-0T Kit User manual

Ruby 0-4-0T Kit
Assembly Instructions

PART NO .& NAME QTY
SHEET 1
1 Frame 2
2 Bracket 4
3 M2 x 4 Hex Head Screw 25
4 Wheelset (without eccentrics) 1
5 Wheelset (with eccentrics) 1
6 End Beam 2
7 D2.2 Washer 4
8 M2 x 10 Hex Head Screw 4
9 Rear Frame Spacer 1
10 Deck Plate 1
11 Middle Frame Spacer 1
12 Lower Boiler Mounting Plate 1
13 Rear Boiler Saddle 2
14 Upper Boiler Mounting Plate 1
15 M2 x 8 Hex Head Screw 4
16 Front Boiler Saddle 1
17 Front Frame Spacer 1
SHEET 2 - Chassis Assembly
SHEET 3
21 Filler Plug 1
22 Safety Valve 1
23 Boiler 1
25 Burner 1
26 Jet Assembly 1
27 Lubricator Assembly 1
28 Gas Tank 1
29 Cap Nut 2
31 M3 x 5 Screw 2
32 Rocker Arm Assembly 2
33 M3 x 3 Set Screw 8
34 Drive Rod 2
35 Spacer 2
36 Main Rod Assembly 2
37 Large E-clip 4
38 M2 Nut 6
39 Reversing Quadrant Assembly 1
40 M2 x 4 Screw 2
41 Valve Rod 2
42 Small E-clip 4
PART NO .& NAME QTY
43 Cylinder 2
44 Reversing Rod 1
45 Gasket 2
46 M2 x 6 Hex Head Screw 6
47 Valve Assembly 1
48 M2 x 14 Countersunk Screw 8
49 Saddle Extension 2
50 Saddle Block 2
51 Saddle Plate 1
52 Smokestack Nut 1
53 Smokestack Washer 1
54 Smokestack 1
55 Exhaust Pipe 1
SHEET 4 - Boiler Assembly
SHEET 5
61 Side-tank Support Bar 2
62 Right Side Tank 1
63 Coupling Pin 2
64 Sand Dome 1
65 Steam Dome 1
66 Steam Dome Base 1
67 Left Side Tank 1
68 Cab Roof 1
69 Left Cab Wall 1
70 Front Cab Wall 1
71 Right Cab Wall 1
72 M2 x 3 Hex Head Screw 22
73 M1.6 x 4 Hex Head Screw 4
Tools required (not supplied)
Small needle-nose pliers
Small phillips screwdriver
Small adjustable wrench
Small round le
Ruby Parts List

Introduction
The Locomotive
The Accucraft Ruby is a freelance, gauge 1, 1:20.3
scale, live-steam locomotive based on Baldwin
practice. It has been designed to be both simple to
operate and sophisticated enough to satisfy more
experienced modelers. With proper care, your
Ruby should give years of service in the garden.
Operating a live-steam locomotive is much differ-
ent from running an electrically powered engine.
It is a more hands-on, interactive experience. The
locomotive must be periodically fueled, oiled, and
watered. As supplied, Ruby is manually controlled,
which means that you must actually drive the lo-
comotive using the controls in the cab, just as you
would a full-size engine.
The performance of the engine is also unlike elec-
tric locomotives. Ruby should pull up to half a doz-
en standard size freight cars on good, level track,
which is about the capacity of a full-size locomotive
of this conguration. Grades and sharp curves will
diminish its capability. A good engineer will learn
the engine’s characteristics and idiosyncrasies
over time to get the best performance and longest
duration from it.
The Kit
This pre-painted kit can be assembled with a mini-
mum of tools in just a few hours. Follow the instruc-
tions carefully and you should have no trouble.
Refer to your parts list and check that you received
all the parts necessary to assemble the engine.
Each part or group of parts is packed in its own
plastic bag. Familiarize yourself with the parts but
leave them in their respective bags until you are
ready to use them.
Follow the instructions sequentially, referring to the
drawings as you go for clarication. Make sure you
understand each step before proceeding. The part
number is in parenthesis after each part name.
Chassis
Refer to sheet 1
1-1. Start with the frames (1). Although they have
the same part number, there is a left frame and a
right. Identify the front end (the end with the most
holes). The insides of the frames have the thick-
er nut about halfway along their length. Screw the
brackets (2) to the inside of the frames with the M2
x 4 screws (3), as per the drawing and photo 1.
Make sure the brackets are facing the right way.
1-2. Locate the wheelsets (4, 5), the front frame
spacer (17), and the rear frame spacer (9). The
front wheelset has the plain axle and the rear con-
tains the eccentrics.
There is a bronze bushing next to the each wheel
on each axle. This bushing has a at side on it (pho-
to 2). This at side must face up to engage the at
in the hole on the frame.
Starting with the rear axle, slip the axle hole in the
frame over the axle, next to the bushing, then slide
the bushing into the hole, making sure the at side
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is up. The frame should slide over the bushing with-
out too much pressure. Don’t force it or you risk
bending the frame. Once this has been accom-
plished, do the same with the front axle. Your as-
sembly should now look like photo 3.
Screw the front and rear frame spacers between
the frames with M2 x 4 screws (3), as per the draw-
ing. Then screw the middle frame spacer (11) into
position behind the rear drivers with M2 x 4 screws.
The chassis should roll smoothly as this point.
Screw the end beams (6) to the frame spacers
at both ends, using M2 x 10 screws (8) with D2.2
washers (7). Screw the deck plate (10) to the
frames with four M2 x 3 screws (72).
1-3. Screw the lower boiler mounting plate (12) to
the frames with four M2 x 4 screws (3), sliding the
plate between the frames with the anges down-
ward, as per the drawing. Make sure the four holes
on top are toward the rear of the engine.
Screw the two rear boiler saddle pieces (13) to the
rear of the edge of the upper boiler mounting plate
(14) with M2 x 3 screws (72), paying close attention
to the drawing. Then screw the front boiler saddle
pieces (16) to the upper boiler mounting plate with
M2 x 3 screws (72). The assembly should look like
photo 4.
1-4. Screw the assembly to the frames with four M2
x 8 screws (15). You may have to loosen the rear
boiler saddle pieces so that the notches in them t
over the frames and the holes in the upper boiler
mounting plate align properly with those below.
At this point, your chassis should look like the draw-
ing on sheet 2.
3-1. Find the cylinders (43), the gaskets (45) and
the valve assembly (47). Screw the cylinders to
the upper boiler mounting plate with three M2 x 6
screws (46) each.
3-2. Slip the side rods (34) over the crankpins on
the wheels. With a small pair of needle-nose pliers,
carefully snap an e-clip (37) into the groove on each
of the front drivers’ crankpins to retain the side rod.
Now, working on one side at a time, slip the spacer
(35) over the rear crankpin, followed by the main
rod assembly (36). When installing the main rod as-
sembly, note that the crosshead (the small, black
piece on the end) has a small, threaded hole on
one side with a set screw installed. This hole must
be in the “down” position when the rod is installed.
Retain the rod on the crankpin with an e-clip as you
did the side rods.
3-3. The main rods can now be connected to the
piston rods in the cylinders (43). Pull the piston rods
out a little (they may be stiff) and examine them.
You will see a dimple machined into the side of the
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rod end. The set screw that is installed in the main
rod must seat in that dimple to hold the piston rod in
place. Carefully remove the set screw.
With your ngers, rotate the piston rod so the dim-
ple is facing downward. Align the large hole in the
crosshead with the end of the piston rod and ro-
tate the wheels, bringing the crosshead into contact
with the piston rod. The piston should slide into the
crosshead. Push it in all the way. Looking at it from
the bottom, you should be able to look through the
threaded hole and see that it is aligned with the dim-
ple. When this looks good, screw in the set screw.
Now, when the wheels are rotated, the piston rods
should move in and out of the cylinders.
3-4. Place the two sheets of gasket (45) on top of
each cylinder, aligning the holes, as per the draw-
ing. The gaskets should be very oily. If they are not,
put some lightweight machine oil on them. This will
help them seal better. Then place the valve as-
sembly (47) on top of the cylinders, sandwiching
the gaskets in between. Screw the valve assembly
tightly to the cylinders with eight M2 x 14 screws
(48). The chassis should look like photo 5 at this
point.
3-5. Screw an M2 nut (38) onto the long end of the
reversing rod (44). With your ngers, carefully re-
move the reversing valve from the valve assembly.
This is the one in the middle. Screw the short end of
the reversing rod all the way into the threaded hole
in the reversing lever on the reversing quadrant
(39), then back it off a half turn or so. See photo 6.
You may optionally add an M2 nut (38) to hold the
rod in the quadrant lever.
3-6. Screw the reversing quadrant (39) to the deck
plate with two M2 x 4 screws (3), as per the draw-
ing. If the screw holes in the deck plate have paint
in them, the screws may not go in easily. If this is
the case, clean the holes out by running a screw
into them by itself. Take it slowly so that you don’t
run the risk of twisting off the head of the screw. (If
the screw won’t start from the top side, try it from
underneath.)
Adjusting the reversing valve. On the reversing
valve itself is a very ne groove approximately 3/8”
from the rear end. This is and adjusting aid. When
the reversing quadrant is in the forward position,
the groove should just be touching the valve block.
If it isn’t, the valve can be adjusted in two ways. 1)
The screws holding the reversing quadrant can be
loosened and quadrant slid in one direction or the
other to achieve the adjustment. 2) If this doesn’t
work, the valve itself can be screwed or unscrewed
along the reversing rod until properly adjusted.
When proper adjustment has been attained, secure
the valve to the rod with the nut.
3-7. Take a rocker-arm assembly (32) and slide it
through the hole in the frame from the outside and
into the rocker arm attached to the eccentric rod.
The arm inside the frames should point down and
the one outside, up. Fasten them together with a
set screw (33) through the hole in the inside rocker
arm. The set screw should engage the at space on
the shaft. There should be a slight amount of free
play in the shaft so that it can move freely. Repeat
on the other side. See photo 7.
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3-8. On the short leg of each valve rod (41) are two
small grooves. Snap an e-clip (42) onto each inner
groove. Carefully remove each valve from the valve
blocks and screw them onto the ends of the valve
rods (photo 8). Do not tighten the nut against the
valve at this point, as the valves will have to be ad-
justed later.
Put a little oil on each valve and carefully return it to
its place in the valve block. Insert the other end of
each valve rod through its respective hole in each
rocker arm and secure it with an e-clip (42) in the
outer groove.
3-9. The eccentrics are the brass discs on the rear
axle. Each has two threaded holes in it with set
screws installed. Loosen the set screws but do not
remove. Slightly tighten one set screw in each ec-
centric, just enough so that when the wheel is rotat-
ed, the eccentric revolves with the axle.
Adjusting the Valve Travel
As with the reversing valve, each of the cylinder
valves has a tiny groove machined into it. In the
valve’s forward-most position, that groove should
be just touching the valve back.
Taking one side at a time, rotate the drivers and
observe the valve’s travels. If the tiny groove trav-
els inside the valve block, screw the valve farther
onto the valve rod. This can be done with the valve
in place – no need to disassemble anything. If the
groove never reaches the block, screw the valve in
the other direction. When the groove nally touches
the block in the valve’s forward-most position, se-
cure the valve on the rod by carefully tightening the
nut against it, making sure that the valve doesn’t
rotate while you are doing so.
Setting the valves
Loosen all of the screws in the eccentrics so that
the eccentrics rotate freely on the axle. Working
with the chassis upside down, rotate the wheels so
that the right-hand side is at rear dead center (i.e.
the piston rod is out as far as it will go – see gure
1). Without rotating the axle, rotate the right-hand
eccentric so that the two holes are equidistant on
either side of the axle when looking straight down
on it. Tighten one screw.
Now follow the same procedure for the other side.
If your work was done correctly, the valves should
now be set and you should have a working chassis.
The nished chassis can be seen in photo 9.
Right side view
Underside view
Figure 1—Setting the valves
Crankpin at
rear dead center
Right eccentric
facing down
Rocker arm straight
up and down
Eccentric holes equally spaced
on either side of axle
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Testing the Chassis
The chassis should be tested on compressed air.
This could be from an air compressor or even a bi-
cycle pump. You will have to arrange a temporary
connection between the air supply and the inlet
pipe. Alternatively, you can temporarily install the
exhaust pipe (55) and apply the air there. If you do
it this way, the engine will run backward from nor-
mal (i.e. reverse when the lever is in forward gear).
First, oil all moving parts with lightweight machine
oil. Try running the chassis on about 20 psi air
pressure. The mechanism may be somewhat stiff
at this point and require a little more. Put the re-
versing lever in forward gear (pull the handle away
from the quadrant to move it), then apply the air. If
everything is well, the engine will run strongly and
smoothly in both directions.
The engine may run better in one direction than the
other. If this happens, double check the valve set-
tings on both sides (both timing and adjustment).
Through a process of trial and error, making one
adjust at a time, you should eventually get the
chassis to perform well and equally in both direc-
tions. If things get completely out of hand, readjust
and reset the valves according to the directions and
start again.
Boiler
3-10. Screw the safety valve (22) and the ller
plug (21) into the boiler (23) nger tight , as per
the drawing. The throttle assembly features a blank
hex head plug on the right side that can be used to
add an optional pressure gauge later. Set the boiler
aside.
3-11. Put the saddle blocks (50) in position above
the valve block assembly and screw them in place
with four M2 x 3 screws (72), as shown in the draw-
ing. (A) (B) (C) (D) show where the screws attach
to the saddle blocks. If the steam-admission line is
bent upward, gently bend it down so that it is level
or a little below. Screw the two saddle extension
pieces (49) to the sides of the saddle blocks with
two M2 x3 screws (72) each, as per the drawing.
3-12. Screw the saddle plate (51) to the bottom
of the smokebox with four M2 x 4 screws (3). In
the event that the holes in the saddle plate do not
match up precisely, you may have to open them out
a bit with a small round le.
3-13. The lubricator (27) must be mounted on the
deck plate. Before you can do that, though, you
must form the steam line. Look at the drawing on
sheet 3 and photo 10 for an idea of what it should
look like. At this point, just worry about the longer
line, the one that will be connected to the steam-ad-
mission line on the valve block. Gently work the
soft copper with your ngers, carefully bending it to
shape. Be careful not to crimp the tubing. Trial and
error will see you through. Eventually the lubricator
should sit at on the deck and the end of the tube
will mate with the admission line (photo 10). When
this has been achieved, fasten the lubricator to the
deck from underneath with a cap nut (29). Screw
the union nut at the end of the steam line from the
lubricator to the tting on the steam-admission line.
Hold the tting with a wrench while tightening the
union nut with another wrench. The chassis is now
ready to receive the boiler.
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3-14. Place the boiler on the chassis. Screw an
M3-5 phillips-head screw (31) through the deck and
into the rear mounting stud from underneath. Do
not tighten it too much yet.
Fasten the smokebox to the saddle with two M2
x 4 phillips-head screws (40) through the saddle
plate, as per the drawing. This is most easily ac-
complished by inserting your screwdriver through
the smokestack hole for access to the screws. The
screws can be put in position with needle-nose pli-
ers through the smokebox door.
Referring to the drawing, carefully bend the short
leg of the steam pipe until it will smoothly mate with
the thread on the throttle. The two must be well
aligned for a steam-tight t. Secure the union nut
to the throttle.
3-15. Place the smokestack washer (53) on the
smokestack nut (52) with the at side bearing
against the nut. Open the smokebox door, insert the
nut and washer from inside, making sure the cur-
vature of the washer conforms to the curve of the
smokebox, and screw the smokestack (54) partway
on. Tighten the nut, making sure the curvature of
the bottom of the stack conforms to the smokebox.
Secure the nut tightly with pliers.
Drop the exhaust pipe (55) down the stack and
screw it into the valve-block. It need only be nger
tight.
3-16. Slip the burner (25) into the ue opening in
the back of the boiler and secure it with an M2 x 4
screw (3). Secure the gas tank (28) to the deck with
one cap nut (29). Slide the jet (26) into the back of
the burner. Carefully and gently bend the copper
gas line until the threaded part of the gas valve lines
up well with the end of the gas line (photo 11). Tight-
en the union nut to the gas valve.
At this point you should have a working locomotive.
Ruby was designed so that the cosmetic compo-
nents (cab and tanks) could be easily modied. The
boiler and chassis comprise the working portion of
the engine. If you’d like, you can try it under steam
now, or you can wait until the tanks, cab and domes
have been applied.
Refer to Sheet 5
5-1. Take the steam dome base (66) and place it
over the safety valve. The steam dome (65) screws
to the safety-valve bushing, securing the base. The
sand dome (64) merely slips over the ller plug and
is held in place by gravity. Be sure to the remove it
before turning the engine upside down.
5-2. Lay the side tank support bars (61) across the
brackets, beneath the boiler. Take the right-hand
tank (62) and place it on the bars. Holding every-
thing in place, carefully turn the engine over and
fasten the tank with two M3 x 5 screws (31). Repeat
with the left tank (67).
5-3. Screw the cab sides (69, 71) to the cab front
as per the drawing, with M2 x 3 screws (72). Then
attach the roof with four M1.6 x 4 screws (73). Rec-
ommend attaching the front two screws rst and
then the rear two screws. The cab should slide eas-
ily over the boiler. If it does not, le the inner edges
of the cutout around the boiler until it does.
That completes the Ruby kit. Now go outside and
enjoy many years of steaming.
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