Scot's Accucraft Ruby "angel" Page 2 - construction. I ordered my Ruby Kit from Royce at Quisenberry Station. the kit arrived on October 26, 2004! the ceremonial first photo!    Construction of the kit began on November 10. the photo just as the first work begins:   and the progress later that evening:     days pass, work continues:   a new long deck is needed to hold the cab. it is constructed out of a solid piece of aluminum. (after a brass deck fails..see this MLS thread for more details on the decision to go with aluminum, and more construction details) http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=26072 that thread is the official "builders log"..it contains more detail than this webpage.   first photo with the cab applied!   First steaming of the Ruby! she's alive! I changed the eccentrics to "inside admission" see this thread for more detail on that: http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20759   A new pilot deck is scratchbuilt from brass. the "cowcatcher" portion of the pilot is a wood kit from Vance Bass - FH&PB Railroad Supply Company the pilot wheel is from a Bachman "annie" big hauler.   After a lot of searching, I finally found the proper headlight. this is a solid brass Delton headlight, ordered from J&W model trains, who still had some old Delton lights in stock. I really wanted one of those cool "russia iron" boiler jackets. Which in addition to good looks, also allows the addition of boiler handrails. (handrail stanchions can not be drilled directly into the boiler! so the jacket allows a layer for the stanchions to attach to.) I followed Kevin Strong's jacket technique, seen here: http://www.mylargescale.com/articles/masterclass/mc2/mc2-03/patina1.asp I also used the Ruby jacket template, seen here: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/steam/ruby/rubygallery.htm    The quest for the perfect smokestack is still ongoing. there are 3 possibilities. the stock Ruby stack. (photo 1 below) the Ida stack (photo 2 below) the accucraft Shay stack. (yes, photo 3 below) originally I was hoping to get the Fort Wilderness Ruby stack, but because that was a special, limited edition run, that stack isnt available as a seperate part. (more detailed discussions on the stacks can be seen in the builders log thread.)   I am probably going to end up with the shay stack..I think that has the most pleasing proportions. although the stock straight stack looks great too! gives the locomotive a very sleek no-nonsense look. we shall see. (those photos above have the stacks added digitally with photoshop.)   A closeup of the swinging rear truck design. it pivots at the rear boiler screw. The locomotive will take 8' diameter curves. The front numberplate is a pin. its a bit large, but it works for me. Got a stack! The top is from the accucraft open cab shay. it was given to me by Bruce S. from California. thanks Bruce! :)         Finished!! April 27, 2005           I will post some pictures from her first steamup in a few weeks! for much more detail on her construction, please see the "builders log" thread on MLS. thanks for watching! Scot                   update! Summer 2005. Angel made two steamups this year, her debut was at Chuck's steamup in Oswego, NY.       and she also made it to Ron Brown's annual summer steamup at Paradise East. and oh yeah, I ended up going with the black cylinders with brass caps! :)   next up..a live steam mason bogie.