- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
You can't go wrong with a Roundhouse loco, just pick the one you like. They are the best running, right out of the box bar none and keep on running. Bit pricier, but NO problems. You can get one of their kits to strech out the cash flow. Start with a chassis and gradually buy the rest of the parts.
Jerry
web site:
http://thescrr.com/
Hi New Haven 1-5
Well I know nothing about Ruby I don't have one and I don't want one.
I do have a Roundhouse Millie and would recomend a Roundhouse basic loco.
Perhaps a Sammy as that is of US outline they are more pricey than Ruby but work straight out of the box and are well behaved which is a must for the first Live steam loco.
The only other cheap steam is the modern version of a Mammod or a Jane from PPS in the UK.
regards John Busby
I think the Ruby is a great engine!
for the price, its a great value...Ruby is around $400..there is nothing else in that class at all..the next "step up" is a basic Roundhouse engine like the Sammy, which is around $800-$900..
Roundhouse makes great engines, as others have said, cant go wrong with a Roundhouse..but IMO the Ruby often gets a bad rap, for no good reason IMO..yes, a Ruby isnt quite as refined as a Roundhouse, but its also half the price..but IMO its not half the quality! ;)
The Ruby has probably introduced more people to the hobby than any other single engine. I built the "Ruby kit" a few years ago:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/Ruby/RubyAngel.html
started out running rough..but I attribute more to the fact that I built it, and had never built a live steamer before..after a few years of running, she has "broken in" nicely and runs nice and smooth now..the kit is out of production now, and very hard to find..but a "factory built" Ruby is probably a better option for most people anyway..
If you can spend $400 but not $1,000 for a live steamer, like me, Ruby is a great way to go.
If you can afford the $800-$1,000 range, go for a basic Roundhouse model as a "starter engine"..
Scot
Here is my answer to whats good for beginner Live Steam. Anything Roundhouse, even second hand ones like I bought. With the current exchange rate making new ones double the UK price almost, even the little Billy I just got would be almost $2000 in manual control. I feel the fit and finish, as well as better running right out of the box is much better with Roundhouse over Accucraft. I have owned 2 accucrafts, and while they were nice engines, both were quite stiff and had a few minor isssues I had to deal with, not a big problem for me as I have built an Aster kit, thus its not a big deal to tear into a engine for me. But to the new beginner, that can be a scary thing to do. If you want 1:20.3, then Accucraft is the only way to go that is affordable. If you have tight R1 curves and rough track work, I would stay with the smaller 4 coupled steam engines like the Mimi and other Ruby variants, or if you want a UK or Euro profile, look at the Edrig. The Edrig is so much more locomotive over a Ruby, bigger cylinders, bigger boiler and much heavier construction. Accucraft UK is run by Ian Pearse, who of coarse started with Merlin, then ran Pearse Locomotive works and now Accucraft UK. They are even bringing out a new model of the Countess that still runs to this day on the Welshpool & Llanfair light railway in Wales. The Aristocraft is ok, but I am just not into what I feel is a crossbred live steam engine, ie the plastic boiler cover. If I want live steam, I want all metal and no plastic. If you have an exhisting garden railway, the curves and clearances will dictate your choices, as well as you wallet. Give Royce a call at Quiesnberry Station one evening and he can advise on all the major brands. He can also get the UK Accucraft locos cheaper than going thru a UK dealer. Here is a pic of my Billy from Roundhouse. I paid $820 with shipping for this engine, he was bought new and never steamed, manual control. Cheers Mike
LHS mechanic and geniune train and antique garden tractor nut case!
What about these?....
MSS
You can not go wrong with Aristo Craft's live steam.
I is a good looking engine and they give you every thing to start running and service it. I do not know the price today but they did sell it at a very good price.
spikejones52002 wrote: You can not go wrong with Aristo Craft's live steam.I is a good looking engine and they give you every thing to start running and service it. I do not know the price today but they did sell it at a very good price.
well...I know a few people who say you CAN go wrong with Aristocraft live steam..
the mikado is known to have quite a few problems..a guy in my local club bought one, and has had nothing but trouble with it..at several steamups, he couldnt even run it, and had to put it away after 30 min or so of trying to get it lit..and I have read on several forums about others with similar problems.
IMO, Aristo just made the thing WAYYY too complicated! electronic ignition?? on a live steam engine? who wants or needs that? you need a battery to LIGHT the thing! and if the ignition system fails (which it can) you cant even light the fire...if you cant light it with a match, its too complicated IMO..
and electronic sound? on a live steamer?? ugh..another worthless and needlessly complicated addition.
just give it a basic fuel tank and boiler..no wires, no batterys, no electonics, no remote control.
if you want to add remote control and other electonic bits yourself later, thats fine..but that should be up to the owner, not forced on everyone..most dont want it anyway.
Perhaps the upcoming Aristo 2-4-2 will be better, now that they have "ironed out the bugs" with the mikado..but I would not recommend an Aristo live steam mikado to someone new to the hobby.
Yes I admit that the sound system is a total joke.
The engine has given me no other problems.
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