There's just one problem: note the wheel spacing. That one will require a
new frame and rods, in addition to the other obvious stuff. Also, to my taste,
an American has to have much larger wheels that the Ruby's. Americans
were passenger engines, with big drivers. Even the smallest of these little
critters (I think that would be the Mt. Gretna 4-4-0) had 32" or 33" drivers and
most had 45" or larger (I'm thinking of the UdeY's famous 3'-gauge 4-4-0s),
while Ruby's are only 28".
But the frames are the biggest problem. I think it would be easier (and more
satisfying IMO) to add a third driver under the cab, to make a 0-6-0 or a
Mogul than to completely recut the frames and rebuild it from the ground up.
This is not to say that I wouldn't love to see what someone could surprise us
all with.
regards,
-vance-
Vance Bass
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
