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Bachmann 1:20.3 Forney

Started by Kevin Strong, July 09, 2009, 01:58:04 AM

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vic

#15
Keep in mind... Not all Forney's were two foot gauge and roamed the woods of Maine, those are just the most commonly known, many many were 3' gauge, some even standard guage and ranged from Louisiana plantaions to Cuban cane fields to Appalacian logging lines to Washington State saw mills to even the New York City's elevated railroad.

Disneyland has an operating 3' gauge Forney thats very similar to this model. I just wish this one was more affordable   :-[

calenelson

I'm looking forward to some of those 7/8 chaps getting one of these!...

;D
Vic, I'm too, prob out of the running on a purchase...nice to look at though.

cale

Peter O

Well, I saw both models today at the NMRA show in Hartford and they are beautiful and as fits their heritage, petite. So I think Bachmann will find customers in the legacy 1:22 community along with the 1:20 crowd.

The coal load was removed from one and you could clearly see the plug in board for those of use who are using DCC. I for one will be getting one.

Nice job Bachmann,

Peter.

Kevin Strong

Quote from: samevans on July 10, 2009, 07:47:52 AM
...The Boston, Revere Beach, & Lynn did not use Forneys.  Most of its locos were Masons (single Fairlies) where the engine unit  was articulated as well as the carrying bogie (truck). 

Dagnabbit, I knew that. My bad. I was suffering the delusion they ran Forneys last night, and when I checked the roster that came up on Google and found a number of Alco-built 0-4-4Ts, It reinforced my error. Thanks for correcting me.

But take heart, BRB&L fans! The Bachmann Forney swings both ways. You can lock the trailing truck so that it only pivots, and unlock the front chassis, so it swings like a Mason!

So, Forney fans, where were the 3' gauge forneys? I know of one, which might not count because it started life as an 0-4-2T. Tuscarora Valley #2, which was a diminutive little affair. I built a model of it from an Accucraft Ruby, and it's a good chunk smaller than what Bachmann is producing.

Later,

K

Charlie Mutschler

Kevin,

F&CC 51, Schenectady, 1898, Construction No. 4740.  Delivered as an 0-4-4T, but the F&CC added a two-wheel pilot truck almost immediately, making her a 2-4-4T.  All the photos I have seen show her operating smokebox first, suggesting the F&CC decided very soon that 51 needed a pilot truck.  Probably not surprising on a railroad with only conventional 2-8-0 and 4-6-0 power excepting this one Forney for commuter service.  Sold in 1914 to the Pajaro Valley Consolidated, in California.  Scrapped circa 1935.  Drawings should be available from the John Maxwell Collection. 

One locomotive, two 36 inch gauge railroads. 

Charlie Mutschler

glennk28

I believe that the Florence & Cripple Creek had a 3' gauge Forney, that wound up on a Central California line. Two possible prototypes for Bachmann to make, or for an aftermarket supplier to do a conversion for.  gj

samevans

Quote from: glennk28 on July 12, 2009, 08:56:30 PM
I believe that the Florence & Cripple Creek had a 3' gauge Forney, that wound up on a Central California line. Two possible prototypes for Bachmann to make, or for an aftermarket supplier to do a conversion for.  gj

I think it would be a stretch to do an aftermarket conversion in 1:20.3..  The July/Aug NG&SLG carries drawings of the loco in its FCC and Pajaro states.  It is significantly larger than the Maine 2-4-4s.  What folk tend to forget is that unless you have VERY good track, 2ft ga limits the overall size of a loco, especially with regard to centre of gravity issues.  The three ft allows a larger oa size.  That is not to say that small locos were not built for 3 ft but they tended to be for lightly laid industrial or plantation trackage.

The Maine Forneys I suspect would be too big and heavy for typical plantation and small industrial work for 3 ft as for 2ft.  The Maine Forneys  and the FCC loco were built for relative speed which suggests passenger or perishable cargo work.  We know the FCCloco was intended for 'suburban' services.

The literature suggests that the outside framed Maine 2-4-4 s were capable of steady running at a fast speed for the smaller gauge.  The inside framed version was said to be less steady and illustrated the center of gravity issue (think about it)

I have to say that for 3 ft 'mainline' use the FCC loco or a BRBL Mason or similar would have been better.  For plantation etc use a small industrial  Baldwin or Porter Forney would have been a better choice.

At least if the SR&RL is going to be used make the loco regaugeable to 30-32mmga

Sam e


FordcvP71

As cool as an outside frame Forney would be if I were to ever buy a forney (which i probly wouldnt) it would be an LGB... heck I could get 3 LGB forneys for the price of one of these thats crazy. Plus its 1:20 and I swore up and down after I bought my bachmann K27 I would never buy anything else in 1:20... unless ofcorse I can find a good deal on a connie to bash into a 1:22 K27 hahaha ;D

casey

Well I guess I am another of the 61 who would notice the difference, and no I had not heard about the Forney till I read your post either.
My opinion, I think it is a pity that these loco's are so large, I have a mixture of LGB, Aristo & Bachmann and I would have been great to have dual gauge track with the narrow gauge range to the 1;22 on say 32mm track.
I purchased a Connie ( more of that later) and it fouled on everything even though my LGB Mikado and A-B-A diesel set clear it all. Still now I have altered the clearances I would hope anything will go round.
As for the price I think that Bachmann are now the market leaders as LGB is rubbish in comparison, however I have not had the problems with ANY LGB loco that I have had with the Connie so from that viewpoint they are overpriced unless the reliability is sorted out.   

glennk28

Will the Bachmann Forney be a true forney, wwith the frame rigid under the boiler?  Or really a Mason Bogie (Fairlie).   gj

the Bach-man

Dear Glenn,
It's up to you- there are various assemblies on the underframe that can be locked or unlocked.
I'll take pictures when I can.
Wait 'til you see it!
Have fun!
the Bach-man

Kevin Strong

Casey,
The Forney is actually quite small by 1:20.3 standards.







You can see here, it barely hits 4" wide, which is very much in line with the smaller 1:22.5 and 1:24 stuff. I didn't measure an LGB Forney, but from just looking at it, the B'mann loco is a touch smaller.

As the B'mann said, the loco can run as a true Forney, with rigid frame and swinging trailing truck, or by pulling one pin and pushing another, run a la a Mason, where both trucks are fixed to a pivot, but none swing.

Pin on rear truck to lock it in center:


Front chassis:


Locking pin located under steam chest:


Later,

K

Steve Stockham

  I was at the NGRC this last week and I had a chance to examine both engines. Bachmann has a winner with these two!! It has been a long time since I was surprised at a show and immediately realized that I would be making another locomotive purchase (as soon as they are available!)
  Does the fact that SR&RL was a 2ft. line make it somehow less desirable? Not really! I loved the LGB Forneys even though I run D&RGW. How many of us re-letter the engines and rolling stock for our pikes? My road has a 10-wheeler that looks suspiciously like one that ran on the Tweetsie (imagine that!)
  Bachmann finally makes a design that we as a whole have been clamouring for and they (surprise!) make it in 1:20.3!! I can't imagine what posessed the designers to make an engine that was scaled the same as every other Spectrum offering....
  The one concern that I will totally agree with is on QC! Please, let's get it right from the beginning and have it beta-tested by a reliable third party before the engines are released to the public! (Enough said on this subject...)
  As to price, it does seem a bit steep at $1150 MSRP! I know that the street value will be about half of that but we are also in a nasty recession so it will be interesting to see how this unfolds. I know it's a tightrope that you have to walk on and you have my sympathy.
  Bottom line: Bachmann has made a beautiful locomotive, has made it in a scale that is compatible with my other rolling stock, has impressed the h*ll out of me and has made a sale (and possibly two!) ;) ;D

Charlie Mutschler

My reply to Kevin was that there was at least one 36 inch gauge Forney that I was aware of.  Of course, following Glenn's comment, I suspect that trying to rebuild the Bachmann Forney into F&CC 51 would be difficult.  Perhaps not quite in the class of difficulty of building a 4-4-0 entirely out of F-7 parts, but. . . . scratch building might really be easier for anyone seeking an F&CC 2-4-4T. 

Having said that, I am really impressed with the Forney!  Beautiful job, gentlemen.  I am sure it will be very popular with the people who love Maine 2wo footers.  Doubtless someone will figure out how to rebuild them to two foot gauge.  Someone has done that with the On30 Forney, but I understand it is quite a job, not for the faint of heart or the mechanically inept.  Again, looks nice! 

Charlie
-30-

dr1953

Kevin
Thanks for the photos of the Forney with the ruler. Based on the photos and dimensions , it appears that Bachmann has just scaled up their On30 Forney. The SR&RL Forney #9 was about 29' long and th 1:20.3 Forney appears to be 29' long. All the other dimensions appear to be consistent with the On30 Forney also.
Great news for people like me that are just itching to move the gauge in to 32mm to make it correct for a Maine loco and it appears there is room to do it.
Thanks again for posting those pics.
Dan Rowsell
Victoria, BC