Hi there:

Does anyone have any thoughts on the new Bachmann 1:20 Forney ?

Norman

It should have been 7/8’s, 1:13.7 scale. The correct scale for two foot narrow gauge.
And if it has a street price of $500 - 600 it will be too expensive for a small loco.

-Brian

We’ll just have to wait and see.
Hopefully, someone has put hours on some field testing before us poor saps buy one.

It’s a “botchman” right? You know what to expect “right”!! “Quality right outta the box” Hah The Regal Guess i’m lucky have had several of em no problems “YET” First one since 98. “lucky dog” lucky dog!!!

Looks terrific, really terrific, but so does a Bentley, I cant afford a Bentley, I can only buy Toyota, so it doesnt matter a wet fig how nice it is, I’ll never be able to touch one at the price it will hit the streets at.

Thanks for adding all that electronic crapola I have no use for and quadrupling the price over the Saddletanker…I’ll stick to bashing, sheesh!

No interest at all. I might pick up a K someday - when the Blowout prices bring it down under $300 - but even then it will be a budget stretch.

There was quite the discussion on the Yahoo 1:20.3 list over this loco–mostly lamenting that it’s not easily regaugable; that it’s not “accurate” since it’s a model of a 2’ gauge loco, etc.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/eastbroadtop/Forney/Forney04.jpg)

Personally, while I would prefer if they were to upsize one of their On30 models, they’d do the mogul (think Waynesburg & Washington), I think it’s a cool choice. It’s proven popular for the On30 crowd, and I’ve always loved the Maine 2-footers. Lacking the space to do 7/8" proper justice, and not wanting to lay a 3rd rail, I can live with the compromise. The upshot of the 1:20.3 list discussion has been a plethora of photos of forneys of various gauges which look like the B’mann forney, giving the freelance modeler plenty of fodder. I agree about the cost, though. If the K is selling for around $700, it seems a bit odd that this one would come in at a similar price point–especially given the lower costs of the 4-4-0, 2-8-0, etc. I’m not expecting it to be bargain basement, and time will tell what the market will bear. Later, K

A Mason Bogie would have been a better choice for 1:20.3.
I know Accu is bringing them out, but not at my price.

The good news here is that since the forney “swings both ways,” (i.e, it can be run with a rigid chassis and swinging rear truck, or lock the rear truck to just pivot, and free the front chassis to pivot as well) a modeler can lock the rear truck, pull the pin to let the front chassis pivot, and add details consistent with a Mason.

Later,

K

Hi Kevin:

Question

1. • what is the web address of the 1:20 yahoo discussion group ?
2. • what is the correctly sized coach body to run with the LGB or Bachmann Forney to model a 2 foot gauge Maine railroad, the Bachmann J&S coach or the 1:20 Accucraft coach ?
3. • as to the Bachmann Forney pricing, I will definitely wait a year or so for sales
   • I won’t pay more than the 4-4-0 price
   • the E&P 4-4-0 s were blown out as low as 250.00 !

Thank you
Norman

1. The Yahoo 1:20 group can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/One-20point3/. I believe you have to be a member to read the posts; just click on “join group” in the upper right should you so desire. 2) That’s not such an easy question to answer as it may seem. On the face of it, the loco is 1:20.3, therefore the Accucraft 1:20.3 coach would be the appropriate one to go behind it. However, The forney scales out to around 7’ wide, which is typical for 2’ gauge forneys, so we can safely say the width wasn’t expanded by much if at all to accommodate the wider gauge. The Accucaft coach scales out to 8’ wide, which is a foot or more wider than what was typical for 2’ gauge coaches. (Most examples I’ve got drawings for are in the 6’ 6" wide range, with one 7’ 6" wide exception.) It’s also at least a foot taller than typical 2’ gauge coaches. Lengths varied, as did the number of windows, so that’s harder to gauge. If you wanted a car with typical 2’ dimensions, then the Bachmann coach is more appropriate. It’s narrower (just under 7’) and lower (around 9’ 6" The trucks are the more appropriate 4’ wheelbase. The length is a bit compressed, being about 33’ over the ends, and the carbody itself could use another 6" added onto its height so that a 1:20 passenger could walk through without hitting his head.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/eastbroadtop/combine18/passengercompare2.jpg)

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/eastbroadtop/combine18/passengercompare1.jpg)

(The 1:20.3 combine is a bit shorter and lower than the Accucraft passenger car, but the same width.) I quite suspect the Bachmann coaches will look quite nice behind the forney, as they do behind the 4-4-0 and 2-6-0. I think they’re too low in the carbody to accurately be considered 1:20, though. Jack Thompson “upsized” some 1:22 coaches to 1:20.3 by adding some additional material below the belt rail. http://4largescale.com/Thompson/20.htm He describes the process, which doesn’t exactly sound painless, but the results look pretty good. Later, K

I saw in Graden Railroad mag some places have the Bachmann Forney on their sales pages, but no price. I am looking to buy a new engine, although I am not a big fan of bachmann but if the price is right that forney would look nice. It seems to me that Bachmann is getting a little steep with their new engine prices. From what I read they still have QC issues. Thats why Im afraid to buy their engines, especially anything over $250

Shawn said:
I saw in Graden Railroad mag some places have the Bachmann Forney on their sales pages, but no price. I am looking to buy a new engine, although I am not a big fan of bachmann but if the price is right that forney would look nice. It seems to me that Bachmann is getting a little steep with their new engine prices. From what I read they still have QC issues. Thats why Im afraid to buy their engines, especially anything over $250

Well, Sir, at ca. $700 it seems to quite comfortably banged your $250 limit firmly on the head.

Anhow, I’m a little concerned that there is something that doesn’t quite gel with me, and all the guys who have ever built/designed a real steam locomotive - in any gauge or scale.

Y’see, the axis of the piston rod is supposed to go exactly through the centre of the driven axle - not hover somewhat above it, as the fine photo above clearly shows.

Unless, of course, we have all been wrong all these years…

Anyhow, at the same price as the majority of folks are selling K27, I just can’t see the comparison as a valid one.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

Local advertised ‘discount’ price on the Forney is $1399.00 Aud. Consider that the last full retail price on a LGB Forney, 2008 (proven reliability since 1993) was $875.00 Aud. I really do not forsee many B’mann Forneys being sold in Australia at these prices.