Boiler diameter Forney vs 4-4-0 ?

[SRRL On30]

Dear Bach-man,

        What is the difference ( if any ) in the boiler diameter between the Forney and the 4-4-0? I am contemplating a bash if the boiler is smaller. I would like to make a smaller forney like WW&F #9.

Vince 

   

[scottychaos]

Vince,

I dont know the boiler diameter of the 4-4-0, but I do have some info for you concerning turning a Bachman Forney into an older-style Portland or Hinkley forney, (such as WW&F #9)

Don Mason, over on the On2 yahoo forum, has posted some beautiful work he has done converting the B-man forney into a "Portland look-alike"

check out the pics here:

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/MaineOn2/photos/view/63de?b=1&m=f&o=0

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/MaineOn2/photos/browse/63de

(not sure if you need to be a member or not to open that album)

The "curly-roof cab" is available from Banta Modelworks:

http://www.bantamodelworks.com/

Of course, the problem with this kind of kitbash is that you end up with a model that is technically too large for the Portlands..
because the Bachman forney is based on the larger and later Baldwin forneys..but still, running by itself, it "looks the part" just fine! even if it is a little bit too big..

Don also wrote an article about his forney conversion, which appeared in the Winter 2007 issue of Maine 2-foot Quarterly magazine:

http://www.maine2footquarterly.com/cover.htm

Scot

[SRRL On30]

I was planning to make it look more like the #9 by doing a similar conversion on the Bachmann, but use a smaller boiler to enhance the look. I am simply in the planning stage. However, I also just got a good look at a photo comparison between the new Outside frame and inside frame 4-4-0 locos, and another real good possibility came to mind. SR&RL had their own unique Moguls, and the new OF 4-4-0 is waaay longer than the inside frame and has a straight boiler. Perhaps with a different mechanism a very close replica of Old Star or one of the other 2-6-0 Sandy River moguls can be made.....  I may just scrap plans for a portland forney and concentrate on this!