I am primarily a modeler of the D&H in the 1980s in HO scale but I have other interests as well, including British standard and narrow gauge (in HO and G scale). My wife and I may drive up to Maine next year and see a couple of the 2-foot railroads, of which I know very little about and have no allegiance to any specific one in particular.
I was thinking about picking up a Bachmann On30 Forney this winter (the large-scale ones are just too expensive) and perhaps modifying it a little bit. I also might build a couple of passenger or freight cars, and eventually I will run them on my HO layout (even though they won't "fit in" with my D&H theme).
Not knowing anything about the 2-footers, do any of the Bachmann inside or outside Forney engines resemble any prototype engines currently existing? If I was going to model something, I would rather it be a model of a train that I can see now in a museum then something that existed 80 years ago but was scrapped.
And yes, I realize that the gauge is off by 6"!
Thanks.
Modeling the D&H in 1984: http://dandhcoloniemain.blogspot.com/
Benjamin MaggiAnd yes, I realize that the gauge is off by 6"!
Actually there was 30"railroads at one time.
http://www.bigindoortrains.com/primer/narrow_gauge_railroads/30in_rwys/30in_power.htm
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Benjamin Maggi Not knowing anything about the 2-footers, do any of the Bachmann inside or outside Forney engines resemble any prototype engines currently existing?
Not knowing anything about the 2-footers, do any of the Bachmann inside or outside Forney engines resemble any prototype engines currently existing?
The Bachmann model is of SR&RL #9. It was scrapped in the late '30's.
Considering your use of the term "resemble", I can see that you are not expecting an exact match. But the extent of the match is a matter of interpretation. So I would recommend finding photos of all the existing 2' Forneys, and deciding which is closest IN YOUR OPINION. That opinion is the one that counts, is it not?
Should doing this research be too much for you, or if none have an adequate resemblance, I would suggest this way out of the dilemma: Assume Ole #9 never was scrapped. THEN. You are home free. And you won't have to settle for a "resemblance". It'll be exact!
Ed
When I first saw the thread title, I was tempted to be a smart*** and say you won't find an existing 30" gauge 2-4-4T Forney because the prototype was 24" gauge and 30" was rare in this country, at least for common carrier railroads. But you know that.
Actually, the only existing 2-4-4T Forneys that come close to matching are Bridgton & Saco River (later Bridgton & Harrison) engines 7 and 8. Like SR&RL number 9, they were built by Baldwin. They are just a bit heavier and have slightly larger cylinders. Number 7 has a wooden cab and 8 has a steel one. Otherwise they are very similar. Both are preserved at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum in Portland, Maine.
Tom
Thank you everyone for your insight!
Keep in mind you may want to check the clearances on your HO layout first. Although the model is built to run on HO track, it's still a 1:48 scale model, so will be quite a bit higher and wider than your 1:87 HO equipment.