Just added a new 3rd Forney to the roster.
These things are really sweet. Tell me, should I lube/grease this loco brand new out of the box before I run it?
Can’t do any harm , Timmy , and it gives you chance to check that all is well . Just make a note of what you take off in what order , you’ll be fine .
Is that one of the container full that just arrived , and nobody saw fit to mention ?
Yes, most definately check grease on a new LGB locomotive, on both my Sumpter Valley Mallet and my D&RGW Forney, grease was minimal. I have been told this is to stop it leaking out in transit and staining the cardboard packageing!
The Forney is a most impressive loco, on recent test hauling, it pulled the same train as the Mallet (and with no wheelslip), 41 bogie cars. It is a good smoker as well.
Danny Sheehan in Oz.
Timmy,
Ditto what Danny said.
Mine was practically bone dry when I opened it up.
I dunno what LGB is thinking now-a-days!
jb
Wow, that’s a beautiful little engine! I gotta get me one of those someday. Should be just the ticket for a mountainous layout with tight curves.
Alright… done! Thanks all.
I did happen to run the new forney around the track prior to opening it up and lubing it. Something is kinda odd however since I lubed it. It make a soft chirping sound now only when traveling forward.
Check the pickups , they do that sometimes . Try retracting them then letting them go ,it springs them into place . Also check ,if it isn’t the pickups , to see if it coincides with wheel revs --i.e.,does it happen each time the wheel rotates past the same point ? If it’s more frequent , it’s in the drive or the smaller bogie wheels . Keep looking , you will get to know a lot by looking for a fault like that .
Hi Timmy,
could you please publish a picture of Your Forney on a curved track?
When LGB introduced this model twelve or thirteen years ago, the chassis swiveled out to the sides under the boiler, which was not very prototypically. I wonder, if they changed the design meanwhile.
What is the scale of the loco ? When released, it was close to 1 : 20,3.
Have Fun
Juergen Zirner
It still swivels, Zirner…too bad, as it is a nice looking loco.
I remember having one sitting on a long length of track, on an old friend’s bar. It had just come out and was equipped with sound and everything…played with it for a long time; running it back and forth.
I was almost sold on it until I put it close to all the rolling stock. It overpowered the typical 1:22.5 rolling stock, and seemed much too large for the loco it represented.
The prototype of course was a relatively small loco, if you look at the 3 foot gauge one, and of course the 2 footer was even smaller. I guess if you thought of it as a 1:20.3 loco, it might pass, but it still seemed large to me.
Not being a fan of the Fourney type loco; the phase of affection I had with it soon passed and I bought several more B’mann 10 wheelers, and have been happy with them, and at a far better price.
Hi, I talked to the designer of the Forney master model builder, Mr. Karsten Werninghaus, a few years ago. He said, he had planned it differently, but LGB asked him to use as many parts “off the shelf” as possible, so it came out more or less in 1 : 20,3. He had drawings of the Maine Forneys at hand then. They needed the swiveling to clear the lanterns on the smaller turnouts, they said. I like these short minor railroad lines. So I was happy to get me a slightly smaller forney from Garden Railway Specialist in England. RTR but unpainted. Without a swivelling chassis.
The 1 : 20,3 scale was not invented, when I modelled US Prototypes 12 or 14 years ago. To make my trains look even more backwoods-like, I shortened the Bachmann kits about a quarter of the lengh. Someday I might take a closer look at one of these LGB Forneys again. Fix the swivelling chassis and work on the trailing bogie. The pity is, they try to sell them for almost twice the US price over here. And they are very seldom offered second hand. Have Fun Juergen Zirner
Juergen;
I remember debating the various scales way back in the 80’s with various non believers in Large Scale. At that time the major complaint was the lack of a major supplier in 1:20.3 scale, which was correct (+/-) for #1 gauge track representing 3 foot gauge prototype track.
LGB was correct, using the existing #1 gauge track to represent Metre Gauge prototype track.
The looser was Aristo who came out with this “Bastard” scale, 1:29. Which now is the defacto standard for “Standard Gauge” in the Large Scale world.
The only reason for their move to 1:29, was the fact that in coming out with a modern North American Standard Gauge product, on #1 gauge track, would have meant that they would have had a product in 1:32, which would have been dwarfed by their former line, which they distributed for LGB. Wanting that “WOW Factor”; they went with 1:29…some say because it was some multyple of HO scale, which isn’t correct either. In fact in their first catologue, REA, later to become the old resurrected name “Aristocraft”, used pictures of Athern HO models.
Aristo didn’t want to go for the larger 1:20.3 scale, as it would have been a limiting style of models, known to the a group interested in mainly Colorado style Narrow Gauge, while the general public only knew what they saw at major railroad crossings all over North America, which was relatively modern Standard Gauge prototype. Aristo, being primarily a company that imported toys; was not overly concerned with scale, or other things that the more discerning model railroad public was turning to. Therefore was not taken too seriously by the modelers in NA, but opened another avenue for some who had the “Lionel mentality”, but wanted to play outdoors.
What I’m getting around to saying is: I don’t think we can say that 1:20.3, wasn’t “Invented” back then…there just wasn’t anyone manufacturing much of it, if any.
Hi,
“Back then” customers bought, what was offered. Which was mainly LGB.
I forgot, who started the 20,3 idea, maybe Hartford, but when Bachmann came out with the
20,3 stuff ind the mid nineties, it gave American customers a tradition of their own. 3 feet narrow gauge on 45mm.
It left the LGB people with their 22,5/ Metre gauge stuff standing outside the door. Many people were tired of the 200th variation of the same boxcar anyway. And I doubt, that there are many Americans run or buy European Meter Gauge for their gardens. Have not seen very much in the overseas magazines.
On the other side, Aristo and USA trains got popular with there 1/29th models. I never understood why. There probably were not enough 1 : 32 models offered.
Meanwhile there is probably one third of the US LS market in 20,3, annother third in 1 : 29 and the rest of the customers don´t care, as long as they like it and can afford it.
We drifted away a bit from Timmy new Forney. We´ll see, how it will look with the new Bachmann 20,3 waggons or the AMS/Accucraft models. LGB rolling stock will look too small with it.
Have Fun
Juergen Zirner
Fred Mills said:Fr. Fred,
What I'm getting around to saying is: I don't think we can say that 1:20.3, wasn't "Invented" back then....there just wasn't anyone manufacturing much of it, if any.
For those who need a memory jog, Uncle Russ did a fine job recounting some of the background.
A copy should be in the collection of everyone who cares about scale. 
Uncle Russ…
…a fine “Uncle” he is. He never sent me a copy…not even on my 90th birth/hatch day.
So I’ll be out of touch right into my 100th celebration, I guess.
I can’t buy one; I’m saving my pension money for the 2006th version of “The President’s Choice train set”. This year it is a 2-10-2, with a string of ore cars. All lettered for Canadian National, or as we like to call it these days “Crash National”, or as the President of that pike says…CN, NEVER, never, mention Canadian any more.
You might note that their box cars used to be lettered Canadian National on one side and Canadien National, on the other. This was to promote the dual way of confusing the public, while trying to communicate.
So; I guess I’ll have to hope that some other one of my “Passed on” uncles, sees fit to send me a copy !!!
Fred,
A bunch of guys get together every Monday morning in Kelowna for a jaw wagging and yes, the President’s Choice train was mentioned (I had to ask what this year’s theme is ).
From what I understand last year the SuperStore was blowing out the goodies two days prior to Christmas at 50% off. Hmmmmmmm I’ll keep close tabs on it this year, just in case it happens again. (What are the chances??)
Of course it’s all that “small stuff” that people don’t want to remember. One wag went as far as “Never again HO!” or some such!
Sheesh, you’d think people had gone half blind and half feeble as soon as they changed to LS, the way they carry on.
Anyone for handlaying Code40 rail?? 
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Better you than me. I need magnifiers for Code 332. Well, for those pesky Aristoscrews, anyway. :(
Anyone for handlaying Code40 rail?? :D :D
Somehow, through blind stupidity or just pure nastalgia; I have managed to buy every one of the President’s Choice train sets. To this day; I keep them unopened.
My latest idea is to have them for when I check into the nearest Long Term Care facility (Nursing home). I figure to have some kind soul visit me once every month, to help me open a set and run it on a dining room table. Once I’ve opened them all, then my life can end peacefully, watching the original set with the Deseasal running in a circle (The first set was reported to be a piece of junk, but I have it)
As far as laying small scale rail; I keep thinking of using old HO code 100 rail, and a Kadee rail spiker on 1:20.3 scale “Eastern White Cedar” ties. It would be a bit of work to relay all my pike, but a bit of fun just to try a few 10 foot stretches.
As far as I’m concerned, this challenge towards smaller scale rail outdoors is just that; a challenge; not worth it if you want to spend time operating and not maintaining.
It does look great if your main thing in life is to create photo ops, but far from practical out in the real world, where stepping on the track is part of normal clean up.
One place I may use some code 100, is my long delayed engine house…just for the challenge !!!
I was unaware that this engine was even close to 1:20.3…
thanks
cale
If someone that has one of the Forneys could post some pictures of it with various cars so we can see the size comparison that would be really appreciated… I had been thinking of getting one to run with the LGB closed vestibule cars I recently purchased.
Warren