[Mike Toney]

I wonder if John Shawe could do a coal fired boiler on a Accucraft 4-4-0? That would be an excellent engine in my humble opinion, only thing better would be a wood burner, but that doesnt quite work iin G scale. But one can dream, the smell of a wood fire coming form a 4-4-0 simmering at the station waiting on the last passengers to board the train. Although splitting scale size logs might get old after awhile. I wonder how small in scale one would could go for a boiler that is successfully fired on wood? Anyhow, if I get this new job, the income might be there to commision someone to convert a 4-4-0 to coal firing. Cheers Mike

 

[K27fireman]

Mike, I second your Boiler Idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now if I could only get a new set of side rods for my 4-4-0

 

[Kovacjr]

I am still running my orignal set of drive rods with new bushings that I made from Oil lite bronze along with the new cross head pins that I made. Still all tight almost a year later and maybe 10-15 runs total.

K27fireman - Didn't you get a set of the crosshead bolts orignally? I may still have a pair left, somewhere. I think Justin looked into coal firing the loco and the only think you need to do is move the eccentrics to the front driver to make more room for the firebox and grate. You can even do a wagontop boiler inside the shell.

 

[K27fireman]

Sounds to me like we just need to start hammering some copper.
I too made a new set of Bushings, but I still get binding my thought is the rod centers are not spaced properly. In Kozo book on building the A3, he made a nice jig to get the correct dimensions for his rods and I plan on making the same device for my 4-4-0, just haven’t gotten around to it.
In any case a Wood or Coal fired 4-4-0 would be awesome, leaning more toward coal because of the heat/BTU output over wood.

 

[Charles]

We experimented with wood. Never could maintain a bed of embers to allow additional wood burn in a timely manner in keeping the BTU at the level for good steam production. The wood burnt well enough but too quickly having to stop very frequently to toss logs into the firebox. Comparing to coal; hands down for the black diamonds.

 

[Mike Toney]

I think the physics of wood firing wont scale down far enough for G scale equipment, let he said, its to hard to maintain a good bed of embers to keep up steam production. We need butane with a wood scent to it when burnt!! LMAO. A coal fired 4-4-0 would be awsome. Have Accucraft rectifed the side rod issues on the newest versions, or do all of them tend to suffer issues.

 

[Kovacjr]

There has not been a reissue of the 4-4-0 since the orignal batch. Just a special order of side rods that was mentioned shortly after they came out. Probally years down the road till they show up again in a 2nd run. You can do what a friend does and just stick some wood chips in the smokebox or a few pieces of coal.

 

[Dwight Ennis]

Now if I could only get a new set of side rods for my 4-4-0
Call Cliff. Should be no problem as they've had the for some time now.

 

[Jim Overland]

Coal should work Ok, although the engine is a bit small.

The Shawe conversion of the Roundhouse Fowler is a great engine but rather unforgiving if you are not on top of the fire.
Once you get up to the Mikado etc. they are easier to run (especially after running a Fowler for several years)
Part of the key is the cylinders. Roundhouse are over sized.
My experience with the 4-4-0 is that it has more power than the mogul
jim
Ditto on wood