I did a search, and I can’t seem to find any comments about this big, heavy engine from BLI. There is a “Second Batch” still available.
Anyone own one? And comments or suggestions? Any drawbacks?
Slow speed operation? I see the forthcoming upgrade chip from QSI will be available for the K4, so I guess I’ll have to get that to help with the slow speed operation.
Buying this engine represents a huge investment for me (It is an investment, right? that’s what I told my Mother).
Thanks alot.
Billy
I have one of the K4’s and it is a good locomotive. It has a feature in the DCC that controls the momentum start up, unlike the rest of the BLI line. My engine runs good, but needed breaking in to get the best performance.
It has nice details, but did not meet my expectations for the extra money that they wanted for the so called Platinum status.
The whistle is a PRR whistle, but not exactly the K4, which had a passenger whistle.
As far as I know, all QSI equipped BLI locomotives can have the CVs #3 and 4 modified. All of mine are now programmed to start and slow differently, a Hudson, a Niagara, a K4s from the latest run, and a PRR J1.
As bangert1 says, the loco is nicely heavy, well detailed for the dollar, and has fully configurable variables, including re-synchronizing the chuff rate…now this is where my J1 differs…I can’t alter the chuff rate on that one.
None of the BLI locos currently has BEMF in the decoder, so very slow start-up and acceleration is not possible. None of mine will move unless I set the throttle for about 4-7, depending on the loco, and even then it will take several seconds to launch. This is despite my setting, and fiddling with, the V-start in CV 2. BLI has announced that they are about to sell users an upgrade chip with BEMF. If you want one of them, they advise reserving at a dealership. I believe they may go for around $25, give or take.
The K4s does take some breaking-in, and mine squeeked, as I have learned to expect from new BLI steamers, right out of the box. This is not problematic; break it in for an hour or so, and then lube it all up. Expect the break-in to last near 3 hours of running.
Selector
Just curious, does your J1 chuff four times per rev or only three chuffs per rev like my first run J1’s??.
I did complain about that and received two new chips from BLI which I inserted and it solved the problem overall, but it still is not adjustable.
You might want to wait for the MTH PRR K4 that’s coming out soon.
bangert1, my Hudson, unfortunately, is out of synch by about half the chuff rate that it should be. I had no idea that I could ask BLI for a replacement, but I intend to upgrade all my BLI’s with the new chip, anyway. I asked my installer to order five for me.
Thanks for the tip about getting a replacement.
-Crandell
I have one and it is an excellent runner like all of my BLIs. To me the mark of a quality loco is how well it runs at slow speeds and BLIs generally can creep smoothly along at a scale walking speed. My K4 does have one glitch that my none of my other BLIs do. It only picks up left side track power on the front tender wheels. My other BLIs also draw from the locos wheels. The result of this flaw is that when I run slowly over my insulated frogs, the loco stalls out when the tender wheels hit the frog. I suspect the problem is as simple as a loose connection to the left side wheels of the loco but I have so many projects going right now, I haven’t gotten around to opening it up and taking a look.
Billy, I’ve been looking at the engine also. I have a BLI Class A NW 2-6-6-4
http://www.broadway-limited.com/products/images/nwsample/nw90.jpg
and love it. I didn’t at first, but after a break-in period I changed my mind. Mine will literally crawl. I see that Trainworld also has the BLI NYC J1e & J1d 4-6-4 for only $129. I haven’t figured out why so low yet.
Jarrell
www.mthhotrains.com[tup][tup]
Just a WAG, Jarrell, but they may have too many on the shelf, or BLI does and gave them a deal. It was my first loco since I was 11 years old, and I chose it only because that is what the LHS owner showed me on his counter top. He slapped it on some EZ-Track and powere dit up. He must have seen me coming in, because II was hooked. I still like it a lot.
If anybody reading has a hankering for something from BLI that can’t be found at a decent price, don’t overlook Outlet Direct, BLI’s own refurbished/returns department. I have two from them, a Niagara (sent back after 40 days with a tender short), and a PRR J1 (what a regal honey!). They carry the full warranty. When I phoned Matt at BLI about my Niagara, he asked if it was “new” to me, despite it being an Outlet loco. When I replied in the affirmative, he commented that he would have to expedite it. That is positive!
-Crandell
You werent the only one that the LHS saw coming in.
I first saw a BLI Hudson shouting and whistling on that little track in the LHS when it was first released. I own several HLI’s but chose the M1a over the K4 because I run heavy trains and historically pacific class steam never really performed for me.