Anyone Know Whats Going on at BLI??

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I just recently visited Broadway Limited’s homepage ( www.broadway-limited.com ) and found quite a interesting statement.

That “Due to threats of litigation by Mike’s Train House (MTH), the Regulated Throttle Control and Speed Control features originally offered in BLI locomotives are no longer available…”

Can someone tell me what this means to me the consumer? I have several BLI engines on order and I am VERY concered about what this will do to me as an end user of BLI’s products!

2

The problem is that nearly every decoder today has “Constant Speed Control”. With this, the engine holds its programmed speed on grades. This “Constant Speed control” was first introduced by MTH in the 90s, and MTH has the rights for that, and will have the rights for there own. That means, no decoder expect that one from MTH can have CSP. As i heard, also the Broadway Limited Engines lost this function. But on there website should be a tip, how to reset the decoder to restore the constant speed control. The other functions like sound and light are normal available.

Micha

3

Not part of your question but several PRR fans who are receiving their T1’s report that the rear universal joint driving the rear set of wheels is experiencing a failure of the pins shearing off.

4

How disappointing, but thanks for passing on this news. Supermicha, thanks for the good details!

There is a similar problem regarding SOUNDTRAXX.:

Soundtraxx’s hot, new sound decoder called the “TSUNAMI” is supposedly the “Rolls Royce” of sound decoders. It was scheduled for availability in December 2003, and then postoponed until Jan 2004. NO TSUNAMI YET! However I received an e-mail letter from LITCHFIELD STATION owner Bruce Petrarca regarding MTH and DCC decoders. Apparently MTH was threatening litigation for patent or copyright violations regarding one or more features of various decoders from some DCC manufacturers. (Please correct me if I’m wrong!)

Does anyone have anymore updated information on this “stalemate” situation?

5

BLI does stand behind thier product, and will take care of these customers, as they have with other issues on other models in thier line.