I’m asking because I own 5 Paragon3 steam locomotives and 3 diesels (2 Paragon3 and 1 Paragon2). I’ve been having many issues with the steam locomotives. It seems their decoders are very sensitive to sudden voltage variations on the tracks. I’m still building and improving my layout and I am using an MRC Prodigy Advanced “Squared” system. From time to time, a car will jump a switch and cause a short. I have seen a few times that a BLI steam locomotive sitting on the layout will somehow sometimes be affected. For example, I have a PRR T1 sitting there. I didn’t run it for a few days, during which there were, unfortunately, a few problems causing shorts. When I tried to run it, the sound and the light features would work but the locomotive would not move, either forward or backward. Resetting the decoder didn’t help. I just had the same issue with a MILW S3 that was coming back from repair. I ran it a few times around my layout by itself to check if everything was working. Then, I stopped it and attached the cars that it was pulling before the repair. When I tried to move it, it would not move anymore. Same as the T1. I just don’t understand. The 3 diesels have never been affected by this problem. I also own 3 Rapido diesel locomotives and 1 MTH steam locomotive and didn’t have this problem with those either. Strangely, I also have a BLI PRR S2 for several months which I run from time to time and this one too hasn’t been affected. The problem has been affecting the Big Boy, the Challenger, the PRR T1 and the MILW S3.
Anyone has seen this? Even though Broadway Limited Imports service has been incredible, it’s getting a little tiring having to pack a locomotive back to them now and then…
I run a BLI Shark, and it is very unreliable. It will sometimes not respond to my commands, and will overheat/stop running after less than an hour. The lights still work, but it doesn’t move. The sound cuts out randomly too.
I don’t have any BLI steam but I have read a lot of comments about issues with BLI engines recently in several forums, mostly problems with the decoders. Some have ripped them out and replaced with something from one of the major DCC decoder manufacturers.
I have two broadway RSD15s but haven’t ran them yet since I bought them while finishing the basement and between layouts. Fingers crossed.
We have had identical problems with BLI engines at our club. I don’t own any BLI, and at this point, based on our club experience, I probably won’t. The guys with the BLIs don’t bring them around the club anymore.
I own several BLI Paragon steamers and several BLI Paragon diesels. I have never had any decoder problems whatsoever with any of them. It should be noted that the decoder in the Paragon series was the QSI.
I own two BLI Paragon 2 steamers and no BLI Paragon 2 diesels. Those two Paragon 2 steamers perform flawlessly, including the BLI proprietary decoder used in the Paragon 2 series.
I do not own any BLI Paragon 3 locomotives, and I fear purchasing any based upon all of the negative comments that I hear about the Paragon 3 series, in particular the so-called Roling Thunder proprietary decoder.
I find this discussion interesting in that user experience seems to suggest that the problem is perhaps limited to the Paragon 3 steamers and less so, if at all, to the Paragon 3 diesels. Has anyone who owns a Paragon 3 diesel had decoder issues?
To the OP, I have several original Paragon and P2 versions of steamers. They all work flawlessly. However, if I have a peeve with BLI, it is that their tethering system between tender and locomotive sucks. They aren’t fragile, at least I haven’t been able to destroy one (I’m careful), but inserting them on some models is a pain where the sun don’t shine.
Whenever I have some effects, but no movement, I have found that I need to remove the plug, inspect for bent pins (never seen any), and then make a more determined effort at fully seating the plug in the receptacle. That, invariably, seems to cure the movement problem.
It seems, though, that BLI must have a heapload of bad decoders shipping out because suddenly there are complaints all over the internet about the latest batches of P3 models. BLI has a very strong and commendable history with most users of making things right. If you need to send it to BLI for repair, it will take three months or so, but it should come back fixed.
This is discouraging to hear as I own a number of BLI locos, both steam and diesel. I haven’t had a layout for some long time now, so have not been running them.
I have two BLI Cab forwards from the first run - remember the BEMF disabled QSI decoders? Ancient history now, but a big deal at the time. These locos have been run on the layout for the last 14 years without any issues (once I figured out how to reliably program long addresses).
I hear lots of complaints about blueline BLI locos (they came after the QSI decoders) and more recent decoders, but my locos still run great.
I have four Blueline locos. They run fine, but the problem with the Blueline locos is that BLI chose to factory equip them with only a DC-compatible sound decoder with a DCC plug. To run a Blueline loco on a DCC layout, you either need to add a DCC motor decoder, creating a two decoder loco, or toss the factory equipped sound decoder and add a DCC sound decoder.
The two-decoder setup works, but it is not without its own issues. My biggest problem with the two decoder setup is consisting. Synchronizing the two decoders in a consist is neither easy nor entirely reliable.
I have sent my Paragon 3 SD7 back 2x and they sent me a decoder once. So 3x !
I also posted asking about reliability of the Paragon 3 decoders because I was thinking of getting a brass hybrid 4-8-4. Great looking and very expensive. Not worth it if I’ll have decoder problems.
I emailed BLI 2x asking if they have resolved the Paragon 3 decoder problems and they haven’t answered.
I have 6 Paragon 2 steamers, 3 paragon steamers, and 1 paragon 3 steamer(PRR L1s).
I’ve had no issues with neither paragon 2 nor paragon (besides one faulty paragon 2 decoder, not accepting CV change…loco was bought used).
The paragon 3 decoder engine has been buggy, once it just factory resetted itself, sometimes, sometimes the dynamo sound repeates itself, but as far as motor controls go, it has been fine. L1s was the first engine BLI released with Paragon 3, so it’s not the “latest” in line.
Personally, I greatly dislike paragon and paragon 3 sound, and absolutly love paragon 2 sound(seconded only to TCS WOWsound)!
Seems like I’m going to avoid paragon 3 as much as possible, until they finally release the Santa Fe 2-8-2!
I sent an email to BLI a week before Thanksgiving with some general questions about a Paragon 3 diesel. I just got a reply yesterday. The gentleman who replied was apologetic and said that he had just returned from a 2-week vacation. So, hang in there for an eventual answer.
I freelance. I don’t have a particular “need” for any specific type of loco or (if I had steam) any particular wheel arrangement. Some folks need that precision and if BLI is the only company that offers a specific loco, well, then that goes into the decision.
I’ve gotten to the point where I refuse to fiddle with locos that don’t operate well. Sending them back to the factory for replacement is one thing, but trying to resolve a problem with a loco that may be due to a less than great design or assembly quality is not worth the trouble. Since I freelance with no particular need, I stay away from any loco model that has any hint of reliability history.
Sell them at a loss on ebay if I have to. Disclose the problems I had. Its a hobby I engage in for enjoyment. Fiddling with and troubleshooting is not enjoyable time spent, but the buyer may enjoy it or know the solution.
One of the problems I had was with one of my favorite locomotives; BLI Blue Line Big Boy. One of the wires in the connector that connects to the circuit inside the tender was broken. They’re not very robust! Once I repaired that wire, it runs flawlessly. I have some other Blue Line locomotives, but those are diesel, and have never had any issues with them.
My latest acquisition was the BLI Santa Fe Northern 4-8-4. Its only issue is that it’s very sensitive to dirty track. I run on DC. Keep the track clean, and it’s a gem!
I had a Santa Fe Northern 4-8-4 with a Quantum QSI decoder and it’s turned into such a pain, that it’s back in the box. I know from BLI’s website that there’s a guy that will update the decoder to the new Paragon 3. I just haven’t sent it in, yet.
I have one of those as well, but from the sounds of things paragon 3 is questionable??
I’m hoping not as I bought a paragon 3, B-unit diesel loco, to run behind my Santa Fe DL 109 until I finished with a kitbash I’m working on,…and the eventual dcc/sound installation in that pair
They make may in-demand PRR locos that previously were only available in brass. And some others, too. That’s why people buy them. They were fine before they went with their own decoders, 99% of the problems are the decoders, which leads me to believe they aren’t properly babysitting their Chinese factory in making sure they put these things together properly.
They seem to stand behind the product and repair or replace, but with the number of issues posted everywhere, you have to wonder how long they can continue just shipping the broken stuff and then taking it back and repairing or replacing it, that’s got to be hurting the bottom line.