I really like the offerings BLI has for steam. I sure hope I don’t have issues with my new BLI S2 4-8-4 GN. Havent been able to run it yet, but I’ll know in a couple weeks.
There just isn’t any other manufactureres that have what BLI offers. Or am I missing something?
Pretty much just BLI, if you want those specific prototypes. Some of their more generic locos may be available from others.
It would be really nice of they offerened them plain DC, no DC sound, nothing, just plain DC power, so you could put in whatever sound decoder you preferred.
I’ve had no real issues with mine, but they are PCM, with ESU decoders.
–Randy
Funny this topic just caught my eye. I just mailed my Pargon 3 PRR I1sa back for repairs. It was not the decoder but the chuff sensor that stopped working.
Had to send back my Bessimer SD 7 Pargon 3 I think it was last year. New decoder works great.
BLI is a company I love, and hate.
I do love there Rolling Thunder. But I am using a audiophile grade NHT subwoofler.
Cuda Ken
The Blue Line decoders are meant to be run strictly on DC. DCC uses higher voltage and it’s AC from what I understand. You risk ruining your locomotive by running it on DCC. I’ve heard of modelers having their layouts wired for both DCC and DC.
Per BLI’s website: “Broadway Limited BlueLine Series models can be operated in DC straight out-of-the-box. Place the model on the track and turn up the voltage. The “start-up” sounds will begin at 5-6 volts for Paragon2 and 7-8 volts for Paragon3. Movement will begin around 9 volts for Paragon2 and 11 volts for Paragon3. Note: the start-up sequence must be complete before the model will move in DC. To operate your BlueLine model in DCC, you must install a DCC motor decoder. The sounds will work on a BlueLine model as soon as you put it on the track. However, the BlueLine Series models do not have a motor decoder. After you plug your motor decoder of choice into the 8-pin socket on the circuit board, your model will be ready to operate on default address 3”
Blueline adds yet another complication - when you put a DCC decoder in one, even one of the ones they recommend, you now have 2 decoders in one loco to deal with. There’s a reason this method of adding sound quickly disappeared in favor of integrated sound/motor decoders.
Seems the best thing for these locos is, if you are happy with the appearance and running characteristics (mechanical), then trash the decoder and put a good one in it.
–Randy
I have alot of HO BLI locomotives, both diesel and steam, mostly Paragon2, some Blueline and a few Paragon3. There are a couple QSI equipped too.
Quite honestly, I don’t understand all the riff about BLI. In my experience they’ve stood behind their products 100%. They’ve even sent me replacement decoders for 10+ year old Blueline loco FOC.
That being said, there is one thing I’ve noticed, and I don’t have an answer as to “why”.
Initially (my first few BLI) I had trouble with. Then sometime later I replaced all track and turnouts with new essentially rebuilding all the track work to much better standards than I did 30 years ago. And once I had the new track thoroughly cleaned (using ACT-6006) I haven’t had any more issues with BLI verses any other brands.
The other thing I’ve observed, is while touring a number of layouts, I’ve often heard the same complaints about BLI. Interestingly, IMHO, the track work on these layouts was fairly poor. My track work, on the other hand, is more like jewelry.
So I have to wonder if for what ever reason, BLI decoders/locos are more sensitive to even the least amount of track contamination and/or less than perfect track work that cause/introduce some connectivity/conductivity issues. Now that I replaced all my track and turnouts, this time building to perfection, and keeping everything clean (that includes rolling stock wheels), I’ve had only one recent issue with a T-1 that was double headed pulling a long freight on my somewhat difficult layout.
I test ran a new BLI Paragon 3 PRR K4 today. With the sound on it would stall on a Shinoharra double crossover and one other piece of plain track. With the sound muted it ran very well over the entire layout.
I don’t have any idea why it performs this way.
I have a paragon3 diesel and am having similar problems. After what I believe was a short, there is no movement or sound, and the only Feature that works is the light. So I am just trying to figure out what to do next.
With any of the recent Paragon 2 or 3 decoders a hard reset is the best way to clear the decoder and retry your locomotive on address 3.
You have to physically open the shell and press a button on the decoder itself. Sometimes (usually) the simple CV8 = 8 won’t do the same thing as a hard reset.
In this example the button is located at the far right of the board.
BLI_P2-reset by Edmund, on Flickr
You have to press and hold the button THEN apply power to the track, then release the button.
Some earlier BLI and QSI decoders used a magnetic reed switch. Sometimes these would stick closed and cause programming headaches, too.
Hope that helps, Ed
That’s why their chuff sensors fail so often as well - they are just reed switches. They get activated at the speed of the motor - so if th emotor is turning 1000 rpm, they get activated 1000 times per minute. Just checking some random reed switches and their data sheets, they never seem to get a rating for number of operations they are rated for, but you can easily get a million per year for a relatively lightly used loco. Run it for several hours, several days a week, and you can get 10’s of millions of operations per year. If the contacts don’t get magnetized and stick just from being in the presence of a moving magnet that many time, it would be a miracle.
–Randy
You’re awesome Ed! Worked like a charm. Not hard to do, just hoping to not have to do it again.
Matt
Glad to hear that, Matt! BLI used to design some of their engines where you could actually access the button without taking everything apart. Why they don’t do that is beyond my reasoning.
Hope your engine keeps running well for you —
Regards, Ed
What you have described is not normal. You might want to contact BLI about your problem. My experience with BLI from their beginnings is that whatever the problem they will make it right.
I have several BLI Paragon3 Sharks and PRR Boxcabs. I had to return 4 of 5 decoders due to erratic operation especially in consist. BLI sent replacement decoders and motors and now the engines operate flawlessly.
I have 3 paragon 3 Diesels and a paragon 2 diesel. I also have 2 Athearn locos that I added TCS WOW sounds to as well as a Kato and an Atlas both with ESU Loksounds in them. out of all of them my BLI locos are the most reliable and easiest to adjust CVs on them. They also are almost perfectly speed matched right out of the box to each other. I did have 1 of my BLI paragon 3 locos go south and their customer support has been completely top notch so far.n (they have received my locomotive and I am waiting for them to replace/repair it). honestly at this point though if I am looking for another locomotive I will be looking for another BLI locomotive. I realize this is an old thread but I thought I would throw my .02 out there anyways
Received a Paragon 3 diesel as a gift. Trying to run it through its paces on a dedicated programming track with a DCS50 and powerpax booster. Can’t read back any of the CVs with or without the 1K resistor across the track. Oh well; I know readback is iffy. Trying to see how the back EMF works, so tried resetting CV10 to 0. After doing that, nothing works; dead on the tracks. have to reset CV8 to 8 to get it to work again. Of course that resets every other CV. I can change other CVs (like sound volume) and they work fine. Trying to change CV10 just makes it ‘hang’ though. Since its a gift, i have no receipt, and have no idea what they might charge or how long it would take for them to look at it. At the moment, I can’t say I’m a fan…
reach out to them. I had to send one back and they did not ask for any receipt at all. They did ask when I bought it and I just punched in the date
well I need to update this post unfortunately. since this post I have had all of my paragon 3 locomotives go into BLI now for repair. Aside from shipping costs it has cost me nothing in repairs however their turnaround time has become rediculous 3 months! the locomotives have become very unreliable and I am in the process of swapping out the paragon 3 decoder for an ESU v5 decoder. With the ammount of failures that I have had with them I will now be buying scaletrains from now on out
Wow, I guess that the operative word is “all”. All of your Paragon 3 locomotives have gone back to BLI now for repair. Yikes.
Rich
ya sadly all of the paragon 3 locomotives have all gone back some of them have gone back multiple times 
the old paragon 2 sd 40 though is still running strong but that one hardly gets used
My recent F3 locomotives don’t run on DC just DCC. I think when it does fail or anything I’ll pull the decoder out. Since my entire NYC roster is DC. Probably easier to do than upgrading every locomotive to DCC.