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Broadway Limited BlueLine Santa Fe 4-8-4 no.3759
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $269.99.
Scale?
Check out the March 2007 issue of Model Railroader. In it Gil Bennett demonstrates his techniques on super detailing a BLI Santa Fe 4-8-4. The following article, by Andy Sperandeo, thoroughly covers all the details found on Santa Fe 3751.
Okay so I’m ruined for life. I was going to stay in DC but now I don’t think I can resist DCC any longer thanks to this great and very reasonaly priced offering from Blueline.Placing a decoder looks real easy. The Santa fe 4-8-4 has always been a favorite with me, I love the high smoke stack provided as one of many extras that come with this model. The sounds are varied and practical, the engine runs smoothly straight out of the box. I had no problems pulling a twelve car passenger consist with this engine. I think the engine could have proudly handled many more with ease. the details and finish make the owner proud. All I need now is my wifes grocery money to go and get started in DCC. and a smoke unit!
There have been reports that it is very difficult to mate the Blue line loco,s with a decoder is this true, waiting for comment until I buy as we are far from the US
I just got a version of this model in road # 3751 and it runs great! I love all of the sound functions in DCC. Installing the decoder was fairly easy too. The locomotive runs very smoothly at slow speeds, which suprised me some. I must say that this is the best HO steam locomotive I have ever owned.
Mechanically the model runs flawlessly. Install of the DCC decoder is simple and straight forward. Sound is accurate and the ‘chuff’ is synchronized with the driver rotation. I added a small piece of foam to the top inside of the tender’s shell. This actually creates a more pleasing sound [less tinny to my ear]. This locomotive’s detailing is nice. Because of the size of the locomotive it will not negotiate anything less than 24" radius or a number 6 turnout reliably. Overall, a very high quality offering for less than $190.00
Santa Fe had such great trains, like the southwest chief. To bad amtrak isn’t as classy as the the original southwest chief
On recieving mine A.T.S.F 3754 find it a wonderfully built steamer,the depth of detail that Broadway goes to never fails to please, kudo’s to BLI for the sound ’ when cracking the throttle gives several nice deep bark’s Then smoothly starts to move… which is unuseally for a model as the prototype would do this,chuff once or twice before actually beginning to move. though at speed the sound tends to blur a bit but adjusting the cv’s should solve that. Installation of a Digitrax DZ125PS decoder was as simple as falling out of bed. Overall I am very very pleased with to be adding this pretty lady to my roster of locomotives.
with this fine piece of equipment
I have a Santa Fe 4-8-4 #3759. It sounds and runs great. The DCC Decoder went in real slick (took about 2 minutes). I can set it to 1 scale mph and it will move!! Real slow but it moves. Thottle response is great. The Whistle has a great sound. Especially on the second blast as it drits off as a real one would as it travels away from you.
Be sure your track is level and smooth as the front guide and rear load wheels are a little fussy and can come off on bumps or dips or if your swtches are not smooth. The only other problem I have is that when the front guide wheels occasionally jump off and short out my system there is a loud static noise that comes from the speaker. This goes away when the derailment is corrected.
I got mine for $149.00 + $20.00 for the DCC decoder at the Springfield Mass. show. I also see Factory Direct has them on for this amount also.
They are a great deal for the money.
I just recieved my BLI Santa Fe 4-8-4 # 3751 this past holiday. I installed a MRC 1651 decoder and all the fuctions work fine. I wish the boiler was die cast metal so they can loose those rubber tires. I have the BLI blue line bigboy and the boiler on that engine is metal. I find the engine to be a bit light.
Other than that, it is a smooth running engine and the sounds are great!
I just got this locomotive yesterday and it runs and sounds great. Overall, a very good locomotive.