Its been a while since I have been here. This last Friday March 17th on St. Patricks day, BLI announced on their Facebook social media they would be bringing back their “Stealth” series which is DC or DCC ready. I am not sure if it was DCC ready as I was not familer with BLI products when they came out.
They said the full announcment with further details and what models will be offered in this configuration, will be revealed a week from then which will be this friday the 23rd of March. They even showed two versions of the logo they wished to use and ask which is better. Most chose the top logo with the fading look.
This is a good sign BLI is listening to its customers and is making a turnaround. They did ask in a recent survey if customers would prefer to buy a non-decoder locomotives as a way of saving money, and that was a resounding yes, due to BLIs decoders not being reliable and sound accurate.
I look forward to what has to come from BLI as they are improving. However they have to improve their own deocders or switch to a better one, and improve their smoke units that at times melt the plastic boilers on locomotives they are installed on.
I would be glad if BLI did offer a non-decoder locomotive series again. ALL of my recent Paragon 4 locomotives have had one problem or another related to wiring and/or the decoder.
Most recently, I replaced the P4 decoder and removed the smoke maker on their Pennsylvania E6 Atlantic.
In my estimation, it seems that BLI has insisted on including that current-hog, chuffing, smoke generator. This is also possibly a reason they still insist on the reed switch/flywheel magnet to tell the chuff and synchronised smoke blower when to make the “puff” of smoke.
The next engine I have a possibility of purchasing is the NYC Commodore Vanderbilt Hudson. I know I’ll be removing that decoder, smoke unit and gutting the wiring as well. One disappointing choice BLI has made with their recent locos is using a common cathode arrangement for the lighting. This goes against a DCC general practice and requires anyone installing a non-BLI decoder to rewire the LEDs. Perhaps if they choose a 21 pin socket in the planned Stealth series this won’t be a problem.
I see glad to see this information and pictures of your work on these two BLI locomotives. Well when you say you wish, according to that post by BLI they are offering non-decoder locomotives again which hopefully makes you glad somewhat.
Like General Longstreet said to British Colonal Aurthur Fremantle comparing the Revolution to the War between the States “We are just like you British, better to loose the war than admit to the mistake”.
Broadway has likely lost millions by thumbing their nose at DC modelers and those DCC modelers who would rather have the decoder of their choice.
Especially considering by all accounts, and what I see on Facebook, DCC is still only used by about 60%-65% of HO and N scale modelers, even after all this tine.
Not as bad but similar to Mike Wolf arrogance when MTH thought they could redefine HO.
The availability of Stealth locos would change my perspective on BLI, in fact two of the seven BLI locos I have are PCM Stealth Reading T1’s.
Interesting histoyr quote. I never knew that before. I was not too interested in MTH stuff and by the time I got interested in the hobby MTH was in its last HO scale years. About Mike Wolfs arrogance, how did MTH think they could redfine HO scale? I would love to hear the story.
They have probally lost thousands and millions due to the various quality control issues that have been going on.
BLI posted which logo they chose and the livestream discussing it will be this friday. I will post what happens.
OK, I have told this story before, so here is the short version - which will still be long. For all of you under 40, before the late 1980’s HO model trains was still a craftsman hobby if you were truely intersted in any sense of prototype accuracy, reasonable detail, and good running qualities.
RTR model trains before that were mostly, and generally, of a toy train/train set nature. Even the ones that ran well enough were generic and poorly detailed.
That started to change in the late 80’s. For lots of back ground info, search my previous posts, you may find more details.
But, short version - First Bachmann, Life Like and Atlas began making better quality and better detailed RTR locomotives, Atlas Yellow Box, Proto2000 and Spectrum lines.
Others followed suit, and with these new products came a renewed interest in model trains by people who lacked time and/or skills to build trains from kits.
By the mid 90’s this revolution in HO models was in full swing, again bringing more and more people into the hobby who were not inclined to build kits.
At the same time LIONEL (where BLI Bob Grubba worked) and MTH (Mike Wolf) were seeing a big revival of interest in better quality O gauge trains.
In all scales these advancements were largely fueled by recent advancements in manufacturing (CNC machines making dies for injection molding less expensive) that both lowered costs and improved detail and qualit
Shame the running boards are so thick. Still, now that theyre making stealth series I might buy one and replace the running boards. Otherwise they look fantastic.
Sheldon, I run a DCC layout and couldn’t agree more with your whole post. I have, I think, 8 BLI locos. Four were bought at the same time and were my first. Other than the decoders, I have been happy with them. Two more were bought at a good price. Other than the decoders, I have been happy with them. One was bought second hand and someone else replaced the decoder. I’m happier with that one than I am the six that came with the factory decoder. The last one, the one I like the most, was one of the ones BLI offered with no decoder. I installed my decoder of choice and have been very pleased.
Conversly, the Bachmann locos I own have generally been pleasing in all aspects except pulling power. That’s relatively easily fixed with added weight and bullfrog snot. While their SoundValue line decoders lack some of the adjustment capabilities of a good decoder, they have never been problematic. Can’t say the same for the BLI’s.
Some of the Bachmann locos are a little light, which ones do you have? Many of the Bachmann locos are smaller Prototypes as well, only so much you can do. I have multiply copies of the USRA 4-8-2, USRA 2-10-2, and the 2-6-6-2. They pull pretty well. I have 2-8-4’s I converted into freelance heavy Mikados, they were light, but 5 oz of lead fixedctgem right up. The N&W J is light, needs a lot of weig
I tried one BLI engine and will never buy another. Every other brand of engine runs fine on my layout but not the BLI one (there was a slight manufacturing mistake on the NW2’s). I could have fixed it but why would I and would have owned a paperweight if I filed it wrong and then there is the problem with the metal particals too. Also the handrails looked chunky to me.
