Recently purchased a Broadway Limited Paragon 2 D&H 4-8-4 T-1 DCC & Sound. I didn’t like it from the time I picked it up and felt how light thus cheap it was. I have several BLI’s steam and diesel, and let me tell you this one was by far the worst. I have a Blue Line 4-4-4-4 and a 4-8-4 Niagara. Both seem to weigh twice as much as the T-1. And they are Blue Lines. This T-1 is supposed to be their top of the line(Paragon 2). I was so mad when I felt it. All I could think of was [explicative removed] Chinese Plastic LOL.The sound is OK but were I found the problem was it’s smoke unit. What a piece of crap. The smoke hardly rises when idle and it takes for ever to start smoking while moving. I must admit, when it did start smoking it smoked very well oh for about 2 whole minutes. then it stopped coming out of the stack. the smoke would just linger right below the funnel and there was nothing to blow the smoke out. So if there is some sort of fan to lift the smoke, it broke about 5 minutes into my first run. I did not over fill it or do anything that I wasn’t supposed to do. for at least 2 hours that’s all it would do when moving. I got fed up and put one of my MTH steams on.
That’s it for Paragon Steams. I still like their diesels especially the e units. But when It comes to steam I’ll stick to MTH. Especially for the smoke. If anyone is thinking of these steam units, I think again and reconsider another brand.
Thanks for the review and heads up of the problems with the smoke unit. I’m actually looking to buy my first steamer for an excursion train. And I’m looking at the MTH UP 4-12-2 9000.
I was also looking at the Paragon 2s, but from your issues, I think I’ll go with MTH.
btw, did you try to call BLI and tell them about the problems? You should, they need to know. Tell them everything from the weight to the smoke. Complain loudly.
So you’re going to give up before you have all the evidence? On the basis of a single rant from an individual who to all intents and purposes has made no effort whatsoever to see whether or not the “problem” is an actual malfunction?
I’m not advocating for BLI, but I would never take the word of a single individual who posts something like this out of the blue.
and since the smoke is adjustable, as well as on/off, I’ll bet that by reading the instructions, your problem can be solved, if not a call to BLI will.
Q:
I am having problems with the smoke unit on my Paragon2 Series steam locomotive. What should I do?
A:
There is likely no serious problem with the smoke unit. Here are four common issues to check with your Paragon2 Smoke Unit.
Too much or too little smoke fluid was added. You should add 3-4 drops of smoke fluid. If you added more than tha
Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play? [:P]
Sorry, didn’t mean to come off sarcastic. Really. But I was wondering, aside from the smoke problem, how did the locomotive itself react? Did it run smoothly throughout the various speed ranges? Did it pull well? Was the sound synchronized to the driver revolution? Did the sound seem authentic? Did it do what a steam locomotive is supposed to do on your layout–pull a train and do it well throughout various speed rangers without derailing on a curve?
I’m sorry, but a smoke unit malfunctioning would be the very LAST thing I would complain about with an HO steamer. I don’t care WHO the manufacturer is, HO scale smoke is still going to look like you stuck a lighted cigarette down the stack–two things in HO scale that do NOT scale down well–smoke and running water in your riverbed. MTH, BLI, Bachmann–whoever. Smoke does NOT scale down, and just leaves gunk on the tracks and the rest of the railroad. And sorry, but it makes your eyes water after a while. Just like the real stuff did.
Dominic, while we all want things to work right when we get them, that is only one measurement of the quality on a Company. While I have to agree that BLI QC is lacking at time, there US base Repair Department is top notch and for me makes up for the iffy QC. Give them a call and see what they have to say. They have bent over backwards for me from sending parts for free (I rather fix my self) to repairing engines that where out of warranty.
Give them a call and see if they can help with the smoke. Just might to need to change a CV.
When I was buying Steamers there Paragon was not there top of the line, there PCM line was. My PCM’s are die cast and engines weight around 2 pounds. My Paragons are Plastic and are lite in compression.
Like Tom asked, other than the smoke, how does the Engine run and pull?
Besides the smoke issue {I wouldn’t wnat a “smoking loco” and wouldn’t make it smoke if I did.
The other theme I see showing up is the “lightweight feel” of a loco. AS they add things like DCC and sound, something has to give, and they usually take out weight to put those in.
No one ever tells how well the loco pulls when so light-weightened.
Even if it was made here in the good old USA doesn’t mean quality would be any better folks. WE would like to think so, but sad fact is when things were made here there were still QC issues. SO china is nto entirely to blame.
While perfection is desirable, it isn’t attainable. Anyone expecting perfection is doomed to disappointment.
There is no rule that says you can’t add weight to a ‘too light’ locomotive.
The only 100% accurate definition of RTR is Ready to rework. (Linn Westcott, late MR editor)
Unless the locomotive is 1:1 scale and burns real coal, no smoke unit will produce a realistic exhaust cloud. If it could, you wouldn’t want to be in the same room with it.
If you think you have been served a lemon, common courtesy suggests that you contact the vendor FIRST. Perceived problems may not be, or may have easily-applied solutions.
If in doubt, as a last resort, read the manual.
The above can be applied to all locomotives from all manufacturers, by anyone reading this post. The following is my personal philosophy, backed up by six decades of hands-in-the-machinery experience.
It’s better to fix a problem than it is to complain about it.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with locomotives that weren’t perfect to begin with)
Wow. I have 2 of the earlier release - both are great runners with great sound. 6 club guys got the new ones in July, everyone’s worked perfectly fine right out odf the box. Smoke was only tested, but it worked well. We don;t allow smoke ont eh club layout, so after a test run everyone turned off the smoke unit.
The ONLY probem with the new ones is that BLI cheaped out and did not include a funnel to refill the smoke unit. If any smoke fluid gets down between the center smoke chamber and the outer stack hosuing, it will eventually soften the plastic of the fan and it won’t smoke properly. If you send it back they will repair it, but it will happen again if you don;t get a funnel to fill the smoke unit. While it does puff quite nicely and with a good volume, it’s still not horribly realistic, plus the residue gets on everything, so I’m not a fan of smoke units of any type.
Darn it! now I’m gonna have to go and get rid of all 6 of my BLI steamers, and they all worked so well for me and I have had no complaint but I guess I was wrong.
For me when ever you see smoke coming out of a model train it ain’t a good thing
Those smoke units only seem to work reasonably well in “O” Scale, a friend of mine has an O Scale layout with some of the MTH steam engines and he fires those things up and gets the basement so smokey it makes my eyes burn. The interesting thing about this is he wouldn’t dare let me light up one of my Muriel Air Tip cigars because he’s a “non” smoker but he gets his entire house smelling like MTH smoke fluid. I’m sure there is some irony to this but it escapes me…
I have several BLI locos and had problems with two - which BLI immediately addressed. I can make similar comments about Athearn, Proto, Bachmann, Atlas, MRC, etc. These locos are NOT built like the Lionel’s of the '50s, these are relatively delicate and precise mechanisms and frankly most are a pretty good value.
But you know what I really wanted to say??? Why is it that (IMHO) the majority of highly opinionated and blaming complaints come from posters that are new - often the first or second posting - to this Forum? I have found that you really get a much better response if you simply state your problem to the Forum and evaluate the responses.
I’ve got a few of the Paragon’s with the smoke feature. Frankly, I’ve never turned it on. I have enough lint and dust in the house; I don’t need the problem compounded by some burned oil residue.
I love my BLI’s (all 10 of them). Heck, I had one take a dive off a table and hit the concrete floor three feet below (courtesy of my neglect of placing things out of the reach of a toddler). I popped the cover back on the boiler (it was a press fit), replaced the shattered couplers and the thing ran even better than before the fall. Maybe I’m lucky but I have had -0- issues with BLI and I have yet to call their service department.
Interesting. I picked up one of the Paragon 2 T-1s painted in - service Reading. The only gripe I had was that the locomotive out of box was set up to smoke and pre loaded with fluid. Oh yes BTW; mine had a funnel.
Once I figured out how to turn off the smoke, I was very pleased with the sound, and pulling power of the engine.
As far as QC is concerned any purchase from any manufacturer/importer today is a crap shoot.
I think you need to go live steam 7 1/2 inch scale, plenty of smoke and all the weight you want, and you can blow a real whistle.
I bought their centipede, and I was surprised for the lack of pulling power, still, its too unique of an engine to overwhine about and any problems I can fix, add more weight, etc. Its not my main interest operating loco, may get occa