I currently have 4 BLI ATSF DC steam locos ( 4-8-4, 2-10-2, 2-10-4, 2-8-2), which are still in the box. That probably sounds silly to most of you, but layout renovations and non MR obligations have taken priority.
Frankly, they look pretty delicate and I am hesitant to take them out for even a test run, as I might decide to update my layout to the late '50s and just run my diesels (stewart/Kato/P2K). If I decide to eliminate steam, then at least I can sell them as “new in the box”.
As an aside, I was recently very disappointed that BLI has some of these on sale, which I find annoying as I paid more than the current sale price from a discounter last year. As a retired business analyst, I get the vibes that they may be having problems.
What are your experiences with the BLI locos? Are they really worth keeping, or will they just give me a pain in the neck.
I’ve only seen one BLI (steam) loco run. It was beautiful.
Everyone who has these locos (on the forums) loves them (AFAIK), and few have had any problems tha were not quickly solved by either a quick trip to the LHS (eg, something simple, like a loose wire) or warranty work from BLI. I would definately buy one if I had the kind of money to spend that they’re asking for one of the beauties.
I have three of the older BLI steam engines and am extremely happy with them. I don’t think the BLI engines are as deleciate as the Bachmann Spectrum engines which I also have and have always been more carefull handling the Spectrum engines than the BLI units.
If you do decide to go the diesel I would still recommend the BLI units, I have one F7 AB unit presently and will likely purchase more in the future as my layout grows.
I have three BLI steam engines and would not hesitate to purchase more if I was in the market for one. A 4-8-4 Santa Fe Northern developed a mechanical problem and the drive rods came off on one side. I sent it back to BLI and it was quickly repaired, but I did have to pay for the repair because it was out of warranty.
My first two BLIs were the Santa Fe 3750 class 4-8-4. Both of them would suddenly stop dead due to valve gear binding. I would back up 1/4" and then proceed forward no problems for a while. As it turns out both had a loose eccentric rod which as soon as I realized the problem was easy to fix. On one of them there is one place on the layout that the front truck of the tender always derails. Haven’t figured it out yet.
I also have a USRA light 2-8-2, and a Santa Fe 3800 class 2-10-2 that I have had no problems with either.
After the initial good reviews and build up other people gave them I thought the detail was a little bit lacking. The sound isn’t exactly tuned to the locomotive (in fact I think the 2-10-2 has the same sounds programmed in as the 4-8-4 has). For those who know the 2-10-2s had a pretty distinctive chuff & bell.
Over all I would recommend these locomotives to other people. I certainly plan on buying more in the future. Sounds like you model Santa Fe. The 4-8-4 locomotives look great on a string of orange reefers, or passenger cars of either the heavy or lightweight type. I have not done a test too see how much they will pull which means they have been hefty enough for everything I’ve wanted them to do.
P.S. I have a lot more than 4 locomotives still in the boxes. Some of which I purchased long before BLI even became a company.
First, as a reasonably strong fan of BLI and their products (not a foamer, just reasonably happy), I am pleased that you find your engines to be appealing. I find them immensely appealing, not having had the benefit of owning several brass engines with which I could compare them. I own 5 BLI steamers, all different, and I like them all. Each performs well; they pull well for their weights and intended prototype purposes considering that I also subject them to 3% grades.
I don’t handle them a lot, but I do handle them. Sometimes it is to press the electrical connection together more tightly because they do get loose after a while. I have actually run several of them into each other, never at breakneck speeds, but with enough force to hear the thunk. I have yet to experience even a bent item, let alone something broken. There isn’t a paint flaw on any one of them.
I purchased two engines from their Outlet Direct, a retail outlet for factory seconds, repairs under warranty where the customer was provided with an exchange, and when customers refused damaged packages. The only flaw I can find is in my favourite of all 10 engines of various makes that I run weekly; it is that the headlight atop the PRR J1 smokebox is tilted a bit…so I guess I got a second. Boo hoo.
So, to keep this short, I like what the company provides its customers, I like their service (twice had to return engines, one time due to my hamfisted cleaning of the tender pickups), and I take great pleasure in running and handling these engines. I am confident that you will be relieved when you find this out for yourself.
I’ve got a 4-6-4 BLI Hudson. I’m very happy with it. Of course, I’m one of the lucky ones who got it for $130, with QSI sound and DCC. I’ve got a relatively small layout, so its ability to take 18-inch curves is important to me. I’ve had it running for 7 months now with no problems.
I think they released an upgrade to the DCC decoder in these engines, as a result of the settlement of the long-running legal action. I suspect that they also over-produced them, and just couldn’t sell them at the full retail price as more engines with sound started to enter the market.
This engine, along with my P2K 0-6-0, have convinced me to “dual-era” my layout. I’m slowly accumulating rolling stock and automobiles so I can turn back the Wayback machine on my mid-60’s diesel railroad, and return to those thrilling days of yesteryear, back in the 30’s. I like this solution better than committing myself to either diesel or steam, and missing out on the advantages of one over the other.
I have a BLI 2-8-2 Mike. It’s an excellent puller and the detailing is very nice. The low-speed response is good but not as nice as my Trix Mike, which is exceptional. I’d buy another without question.
I’m also looking forward to getting the BLI 4-8-2 NYC Mohawk next year - whenever they decide to release it. The brass version is docketted for May '08. Hoping by mid to late summer '08 for the hybrid. We’ll see…
I have a BLI PRR M1a and I love it. I had a few problems when I first got it out of the box. Did not want to go through Atlas turnouts. After eveyone here said check wheel gauge, I did, found no problems…and it’s run fine ever since?? I have run this one a BUNCH to see how it held up and so far no issues and the sound is nice in DC mode too. Per MRR mag it will haul 63 cars and I have no doubt it would if I had the room! Detail is fine but have had no issues with breakage. Thumbs up from me!
The short answer is I love them. They look great, sound great, and run beautifully with the exception of a K-4 which isn’t picking up power from the left side drivers causing stalls. I expect it is a loose wire and an easy fix but haven’t got around to opening it up yet. I would have returned it to the manufacturer but I’ve heard that is a long turn around time for their service.
Personally, I would keep them even if you do decide to dieselize your layout. You’ll never know when you might want to backdate. Even keeping them new in the box, you probably aren’t going to get what you paid for them unless BLI goes belly up there is still a demand for them.
I have a hard time understanding BLI. They have a great product that is in high demand with their customer base but for some reason can’t deliver their product in sufficient quantities to meet demand. Yet even with demand exceeding supply, they discount their product through Factory Direct Trains. I’d like to know what is going on behind the scenes.
I have quite a few of BLI/PCm steamers and I love them. The problems I’ve had have been resolved by the good people at BLI. So I can with out the slightest hesitation recommend them. They are great as models to begin with and their customer service is with out a doubt in my mind the best in the bizz. If you ask them a question the answer straight away.
Most of us like BLI and their products but really don’t realize the money problems they have experienced in the past and they probably have money issues even today.
The bottom line is the blow out sales have hurt dealers and they do not stock the newer items unless they have orders from good customers. This has caused BLI/PCM to have trouble getting a sufficient amount of orders to build new products since distributors and dealers are not going to be stuck with their products at the original price when the blow out sales are half price and less sometimes. You can’t blame the dealers for this situation. It started about three years ago when one of their original founders departed. To raise the money needed to get the next shipments off of the boat so to speak , (containers) they decided to blow out the shelve stock at half price. I purchased several of those and would do it again since it was a major savings.
I know of some dealers that had the BLI stock on hand at list price in many cases and still have them along with the Lionel Challengers at list prices. This dealer I am thinking about and other dealers have stopped their reservations with BLI/PCM since they were left holding the stock at a wholesale price that was much higher than the blow out sale price.
I have about a thirty five of their products with sound and will continue to purchase more at the right price, but will not purchase ahead of time with reservations.
I want to cover my thoughts on the latest Blue Line products
I have several of the 2-8-2 Mikes. They run and look pretty good. My Walthers 2-10-2 runs and looks better, but that doesn’t mean the BLIs are bad. The sound is OK too.
There’s an upgrade chip available from QSI that is supposed to improve the running qualities and the sound, but I haven’t purchased the chips.
I had a whole stack of boxes full of BLI steam. I sold the last of them recently on ebay and went to desiels for now. I decided it was time to get rid of them while they are functionally 100% and use the proceeds to seed availible engines ready at the hobby shop right away or within a few days. More on that later.
I have been very happy with the BLI steam. It is my opinion that the constant blow-outs, Blueline problems and confusion as well as the dropping of the QSI DCC pretty much kills the BLI Company as it once was for me.
I took action and sold off my steam instead of worrying about getting spare parts and other issues that might come up. I run 31 inch radius and humungous switches so trackwork isnt an issue.
But the pricing will need to drop to about 200 dollars or less with QSI or similar technology from someone else to make them and currently Proto Engines are looking VERY attractive. I run several of those and have no complaints and plan to buy more.
I do keep and probably will die with some of thier QSI desiels. Wonderful little engines. But blueline? Bleah. For me what killed blueline was the need to build a consist after you install a motor decoder. Consisting a motor decoder and a sound decoder inside the same engine with one address to get it all to work is flat crazy.
Also, you are either DC or DCC. Not both. Ive tried to be both but gave up on DC. I made my life less complicated with DCC only engines.
There is quite a number of BLI products rotting on the shelf across the USA that are carrying the orginal MSRP prices… 300-450 and up. Hoping for one person who is totally unaware of the last few years “doings” to come in and buy it.
I’ll shut up now before I rant further. Let’s just say that BLI was a old flame that once shook things up and make GREAT products. Now they are busy rehashing thier stuff under a new label while letting Announced New Products ROT for 2 years un-produced.
I don’t see that spare parts is likely to become an issue in view of what they are offering, and about to offer, in hybrid and Blueline locomotives. I have reservations about the ESU Loksound decoders in the PCM models…not that they are not fine motive management decoders, but their sound files have problems in a few instances. For example, the Y6b transition chuff sounds like a corrupted sound file, or a skipping phonograph record.
I agree that BLI may need to establish a healthy relationship with a more user-friendly decoder.
I agree with you on the LokSound files. Overall, the steam sounds are disappointing. My Big Boy now has all new sounds downloaded to include the Union Pacific steamboat type whistle, the bell from the 3985 and the generator sound is added to continue after the first five seconds.
The Y6B chuffs are really poor at speeds above 20 mph.
I have a couple of their steamers; an ATSF 4-8-4 #3751 and a light Mikado. I love them both. They are really smooth runners, albeit, since I am running DC, I cannot access ALL of the functions, and the starting voltage is a little high. But with a good MDC throttle with momemtum, I can set the speed I want them to cruise at and let them slowly come up to that speed. The looks on my little “nephew” (the son of a friend of the family) face when the turbine comes up… then the chuff… and they’re worth every penny.
I like BLI/PCM stuff, BUT, I am all steam and DC. I don’t get why anyone buys Blueline and complains how hard it is to put DCC in it. Not saying it isn’t true, or doesn’t happen, just don’t see why you would do it. I do not yet have a Blueline model either, so maybe I am out in left field. All my locos run good and I am happy.
I have been in modeling for 30+ years and no one ever heard of spare parts until real recently but Bowser, Athearn, and Proto, and now the best of the bunch is gone. I have had lots of brass and I don’t remember the distributors ever carrying a lot of spares for them, either.
As for how they manage their business, I don’t get why a lot of people are all upset. If not for them, a lot of models would not exist. So they haven’t made everything they have mentioned. Neither has anyone else made those items yet.