In this picture I noticed that the mike has a stephenson valve gear. Does it come like this if you buy it?
Based on the photo of an actual model on the BLI website, it appears the model has Walscherts valve gear.
Stephenson valve gear is an inside connected valve gear most commonly used on slide valve engines and this engine has piston valves.
I see the union link etc, but I am still confused, because there is normally an eccentric crank, and the eccentric rod, are attached to the main driving wheel, like this…
but in the model photo, the parts that are labeled 1-8 are missing.
Stop referring to a small drawing that is only meant to display the lettering. Go to the BLI site and look for an actual photo of one of the models. If you drill down a couple clicks on the photo you can clearly see the valve gear. Its not Stephenson.
how good is the engine in general?
Do you really have the money to buy one or is this another of your questions about something just to be asking ?
I don’t own a BLI Paragon 2 Light 2-8-2 Mikado but I do have two of their original Paragon Mikados with QSI sound and they are excellent runners. The new Paragon 2 diesel switchers and GEVO models are also excellent.
BLI makes good steamers in general. You would be pleased. How’s that saving the railway station project coming along?
I have seen them run and they pull real good and they went in and out of a number six turn out with no hasal.
The sound on them is great, they have two downward facing speakers in the tender and do not have poor motor contral like the bluelines did.
But that is alot of money for a nice engine.
I see that BLI is doing the old two step on the latest release of the Light mikes, first March then April now May. i preordered one from traintrack here in Florida and am not holding my breath. If i don’t get it by the end of June. i’m backing out.
That’s not been the case for my Blueline 4-8-4 Niagara. I have it outfitted with a Lenz Silver MP motor decoder and crawls as well as - if not better than - any of my yard switchers. I like the separate decoders much better than the older QSI Q1 and Q1a decoders.
Tom
I have both the Blueline version of the heavy Mikado and the Powerhouse with QSI sound versions.
They’re two of my favorite locos. They pull well, rerail easily should you need to, sound great.
I’d like to get s few more, but the pre-ordering thing is continuing to “bite my butt” and I’ve been holding off.
Plus they’re aren’t putting out the GN glacier green version this time which would be my lst choice for my layout.
My friend has the light Mikado version and likes his as well.
The older Powerhouse version’s QSI sound decoder is not NMRA compliant and it’s excessive inrush current can cause problems that may have to be addressed via a separate programming booster chip/box and or/ wiring jumpers on PSX circuit board circuit breakers to handle the inrush.