Brakie,
I’m with you. I didn’t remember seeing it mentioned either…
Tom
If you changed the title of this thread to “PAragon” instead of “Blueline”
Then I will have to re-edit and erase all of my posting here in this thread.
Well, I’m trying to make it less confusing for others out there if at all possible, so thats why I changed the topic from Blueline to Paragon. Maybe I should change it back so this thread makes sense, or just bomb the whole thing[;)]
No. Dont bomb it.
It’s fine the way it is… let’s not confuse the problem any more than we have to.
Heck, Bergie needs to stay with us and if HE gets confused HE can bomb it LOL.
Cheers!
Dont forget to follow up on the hand rail set with BLI!
Reading this article, it looks to me like the Blue Line series is the SAME as the Paragon series I bought. The only difference being BLI dropping the QSI sound decoder and replaced it with an in house design, and also lost the DCC decoder.
The MSRP is better, but I kind of wonder about the quality? Also looking at the motor, it looks the same as mine.
Looks like the same loco, just shipped in a different box.
Quality? Well… I suppose the engines are not physically different than ones without sound or DCC. However I fear with the load on the sound unit, there is less “Draw” or “Swing room” availible to the DC motor voltage to spin the wheels and move the whole parade down the track.
To me that translates to less control of low speed operations, probably less voltage availible for pulling grades with heavy trains. Not much but a little bit.
Again I went to DCC because one of the things I like about it is getting the new QSI engines to move forward at one click of the throttle… none of that analog throttle twisting back and forth and 8 volt- Jerk that slams the slack out of the train and breaks the crappy wanna be plastic couplers.
If I put a Blue Line M1a against my QSI upgraded M1a with the same train on the same grade I would probably learn once and for all if there is any loss in pulling power. Performance and low speed precision as well as ability to MU with other units is number one consideration in all of my engines, looks are secondary.
Driline,
Mistakes happen with all of us. Just a suggestion, if you don’t mind. Eliminate the name “Blue Line” from the title of this thread altogether and substitute it with “Paragon”, as the current title may still cause some confusion. [;)]
I was going to but Saftey Valve said NO. So I’ll leave it with a question mark.
Does the strikethrough feature work in the Subject box? (See “ABC” in Tool bar.) That’s how I make corrections/updates in reviews that I’ve posted on the forum so that folks know what info was originally posted and what info was corrected and/or updated.
Hmmm. It doesn’t appear that strikethrough will work in the Subject box…
Tom
Safety Valve…Don’t dismiss the Blue Line SD40-2 so easily as less quality because it has sound but,no DCC…A VERY SMART move on BLI’s part.The BL SD40-2 com
I think the title needs to be changed to reflect that the review is not Blueline, that it is in fact not a new loco. We all know some don’t read very far into a thread , especially a long one like this. This review is a great disservice to the Blueline. I have one and am very happy. The detail including handrails are as good as RTR Athearn.
Larry, I agree, I think the BlueLine concept is an excellent idea. What better way to access the entire MRR market than to make a loco with sound that runs on DC and for $20 can be converted to full DCC. I think this is an excellent innovation by BLI. There is no doubt that BLI has had some quality and consistency issues since they came out, but they have had a dramatic impact on the hobby and added a lot of excitement. This Blue-line idea is a very nice innovation IMO. I just wish that they would now announce something that I actually want!
For our OP, BLI makes four series of locomotives. Their platinum line currently has only the one loco, the PRR K4s in metal. Paragon is their vast and popular line that most of us can afford here and there…now and then. They also have their Powerhouse series that is less featured (?( but still have quantum sound.
The fourth line, is their Stealth line that is simply DC locomotives…no sound. Now, just in, are the Blueline locomotives that are strictly DC…not DCC capable at all.
I hate to say it, but you definitely were the victim of your own lack of knowledge, perhaps that of the seller, both, or the seller really did one over on you. There is no way I would accept a locomotive that does not match a photo that shows (that) one in better condition.
Crandell, to be clear the BlueLine are DCC ready. They have a DCC socket so that the owner can put a DCC decoder of their choice in the loco.
Crandell,
Simon is correct. Add your PNP decoder and away you go in DCC. I think I read or heard recently that you might have to change a CV setting after you install the decoder for the sound to work properly but that’s about it.
It seems that BLI is trying to move away from QSI with their own proprietary sound system. I like the concept. I hope it works out well for them.
Tom
I understand, fellas. When I said not capable of DCC, that is the way they are received. One must implant a decoder, and it is relatively easy, I am sure. However, they are not meant for use in DCC unless the customer supplies the decoder of choice. Apparently, there is more to it, including the deactivation of the DC sound capability.
I like the idea, and all, it makes a great deal of sense. I just wanted to apprise the OP of the various lines since it was an earlier question of his, and because they change somewhat. What is the Powerhouse series, for example, if they also have Quantum Sound? Then came the Stealth, and the new Blue Line seeeeeeems to be Stealth with analog sound.
DCC 'em if you got 'em.
Yea, the BLI Stealth line kinda snuck right in without even making a noise…[swg]
Tom
Crandell,
Not wanting to split hairs. Perhaps “not capable of DCC” might be better defined and less ambiguous by the term “DC sound equipped/DCC ready”?
Tom
Could be, Tom. It seems that the term “DCC ready” still generates the question from many folks about what it really means, and the fact is that it means what the manufacturers want it to mean. We know, for example, that some P2K locos are not as they are claimed to be, DCC ready; there is more to do than to simply plug in a decoder. But, that is beside the point.
[:)]
If my words confuse, I will happily alter them.
I’ll be glad to sit down and edit half the stuff away if it would help clear the confusion.
But I need to let it be known that I worry about the potential for confusion if someone should experience a sale for a “Cheap” engine not recalling that they may have seen it before in a earlier run.