My pre-order for two Proto 2000 Heritage 2-10-2’s with sound arrived this past week. All I can say is WOW!!! They are fine! Like my Trix Mikes, they begin crawling at a snail’s pace with the throttle set at “1”. Likewise in reverse! The detailing is equal to or better than my Sunset brass USRA models, and the performance is unbelievable.
If any Walthers reps are reading this, I would love to see a Heritage Light Pacific come down the pike next. The only decent ones in plastic have been Pennsy prototypes. We desperately need a nice generic USRA 4-6-2 design of equal quality to the other P2K steam - each of which I proudly own.
Both 2-10-2’s have received MA&G decals (I ordered the unlettered versions) and will be featured on my upcoming Allen Keller DVD which is being filmed February 24-26. It will be available in May 2007.
If you are interested in a great running, great looking and great sounding 2-10-2, I highly recommend the Heritage model!!! [tup][tup]
I’ve got a Heritage 0-6-0, and I’d have to agree on the rave reviews of these new P2K’s. Great detail, runs well and the sound is, well, you owe it to yourself to go listen to one at your LHS if you get the chance.
And I’d second the idea of a Pacific in this series. For space reasons, I’ve got 18-inch curves and running the currently-popular Challengers, Decapods and Big Boys just isn’t in the picture for me, but a Pacific would certainly get my interest.
I became aware recently while browsing the BLI website of their upcoming Pacific. I was glad to hear they were coming out with one. However, in my own personal experience, I have found the BLI steamers to be lacking in terms of detail and, more importantly, performance. I have two BLI Mikes which can’t hold a candle to the Trix models yet are around the same price. I also own two N&W 2-6-6-4’s which are pure junk. They sound great, but each has serious mechanical issues which prevent them from even running reliably on a clean straight section of track.
A friend of mine has brought over a BLI Santa Fe 2-10-2 and 2-10-4 which were nice and ran well. Unfortunately, I don’t model Santa Fe.
Coincidently, I own numerous diesels from BLI which run flawlessly. I have over 10 and each one is a gem. I can’t figure why they can’t maintain that quality with the steam.
As for me, I think I’ll be sticking with the P2K stuff. I have yet to purchase a Heritage lemon, and I have three 0-8-0s, two 0-6-0s, a Berk, and now two 2-10-2’s…all factory sound equipped.
[i] A friend of mine has brought over a BLI Santa Fe 2-10-2 and 2-10-4 which were nice and ran well. Unfortunately, I don’t model Santa Fe.
Coincidently, I own numerous diesels from BLI which run flawlessly. I have over 10 and each one is a gem. I can’t figure why they can’t maintain that quality with the steam.
As for me, I think I’ll be sticking with the P2K stuff. I have yet to purchase a Heritage lemon, and I have three 0-8-0s, two 0-6-0s, a Berk, and now two 2-10-2’s…all factory sound equipped.
I will most likely pass on any more BLI steamers.
Thanks for the update, though!![/i]
The only BLI loco I have is Santa Fe #3751 and it’s a superb runner. I can’t speak for any other BLI loco, either steam or diesel other than to mention an acquaintance brought over and SW-7 to the club and it seemed to be a very good runner.
I assume your 2-10-2 is equipped with Southern valve gear. I wish both Bachmann and P2K would equip a version of their respective 2-10-2’s with Walschaert gear. At least the Spectrum 2-10-2 does come with Baker if you opt for the Seaboard version.
My primary interest is in Southern Pacific and there’s precious little available right now although both PCM and Intermountain are bringing out an AC-12 cab forward and BLI has the AC-4/5. PCM is also bringing out a GS-4. OTOH, I’ve heard so many good things about the Tsunami decoder that I may buy the “stealth” versions and install Tsunami’s myself.
How does it pull? The main argument I’ve had with P2K steam is that the pulling capacity is pretty sad. I’ve had a P2K 0-8-0 and a 2-8-8-2, and though they are quiet and smooth-running, both of them are VERY disappointing in the pulling department.
Is your 2-10-2 a heavy puller? Remember, the prototype was used as a heavy drag freight locomotive.
Well, I don’t personally own a P2K steam engine, but I have heard good things. But, I do find it a bit odd to hear someone say a BLI engine is lacking in detail and performance. From my experience, and from what I own, BLI steam is very well detailed and very good runners.
Perhaps Proto 2000s are even better?? BLI and Proto seem to be fairly comparable…
The 2-10-2 comes with an optional traction tire driver, which I have not installed yet. Without it, the loco has been pulling 20 cars with no slippage whatsoever (this is with no grade). I plan on using the engine for drag freights as you mentioned like a unit coal and unit grain train. With the traction tire, I would suspect the engine could easily handle at least 25 cars in my helix.
I had results similar to those you mention with my P2K Berkshire (which I plan on using with my fast freight reefer train) before adding a similar optional traction driver. After installing it, however, I am pleased with its pulling power as well.
As to the detail of BLI steam, insofar as the USRA Mikado’s are concerned, there was too much molded on detail for my taste. I like to see much more in the way of separate hand-applied details, which the P2K’s definitely have. After weathering, they can easily be mistaken for my PFM and Sunset brass models. In fact, I wish I had used the money I spent on my 12 brass engines for more Heritage models. They look as good (maybe even better - I love the chains on the tender trucks), come sound and DCC equipped, run better and don’t require total disassembly to paint.
Now I just need to hear that P2K Pacific’s are on the way!!
Glad to hear that the P2K is a decent puller. I just heard from a friend of mine who bought one that putting the traction tire on more than triples the number of cars it will haul, so you should be in good stead for long, slow drag freights.
As for the BLI’s, the 2-8-2’s are part of their “Powerhouse” series, and don’t have the detail of their more expensive “Paragon” line. I’ve got one, and agree with you, the detail isn’t up to P2K by a long shot. However, I plan on getting some Cal-Scale castings and detailing it in the near future.
Is the BLI 2-6-6-4 an early run? They came out with ‘sintered’ drivers originally, instead of nickle-plate, and had some pickup problems. I turned mine over and applied a Brite Boy to the driver treads, polished them all up and it runs like a champ, now. But it’s still testy if I haven’t cleaned the track in a while. The newer run is supposed to have nickle-silver tires, so the pickup should be a lot better.
I have a BLI SF 4-8-4 and was initailly very happy with it but it has developed a problem which I so far havent been able to resolve (see my other forum posting)
On the other hand I also have a P2K 2-8-8-2 which is superb. It will comfortably pull 16 X 40ft hoppers plus caboose up a 2% garde around 30" raduis curves, is beautiflully detailed and a quite runner.
I also have 2x P2k E8s that are reliable and great pullers. I purchased two to pull a 10 car Athearn S/lined passenger car set and one will easily do the job.
Sometimes it just depends on the specific model you end up with
Philip, as I said elsewhere, after I rectified my trailing truck issue on my NYC 4-8-4, the decoder packed it in. I sent it away, and got a new decoder installed, no questions asked. They even replaced the speaker that I felt was a bit tinny and buzzy when it played some sounds.
Would any of you who have received this engine please measure the driver diameter in HO scale inches for me?
I purchased two of the IHC light 2-10-2’s for the purpose of kitbashing the NHRR L-1 heavy 2-10-2s but the drivers are only a scale 60 inches instead of the prototype’s 63 inches (5’3") and just don’t look right on that huge engine. I will probably try to make NHRR J-1 2-8-2 Mikados out of them.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think you’ll find a RTR plastic 2-10-2 with the correct 63" drivers. Even the new BLI ATSF Santa Fe’s have smaller than prototype drivers, in order to allow the loco to negotiate 22" radius. I have several brass 2-10-2’s with the correct size drivers, and let me tell you, they take a much wider radius (almost 30" in several cases), because of closer scale tolerances. Ten-coupled steam locos with correct drivers need a LOT more room than most other locos.
My BLI Santa Fe looks a little strange with 60" drivers, but it’s something I have to put up with, because the rest of the loco looks (and sounds) so good, LOL!
I don’t believe that anyone could spot the difference unless the two wheels were stacked one on top of the other. 3" scaled to HO is only 1/32" (0.03444" to be more exact).