As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been awaiting my first BLI and sound locomotive to arrive in the mail - a 2-8-2 “Light” Mikado - of which it did this past Saturday. Over the past three evenings, I’ve had a chance to evaluate my purchase in order to share my observations on the forum.
I first opened the box Saturday evening and looked to see what was supplied: a locomotive, a tender, and an extra driver with traction tire. “Hmm”, I said to myself, “Seems like everything’s here.” “Hey! Look at that! A separate screwdriver and nutdriver! Cool!” [tup] After that I unwrapped the locomotive and the tender and placed them on my work table. I then broke one of the sacred etiquettes of manhood and…looked through the owner’s manual! (Oh, the shame!) []
After browsing through the owner’s manual, I proceeded to plug the tender into the back of the cab, placed the 2-8-2 onto my mainline, and lubricated the piston rods, drive rods and anything else that moved back and forth with some Labelle #108, as the manual recommended. Lastly, I attached the drawbar of the tender to the stem underneath the cab. I then fired up my Bachmann E-Z Command…and my new BLI 2-8-2 with sound decoder…CAME TO LIFE! ooooOOOoooo. One quick flick of the throttle and…awaaaaay she went down the track. [:)]
Since I had looked at the manual, I learned that the F8 button muted the sound. So I ran the 2-8-2 quiet around the track for a while. Because of that, I was able to detect a persistent “squeak” emanating from either the drive wheels or the tender – mostly when the 2-8-2 was going around a curved section of track. Once the Mike got to a straight section, the squeaking essentially disappeared. I lubricated the piston and drive rods again, as well as reduce the tension on both truck tension spring screws of the tender. (Someone on the forum also suggested using graphite on the pickups.)
Nice review. I think you will find your data is pretty consistent across the BLI line of engines. I have some that squeak a bit too, that’s ok. It gives them character.
Nice review, and my experience has been very similar. This 2-8-2 is my first sound equipped engine, and I use it without any digital equipment, I have to use a polarity -inverter switch to sound the whistle. (Yes; it works!)
Similarly mine too takes quite a lot of voltage before the engine start moving, and when slowing down there are often periods without sound.
But for the 150$ I paid it is really worth the experience!
Your review is very good and reflects my experience with this engine. I have most of the steamers from BLI and the USRA light mike is a very good engine.
Your followng comment about the comparison is one of my thoughts also. The Soundtraxx has many more features including the option of selecting different whistles, but I really liked the light mike whistle. BLI has done a good job on the sound for most of their engines and they are entertaining. The recent sale that was offered for the light mike is the time I purchased my engine and it was really low priced.
The sound cutting in and out after the stop has been reported by more than one person on the BLI engines in general. I do not have that problem with my Zephyr thottle, but that is on a test track and it might not be the same on a layout. .
The doppler effect, function F6, is only if you are above a certain speed and does not work at slow speeds. I believe it is about thirty or forty scale miles per hour before the F6 functions.
I too have this locomotive and generaly agree with your review. My only negative impression is the missing glass in the cab windows which even the Bachmann Spectrum locos have.
Agreed, Tom. You clearly enjoyed both your initial experience with sound and relaying your impressions to us. Well done, me friend.
For the record, my Hudson also seems to do a quick reset on the sound when it comes to a stop. Must be endemic to QSI. I don’t mind…I still get to hear the pumps go banb-bang (oh, oh, ooohhh).
Have you tried to run it through any tight curves, particularly the claimed minimums? I found that the 4-6-4 would not always agree to traverse an 18"er, the stated min for the Hudson. However, once I decided to place 22"ers on the layout, I have never looked back.
One last question (hee, hee [:-,] ): when are you going to weather it?
Thanks everyone for your input! It’s nice to know that I’m not totally off-base on my assessment.
Bob, about the missing glass. I would think that could easily be remedied with a small piece of mylar or microscope glass. I encourage you to send that suggestion into BLI. Seem like that would be a small fix for them.
Tom,
Very nice review. The Light Mike is now on the “to do/buy” list.
I got a very nice price from Standard Hobby Supply on a Pennsy M1b-they were having a clearout sale. I guess they committed to too many M1 units. Love the look of the transcontinental tender with doghouse. The M1b is excellent and tracks through some of my slow order trackwork with no problem. Trying to figure out how to get the banshee whistle to come on via command. Seems to be a random event on analog. Get normal whistle for X number of times and then banshee signs on. Unfortunately X seems to be a variable. Banshee whistle would be so neat running through a rock cut.
I purchased a first production Hudson, GG-1 and the previously mentioned E7 on eBay. Phenomenal prices compared to MSRP. Buyer has to dial into the vendors favorable percentage to overcome any qualms. Can’t figure some of the crazy bidders on eBay; they bid over what you can buy a loco via Mail Order. They do this on still available models!
Your experience with Athearn’s 2-8-2 is seconded by me. Little Swiss watch but don’t expect to peel the wallpaper off the wall with it! Also re Athearn-my less than perfect trackwork needs electrical pickup in tender to avoid stalls. Can’t understand why Spectrum guys engineer it in and Athearn didn’t. Notice the new sound 0-8-0 from Walters/Proto now has this kind of pickup.
Wish you many miles of good running with your 2-8-2.
Jon
Thanks, Jon. I think you’ll be happy with BLI Light Mike - whenever you do get around to purchasing one.
Funny you should mention the overbidding on ebay. I originally bid on another BLI MIke a week and a half ago and set my limit. After a couple of days, someone out bid me but I decided not to counterbid and stick to my original maximum limit.
Well, after talkng to one of the forum members, Dave Kelly, inquiry of him about his 2-8-2 Mike, he e-mailed me a link to a Buy it Now! or “Best offer”. Turns out that the seller had over 1200 sales and a 100% satisfaction rating. So, I made the guy an offer for about $40 under his asking price and… he took the bid! [:)] [tup] I did keep my eye on the other auction. And the fella who out bid me on the other 2-8-2 ended up paying about $25 more for his than I did on mine. Pays to stick to your guns, huh?
I do have my eye on that new re-release of the Proto 2000 0-8-0. She’s a pretty little thing. I also have a Stewart EMD NYC “Cat Whisker” FT A-B diesel on order with Empire Northern. It’s a special edition only available through Empire Northern. As soon as Tim gets enough pre-orders for the FTs, he’ll place the order into Stewart. That should also be a sweet one, since I’ll have a Soundtraxx DSX decoder and speaker in the B unit.
Tom,
Well, another “many miles running” with your Stewart FT’s.They are so sweet running. Back before the sound revolution I put a premium on silent running.The Stewarts are right up there with Atlas, Kato and Athearn Genesis F units as stealth engines. Obviously the A F units have more detail but the Stewart are more easily digested by one’s RR budget.
I’ve tried the best offer route just once. I think I insulted the guy with my offer and he relisted after declining my offer. Hey one never knows until one tries.
Recent eBay(today) was bid on Spectrum 2-6-6-2 which was successful. Compromised a bit on most desired road name but second choice is weathered.
Based upon forum comments looking forward running drags behind the little articulated.
Tim BLI don’t do N scale but Precision craft models do, they have an ad in MR Tom nice review, work on the Doppler effect, it’s fantastic when you crack it, it’s easy on DC control not sure how you do it on DCC, BTW the diesels are great sounding loco’s as well
Is THAT what that banging is in idle? I was hoping I’d find out what it was.
All of the curves on my mainline are 22"R - except for a short, 3-piece section of 18"R where the 22"R curves serve as the easements into and out of that curve. I’ve had no problems running the 2-8-2 through any of them. It was impressive to watch the BLI Mike pull up to 26 cars through those opposing curves. (Those curves create quite a bit of resistance or drag on a locomotive.) If the 2-8-2 can pull 23 cars up a 2.5% grade, as SWDave claims, that’s terrific. I think my Athearn Mike would only be able to pull a handful - at best - up that steep a grade.
I will if you will, Crandell. Uhhh…You go first! [:-^] Seriously, it will probably be a while before I get the nerve to weather one of my locomotives. (If I did, the Athearn Mike would be the first.) A boxcar is one thing; a locomotive is entirely a different matter. I can always claim that the train baron is fastidious about clean locomotives. Works for me…[^]
I’ve got a Stewart Baldwin VO-660 switcher and it’s a VERY nice locomoitve. You’re rigtht. Stewarts are smooth runners and quiet, as well as powerful. True, they may not have as nice a detailing as an Athearn or Proto 2000, but they aren’t shabby either. The detaing kits do add quite a bit to their spartan appearance.
thanks guys!!! are precision craft models nice locos. also i will be running Dc with i MRC sound box are the more expensive trains like precision craft worh it with reguler DC??? Tim
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