I am trying to decide whether to go with a WP Broadway F7A-B for 400$ when they come out around March, or WP Intermountain F7 or F3 A-B for 80$ a peice? BLI does have DCC already and Sound, but at least twice the price. Is the BLI F units THAT nice? I don’t know because Ive never owned or ran Intermountain or BLI. What is your opinion, Intermountain, reasonable price, nice, no sound dcc, or BLI, nice, sound, dcc, rediculously expensive? I know it is up to me on the sound and DCC, its not something I need to have, but im wondering with all the recent posts, if BLI quality is lacking. Thanks-Ben
Depends on what type of service you want the units for. The F3’s were used on the Zephyr from the start and the A units were replaced by FP7’s, but the two B units were used for many more years on each set. The F7’s were purchased for freight.
BLI is bringing in the F7 set, but in freight colors. The 900 series were freight units so they certainly are correct if you want them for freight. If the Intermoutain offers sound, that would be a choice to think about. You can always add sound later since the Soundtraxx units have come way down in price.
The Intermountain units will probably be the best running of the two choices for sure, but the real tests will come after the BLI units are available to check out.
Buy all three, or is it four? And that ends the debate.
(That from a guy on a budget. LOL)
James
Bangert1 nailed it.
The WP CZ was pulled by F-3’s and later by a combo of a FP-7A and 2 F-3B’S when I rode it. The F-3’s had their original ‘chicken wire’ grill’s, and Stewart’s F-3’s have those.
Stewart and IM diesel’s should run together, but we have no guarantee’s in future product’s.
Ok, thanks, so lets say I would like a F7A and B for freight service, wich in your opinion would be better, the BLI or the Intermountain? Forget about price, sound, dcc, just go on detail and running quality, pulling power etc. Wich would be a more “quality” loco besides accories such as sound and dcc.
Also, does anyone make an FP7 A and B? Im going to also be running passenger around 1965-70. So FP’s would be correct instead of F3’s? Except for F3B’s.
Since the BLI engines are not out yet, it is impossible to compare! I have run/seen Intermountain units and the current runs are very nice(they have improved the handrails, and the paint jobs on what has been released is good). Also, Intermountain will be releasing the FP7A in the future, so it will be possible to build all variations of the CZ passenger power that ran on the WP.
Jim Bernier