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BLI Blue Line T1 won't move

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BLI Blue Line T1 won't move
Posted by All things Ohio on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 4:55 PM

I have two BLI Blue Line C&O T1s that will not move. Everything else appears to work as advertised.

Has anyone else experienced this problem from a BLI loco? 

C&O H8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6 - Even the Big Boy had to call Big Al "DADDY" Heaviest engine ever produced Most horsepower of any steam engine Most tractive effort and weight per driver Largest fire box
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Posted by Graffen on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 5:35 PM

If they are being run on a DCC layout, do you have decoders mounted? Otherwise there will only be sound, as the sounddecoders in the blueline is only sound, no motion.

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Posted by All things Ohio on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 6:22 PM

I put a Digitrax DN143IP decoder in one but that didn't seem to do the trick.

 

I have a feeling that the contact between the decoder and the plug in the tender is poor. My multimeter is on the fritz so i hit another wall there...

C&O H8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6 - Even the Big Boy had to call Big Al "DADDY" Heaviest engine ever produced Most horsepower of any steam engine Most tractive effort and weight per driver Largest fire box
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Posted by Hamltnblue on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 9:06 PM

try running with address 3.

There is a trick to programming BLI Blueline Loco's since you have 2 decoders.  The BLI forums on their website has the info.

 

Springfield PA

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Posted by locoi1sa on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 9:36 PM

Check the plug to the loco. It may seem like it is plugged in securely but is not. That is the most common problem. If you can program on the main do it. Make sure all your other locos are off the layout. Depending on your control system  it is best to program both decoders together on the main line. Some control systems will not let you program an address on the main but most will. If it will not set the address then you will have to set CV17 and 18 along with CV29 manually.

       Pete

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Posted by All things Ohio on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 8:08 PM

All - thanks for the responses

I will have to try main line programming as my next option. Thus far, no success on the programming track... even with the power pax connected.

I did notice that the Digitrax decoder pins are very thin... thinner than those of the plug riser pins. Maybe there is a connection issue there as well. I'm looking for a riser block that is identical to the block on the plug to test that theory.

Of course my JMRI stopped working the day I decided to program those two locos... so much for an easy decoder installation.

C&O H8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6 - Even the Big Boy had to call Big Al "DADDY" Heaviest engine ever produced Most horsepower of any steam engine Most tractive effort and weight per driver Largest fire box
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Posted by Flashwave on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 9:59 PM

Look in the Blueline's styrafoam insert,t ehre should be a black extender plug, try that for you test-fit.

I will also tell you, that the 143 I put in my blueline Light Mike fried. Did the exact same thing you describe. Sound, no go. Even accelarates the chuff as the throttle turns. But it don't move.

 

-Morgan

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Posted by cacole on Thursday, September 9, 2010 6:08 AM

I don't know if your models are the ones, but I seem to recall that some Blue Line locomotives were miswired and instantly fry decoders --

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Posted by All things Ohio on Saturday, September 11, 2010 7:01 PM

a-ha

I will look into that solution when i get home!

C&O H8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6 - Even the Big Boy had to call Big Al "DADDY" Heaviest engine ever produced Most horsepower of any steam engine Most tractive effort and weight per driver Largest fire box
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Posted by peterjenkinson1956 on Sunday, September 12, 2010 3:09 AM

i have programmed over 29 blue line locos      i found the following way of getting the locos to run allmost foolproof    never had a problem

 

first    programme the loco sound decoder to the loco number   do not fit a drive decoder yet

then fit a decoder to another loco  (  i use a proto loco )  set this decoder to the same number as the broadway loco

third    remove the drive decoder from the second loco and fit into the broadway loco

this allows the loco to run and produce sound with the same number and because the decoders are programmed seperatly you can programme on the programme track and fault finding is sooooo easy

 

hope this helps    peter

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Posted by Flashwave on Sunday, September 12, 2010 11:49 AM

I''ve seen good things at my club by just fitting Blueline w/ the decoder and Programming in Ops mode both decoders at the same time. However, one must make sure that the track is isolated or you program the BLI and it's motor control, as well as the ENTIRE rest of the layout to that number... The issue here I suspect is the decoder itself.

-Morgan

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Posted by All things Ohio on Sunday, September 12, 2010 7:56 PM

I am back in business!

 

THANKS!

 

C&O H8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6 - Even the Big Boy had to call Big Al "DADDY" Heaviest engine ever produced Most horsepower of any steam engine Most tractive effort and weight per driver Largest fire box
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Posted by Hamltnblue on Sunday, September 12, 2010 9:12 PM

That's good to hear.

What was the problem?

Springfield PA

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