BLI AC6000 trouble

[rbrown]

Hey Guys,

              I recently purchased 3 BLI AC6000's with paragon 3. I was surprised to find them perfectly speedmatched out of the box. So i put them in consist. After a few inches the "B" unit started rail grinding and reving. Oh, i forgot to turn off back emf. Turned it off on all 3 units. Gave it 1 speedstep. Locos took off at say 20mph scale. Huh, went and checked CV2=2. Droped it to 1, CV65 (kickstart) was 040, droped to 010. Now they Kinds slowly accelerate to maybe 15-20 mph scale. Called BLI, Melanie at the call center said it was a little beyond her. Suggested the email tech support guy. Emailed him. The next day why do i want to run without any momentum (back emf). Do a reset and they should all run at a scale 1.5 to 2 mph. So i did, and they did. Put back in consist, couple of inches "B" unit is grinding away. Explained that to him. Next day, if "B" unit is grindimg then use speed steps 2,5, and 6 and speedmatch locos. Explained to him that i understood that process, and with locos 2-3 inches apart, they follow each other around the track through the speedsteps flawlessly. Well they will gain or lose an inch on each other in 20 feet. Close enough, i would think. But hook up the couplers, and they go nuts, or turn off emf, and they run beautifully together but try to yank the couplers off the cars at speed step one. Asked him if he could call me. This was taking days. Still am nowhere. Havnt herad from anybody. Can someone help?

[mbinsewi]

I know nothing about BLI, but there are a lot of guys in here that have them.  Maybe this "bump" in your thread will get some attention.

With your typing, you could slow down a bit, and seperate your one long paragraph into sentences, so one could follow along easier, and understand what your saying.

I know less about BLI's support staff, as I know about there products, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a call back.

Have you been mixing them up? trying different locos in different positions in your consist?

Mike.

[Water Level Route]

Good luck.  This sounds like a decoder issue to me.  I've had separate issues with BLI decoders not working how they are supposed to, to which their response was "sorry".  In my case it was a software issue on the Paragon 2's that they promised they would fix on Paragon 3 decoders before they released them.  Wouldn't do anything to help me with my Paragon 2 locomotives.  BLI makes nice locos, but crummy decoders.  Wish they would start offering them again simply DCC ready.

[railandsail]

Water Level Route

....  BLI makes nice locos, but crummy decoders.  Wish they would start offering them again simply DCC ready.

 

That's discouraging to hear. I have a number of their locos I hope to run on my new layout.

[Water Level Route]

railandsail

I have a number of their locos I hope to run on my new layout.

You may not have any problems with them.  Calling them crummy may be seen by some as a bit harsh and in fairness, it probably is.  I have four P2 BLI steamers with their factory decoders that I run regularly.  They will receive replacement decoders some day, but not soon unless there is a major meltdown.  It's not hard to find examples where modelers have pulled a functioning BLI decoder to replace it with another brand.  Issues I've heard of or experienced with their decoders include: not retaining non-factory momentum settings, consisting issues, engine sound volume temporarily dropping while the whistle or horn plays, and even one where the engine operated perfectly on address 3 but lost it's mind when it was reprogrammed to the engine number painted on the side.  As for the locomotives themselves, they have very good detail and are very smooth runners.  My favorite locomotive on my roster is a BLI Niagara, BUT it has a TCS Wow decoder in it.

[rbrown]

I appreciate that. BLI responded, i sent the locos to the sevice dept. They told me they tweaked a few CV's and they worked fine in consist. I got them back the other day. Ecxited i put them on the track. Hit speed step one. Inside of 2-3 seconds, middle unit started spinning its wheeles. With the sound off you can hear the motot growling.  I switched their lineup several times, same. At higher speeds they will fight each other so hard you can hear the railgrinding from 20 feet away. Then they started parting couplers. Tried running 2 units at a time in every combination. Same. They all do it as much as the other two. Theyre just gonna tear themselves up. And wear my track. They will probably do the same thing consisted with any other brand. So, i give up. Sending them back. Thanks for getting my post some attention.

[rrinker]

 Probbaly only one of the locos has an issue. Did you run the consisted byut not coupled together to see which one was doing what, was it one trying to go faster than the others, or one tryong to go slower than the others? Despite them being all the same brand, they may not have perfectly identical run characteristics, and especially not when brand new out of th ebox - they are mechanical devices and need some break in time. Quite possibly one is either not lubricated (originally they didin;t ship them greased up - and there was a note in the instructions to that effect. Better to keep grease oozing all over the nice new loco finish), or one is over lubricated - forcing too much grease in the gears is just as bad as no grease, the excess grease will cause binding. Besides eventually oozing all oover the track and bottom of the loco.

 How are you consisting them? WHich DCC system are you using? 

 They shouldn;t fight each other with BEMF oon. I have never turned BEMF off to couple multiple locos together, with various decoders, and they never have issues. Even mixed consists - my standard lashup to run at club shows in a apir of P2K GP7's with TCS motor only decoders (with BEMF) sandwiching an Atlas Trainmaster with QSI and sound (and BEMF). The three run together pulling a train with no issues at all. I never even speed matched them.

                                       --Randy