BLI Paragon 3 Steam - To Buy or Not To Buy - That is the Question

[richhotrain]

I am looking at a BLI Paragon 3 steam locomotive, a 4-6-2.

I love BLI steam. I own several Paragon and Paragon 2 steamers.

Never owned a Paragon 3, and I have read mixed reviews.

What say you?  

Buy or avoid?

Rich

[selector]

What is it about the P3's that your 'source' objects to?

[richhotrain]

selector

What is it about the P3's that your 'source' objects to? 

LOL.  My source is this forum. Several threads raising issues about the reliability of the Paragon 3. Mostly decoder performance issues.

Rich

[BATMAN]

Rich,  I have been looking at the CP version and have almost taken the plunge a couple of times, however, the fact they don't look anything like the CP 2300 series keeps me from it. There are some good prices online so I will mull over it a little longer. 

What changes have been made from the paragon to Paragon 2 and Paragon 3 other than decoders, any?

Watching with interest.

[cudaken]

 Rich at this point I only have 1 Pargon 3 and it is a SD 7. Yes there was a decoder problem and it went nuts! I sent the old decoder back to BLI and they sent a improved version thay did not look like the orginal so I guess that is good.

 A good friend sent me the SD 7 and the Rolling Thunder Trassmitter as a gift because he said "It sounds like tennis balls bouncing around in a garbage can". I am a audiophile (spend way to much on stereo gear) and I am using a NHT SA-1 sub amp and its 10" bass speaker and it sounds great! Have no clue to what BLI's would sound like.

 Motor control is strange but great. Slow speed is out standing but CV 6 is set at only 70 I believe. Crank it up, bass sound is not as good?

 Sound is outstanding! Bass speaker makes the horn sound close to real.

 Only Down Side Seems the new decoders need better power contack on tunouts. It is not just my BLI Paragon 3 SD 7 but all so my Walthers Proto 2000 SD 7 with Tsunami sound decoder. It is a old Atalas unpowered turnout. There is no switch motor. Now my QSI, Loksound and Bachmann sound vaule engines have no problems?

 I say buy one and bet you like it! Looking foward to getting a steamer.

 Cuda Ken

[gmpullman]

Just a few random thoughts on BLI, Rich.

Regarding Paragon 3:

Steam sounds. For some reason BLI loaded a set of goofy steam exhaust chuffs into the P3 decoders. They sound like a lame, out of quarter engine. It gets tiresome to listen to. Also for some reason they gave the bell a "lost ding" where there is one more clang about six seconds after you turn the bell off, again, the effect gets old after you hear it more than twice.

I like the motor control and I'm using default settings so there may be improvements by playing with CVs but I haven't messed with any — yet.

My first P3 was a PRR H10 2-8-0. It skipped and stuttered and died repeatedly. I opened it up and found the wire had never been connected to the left frame on the engine. I corrected that with no improvement. 

BLI sent me a replacement decoder. Still no change in the operation. Back to Ormond Beach went the H10 and they sent a replacement engine. All is good.

I believe many of the early, or first-run P3 decoders had some Q-C issues. BLI added the Rolling Thunder transmitter as a piggy-back board on top of the decoder board.

IMG_5183 by Edmund, on Flickr

If the locomotive you are contemplating is a more recent build it will have better chances of not having any bugs.

I've got three of their Pacifics. They all run very nicely and reliably. They have very good pulling ability with, IIRC, one traction tire. The detail on them is good, but not quite to "Hybrid" standards.

B&O_P7 by Edmund, on Flickr

Actually the best running and sounding BLI Pacific I have is a Blueline one I found on ebay. Seller was unloading it cheap since the "sound didn't work". As it turns out the speaker wire had come loose. Still, I had planned to gut the decoder anyway — and I did. I installed one of the early WOWsound steam decoders and the engine is now one of my favorite "daily runners".

What Ken is telling you about the Rolling Thunder has been my experiencs. Um, that may be why I packed it all up and sent it to him  . I'm really glad he is enjoying it.

If you can get a good discount on one*, with the caveat that you might want to change-out the decoder some time in the future, they are a good deal. 

I am selectively replacing many of my BLI Paragon 2 and 3 decoders with Loksounds. Of course, some of these BLI decoders are going on fifteen or more years and the technology is much better in the newer decoders.

Overall, I'm a strong supporter of Broadway Limited and my hat is off to them for providing some excellent models of locomotives and cars that would otherwise never have been produced, the Baldwin Centipede and Sharknose, PRR S1 Turbine, cryogenic tank cars, NYC streamlined Hudsons or the soon-to-arrive PRR P5a.

They handle their Q-C issues well and try to give the best support possible, in my experience, anyway.

*I have made several purchases from the "refurb outlet" with good results. (There's a GTW Light Pacific there now)

https://www.broadway-limited.com/hoscale.aspx

 

I hope that helps,

Regards, Ed

 

[richhotrain]

Thanks, Ed, those comments do help. 

Rich

[Medina1128]

I have their ATSF #3751 and I love it. Its slow startup is great. I have an older one with a Quantum decoder and there's a light year's difference. I only run DC and like that, I can change settings with my DCMaster!

[Trainman440]

I ABSOLUTLY HATE THE P3 CHUFF SOUNDS!!!

When you run it a tad faster than normal, the chuffs begin to sound like there's 3 per chuff. I have the L1s, and the other engines have a similar chuff sound from what I see on Youtube. 

Anyone else have my problem?

Charles

[gmpullman]

Trainman440

Anyone else have my problem?

Did you read my reply above?

Happy Railroading, Ed

[Trainman440]

gmpullman

 

Did you read my reply above?

Happy Railroading, Ed

ooooooh, guess I wasen't first

Charles