Opinions on BLI Blueline

[BEAUSABRE]

I have a chance to buy a BLI Blueline Alco for less than $100. My understanding is that Blueline models are the same as their standard line in terms of detail, drive, etc, except they don't have a DCC unit factory installed (although installation is supposed to "drop in"). Is this correct? Does anyone have experience with the conversion? Opinons on Blueline in general? Thank you!

[gmpullman]

I've purchased maybe a dozen or more BlueLine BLI engines, mostly when they were being unloaded at places like TrainWorld and Factory Direct Trains. There were some pretty decent price reductions for a while.

I never intended to use the BLI sound motherboard and proceeded to replace the decoders with either ESU or Soundtraxx ones. On two steam locomotives I used TCS WOWSound decoders.

BLI_BLE_RS15dcc by Edmund, on Flickr

The mechanisms and detail levels are fine per the Broadway standard. A few of the F-type EMDs have slightly noisy drive trains but the Alco RSD-15 diesels are good as are the SD7 models. Both the steam engines, a USRA Mike and perhaps an NYC Niagara, if I recall correctly, are still running fine.

IMG_7099 by Edmund, on Flickr

Good Luck, Ed

[richhotrain]

I have a Blueline  F7 ABBA consist. The A-units are powered, but the B-units are dummies. They are nicely detailed and great runners.

Out of the box, the Blueline locos are DC with a sound and lights board. A motor decoder needs to be added to convert to DCC. I installed NCE N14IP motor decoders in the powered A-units.

The one problem with Blueline is consisting. I had so many problems with Advanced Consisting that I gave up and used the same long address for the locos in the consist. 

You can search for "Blueline Consisting" and find some threads on this issue including a thread that I started a few years back. Ignore my emotional outbursts on that thread - - LOL.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/p/202111/2502647.aspx#2502647

Rich

[Trainman440]

Hello! I actually had the same question, and now that Ive purchased a blueline F7 AB set, I can answer it. 

To preface, I think the blueline idea is dumb. Saving you $20-30 for a dcc decoder in exchange for a rather janky and convoluted mess of having TWO decoders in one loco (making programming a PAIN) is something I dislike. I would much rather just pay $20 more and have the loco be DCC sound from the factory, or pay even less and have a DCC ready loco. 

THAT BEING SAID, the sounds themselves are fine. They have a very similar quality to the paragon 2 (and paragon 3 and paragon 4) stuff, being the predacessor to those decoders. (It was the first time BLI used their own sounds as opposed to QSI) Personally, I enjoy paragon 2 sounds, so I find the sounds okay, however in certain areas the decoder definitely shows its age, especially in the way the horn/whistle is controlled(see video).

And just to note, there's only 12 fuctions, which isnt an issue since later BLI decoders with 28 functions just have a ton of (IMO) worthless sound functions which just adds fluff to the function list. The 12 functions capture all the useful ones so youre really not missing out. 

Overall, while I find the premise a bit convoluted, and programming to be a slight pain, the end result is basically 90% a paragon 2 equivalent, and I would recommend these if you can get one for cheap! I find them far superior to the QSI sounds found in paragon locos.

Here are some further thoughts on the EMD F7s in particular (and sound samples), if interested:

hope this helps,

Charles

 

[ricktrains4824]

My one and only complaint on my one and only BlueLine unit, a 2-8-2, is the idiotic poor use of a reed switch as the chuff sensor. That blows out constantly.

She currently sits in her box in my "round to it" pile,  as the Layout room is being remodelled, but will be converted to a different sound decoder once I "get round to it".

EDIT -  But the drive train itself, running character, and detailing are all very well made.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

I  have had my BLI Blue Line E7's about 10 years. I can hardly remember installing the DCC decoders, and so it must have been easy to do . I have been running them trouble free ever since, and have never needed to open up the shell all of that time.