Broadway Limited ?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any experience with Broadway Limited locomotives ? I am seriously considering one of their engines because the new ones are already DCC equipped and sound equipped. Any experiences with BL steam engines ?

[AggroJones]

Right here. I own their NYC J1e and SP AC-5. Both, when controlled by my Tech II have malfunctions every now and then. All BLI locomotives are pretty hefty, have a robust motor with 1 or 2 flywheels, and sufficient pick-up. Detailing is like low-end brass. Dissasembly of some engines is a challenge. Altogether, very decent locomotives.

What are you going for? SF #3751?

[Anonymous]

BY what Aggro said, it sounds like they're pretty much Proto 2000 engines with sound.
By that I'm talking about the detail, not operation or mechanical features. I would like to have a BLI Mikado, if they make those in Wabash.

[MudHen_462]

I have the BLI 2-8-2 Mikado, and the E-7A locomotives (both in Great Northern "flavor") and they both are great units. The sound and operation of both is really great ! The only problem I had was with some minor light leakage around the ends of the number boards on the E-7A. I e-mailed BLI, they promply contacted me with a "fix" for the problem, and have since called and said that they have reported this problem to the model manufacturer of their E-7, and this should not be a problem in the future.

I am now awaiting delivery of my third BLI loco ( the EMD NW-2 switcher). I am sold on their quality and service..... hope this helps.

IronGoat

[Anonymous]

How much can the Mike pull? I'd like to buy 2 of these, one Wabash, one Burlington eventually and detail them enough so you can't tell they're the exact same engine save for the road. My origanal plan was to get a P2K steam switcher, but these engines are less expensive with sound, and would still easily take my upcoming starter layout's curves and #4 or 5 turn-outs. I think BLI's Powerhouse Classics series doesn't offer as much detail as the other locomotives, but as I've stated I'll detail 'em anyway.

Look for me to become another BLI product owner if the coming months.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cjm89

..... BLI Mikado, if they make those in Wabash.

USRA Heavy 2-8-2, BLI cat# 242; Wabash road # 2730 and cat# 243; Wabash road number # 2735

due May '04.

[orsonroy]

Chris,

BLI is also coming out with the USRA light Mike this year, which would match their K-2 class 2200-series Mikes:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/wab/wab-s2215.jpg.

Champ still has Wabash decals in stock, so it'll be a simple thing to letter an undec:

http://minot.com/~champ/w-ho.htm#WAB

Broadway Limited engines are great. I own two of their heavy mikes, and have five of the lights and one of the SW-7s on preorder. They run extremely well, pull decently for plastic engines, and are nicely detailed (since I'm a proto modeler, I eventually superdetail every engine I get, so what's on them isn't too important to me, so long as it's easy to move/remove!). I feel their sound system is better than Soundtraxx, and it's DEFINITELY cheaper than Soundtraxx!

[Anonymous]

And the Burlington had Heavy Mikes, but with oil tenders so I would need to change that.
And What are the small tanks above the smoke boxes, right in front of the smoke stack on BLI's heavy Mikado?

BTW Ray, the Fallen Flags link isn't right, there was an error on it whan you click on it.

[Anonymous]

It's and Elseco Feed Water Heater
Ch

[Anonymous]

Huh! I always thought those were between the tender and cab. So much for my steamer knowledge. I'll need to change that to, the Q used mostly Worthingtons.

QUOTE: Posted by psngrtrn: It's an Elesco Feedwater Heater.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all for the info. I am looking at the Mikado 2-8-2 myself. Again, thanks for all the advice and help.

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cjm89

And the Burlington had Heavy Mikes, but with oil tenders so I would need to change that.
And What are the small tanks above the smoke boxes, right in front of the smoke stack on BLI's heavy Mikado?

Technically, the C&S had the USRA heavies, but they did occasionally make it to the East side of the Mississippi.

As for the small tank in front of the stack on the BLI model, it's NOT an Elesco feedwater tank, it's a generator:

http://www.broadway-limited.com/products/images/usraheavy/usra11.jpg

For some reason, that's where the USRA put the generator on the new engines. Most roads moved them to near the cab, which is where they "belonged".

The Q used both Elesco feedwater heaters AND Worthington BL heaters:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cbq/cbq-s5601o.jpg

This shows an O-5 4-8-4 with the Elesco heater. The big round sausage in front of the stack is how you tell it's an Elesco system; it's the water superheater. The thing that looks like an air pump hanging over the last driver is actually the water pump for the feedwater system (the air pumps are on the other side, to equalize weight).

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cbq/cbq-s5614s.jpg

This O-5 has a Worthington feedwater system. Most of the mechanicals are internal on this model, so the only spotting feature is the rectangular box in front of the stack. This was a more "modern" feedwater system than the Elesco.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cbq/cbq-s4960.jpg

This is a Q Mike with a Worthington BL feedwater system. The entire unit is the big air pump-looking thing behind the last driver. And just to confuse you as to railroad logic, here's a sister engine with an Elesco system:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cbq/cbq-s4978ajs.jpg

(BTW, this engine's in Mendota, which is pretty close to where you live Chris. You might want to try to get out there to take pictures and hang out in the cab!)

[Anonymous]

I've been thru Mendota before, if only I knew a CB&Q class 0-1A Mike was there...

Also, the one 0-5 in the fallenflags picture has an oil tender also, I didn't know the Q had those on anything but the Heavy Mikes.

BTW, I've been in the cab of a (nonoperating) Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Yellowstone before up in Duluth, MN.

If the C&S had the USRA heavies, why did BLI only produce CB&Q and FW&DC models?

[orsonroy]

Beats me. Maybe they were working off a roster of original owners and first owners of USRA heavy Mike clones. I do believe that the C&S was bought by the Q sometime right after WWI, and that they basically ended up with hand-me-dows from the Q. Of course, they were running steam right up into 1960, so hand-me-downs isn't all that bad a thing!

Any way to want to play it Chris, you'll be fine with a BLI Q engine. At least, until someone finally comes out with a model of 4960!

[Anonymous]

I think the C&S was bought by the Q in 1916, and the FW&D was itself a subsidiary of the C&S. The Q had a huge amount of Mikes on its' roster anyway, so any Burlington layout set between 1910 and 1956 could reasonably have one. BLI or P2K DO need to make an O-1A Mike(4960), because of how close their sand and steam domes were there is no way you could accurately model one without kitbashing the yazoo out of a stock model.

[simon1966]

I purchased a BLI Heavy Mike (CB&Q), waited for months for it to be released, and was dissapointed to find it did not work out of the box. It would run fine as long as the tender draw bar was not connected. If the tender was pulled by the wires and not the drawbar it was fine. There was a short of some kind. So it was sent back to BLI for repair. 2 weeks later a package arrived containing an replacement undecorated Mike instead of a CB&Q. More dissapointment for me! A call to BLI to discover that they did not know how it could have happened, and that they no longer have any CB&Q in stock. They told me to keep the undecorated one and that they would replace it with a Q model when more came in. Today I called them again to get the status and a new Q Mike is on its way. This was my first BLI locomotive. While it is unfortunate that this happened, BLI have stood behind their product and taken care of the problem. I am looking forward to getting the Q model tomorrow.

[AntonioFP45]

Broadway Limited Diesels:

Do the doors on the locomotives open just like they do on the Proto 2000 Geeps and E-Units?? Was curious since someone just mentioned a similarity to the Protos as far as body detailing.

Thanks!