Hi everyone,
I hope the forum admins don't ban me since I post so much.
If you are active on the forum you likely have seen me here looking for shopping advice. I'm here again, but this time have a very specific loco in mind.
I've heard mixed things about Broadway Limited. Some say that they're trash, while others say that they're reliable locos that will last several years. I've hear horror stories of the things frying up or spitting smoke fluid.
So, does anyone have any thoughts on Broadway Limited? Please don't just say "they are terrible" please give reasoning and justification, or I'm back where I started.
More specifically, does anyone have the SW1500 (Paragon3?)? Anyone have thoughts on it?
Modeler of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Bethlehem PA, 1971 and railfan of Norfolk Southern's Lehigh and Reading Lines of the modern day.
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"When railroading time comes you can railroad...but not before."
- Robert A. Heinlein
While I haven't purchased any of their newer (Paragon3) offerings, I do have some of the Paragon & Paragon2 locomotives.
I like BLI because they offer specific steam locomotives in my roadname (NYC) and the detail quality is generally very good. The one downside to them has been continual quality-assurance issues. On the plus side though: BLI has repaired each and every one of the locomotives I've shipped back to them (4, total) and has never charged me a dime. The specific issue was addressed and the turnaround time was usually 4 weeks or less.
And, while I don't have the SW1500, I do have the SW7 switcher. It's a sweet li'l switcher and operates very well at low-speed.
HTH...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
at Boothbay Railway Village we have a few BLI locos, both diesel and steam. During the museum open season, we run trains 4 to 6 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sometimes more on busy days. Sometimes running BLI, sometimes others. Basically in week, we put more hours on our equipment than a hobby operator would run months.
we have had few problem with BLI, except the side rods on some of the steamers wore out after a year or so. Replacements are avaiable from BLI. About the only negative comment I have is the sound is a bit loud out of the box (particularly when a lot of trains are running) , but this can be corrected by adjusting a CV.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
My grandfather has a lot of BLI locomotives on his layout. At the moment they are all diesel (though I know he has an SP&S Northern on order, if they ever decide to release them ).
I run his BLI stuff quite a bit. He has one E7 in Pere Marquette/C&O that has been running as long time, as long as I can remember. I think he bought it in 2005 or 2006. It still runs like it did when it came out of the box, no issues! We’ve done nothing to it over the years except change the road number, and the sound volume.
He also has an NP SW7. This one is not as reliable, and has pickup issues, but the layout we run it on doesn’t have power to any of the frogs and is usually very dirty. I believe they have since fixed the issue and my Grandpa recently told me he bought another SW7 from BLI that does not have the issue.
So BLI in summary is a very high quality manufacturer. Their locos may have periodic issues, but I son’t think they are too common. I bet someone on this forum has bought an SW1500 so if you wait a bit you may be able to get more specific advice.
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
HO Hobbyist ... I've heard mixed things about Broadway Limited. Some say that they're trash, while others say that they're reliable locos that will last several years. I've hear horror stories of the things frying up or spitting smoke fluid...
...
I've heard mixed things about Broadway Limited. Some say that they're trash, while others say that they're reliable locos that will last several years. I've hear horror stories of the things frying up or spitting smoke fluid...
There are similar opinions expressed around the www about all the current (and past) suppliers and importers in the hobby. Every one of the manufacturers and importers has had their share of dogs. They have all stood by their failures and repaired or replaced them when possible. Some, a very few, have even pretty much bought back their entire run due to a serious problem and their loyal fans waited for a new issue, sometimes two or three years later.
BLI generally offers a good solid product. The few I have purchased, compared to many collectors who have several dozens of them, have been good runners and reliable. Where I had problems, especially warrantable ones, they were repaired quickly and back to me in good order inside of three months (that one case was a brass hybrid that probably needed to wait for parts). BLI even repaired a loco where I was at fault. I installed a tender truck backwards and it fried the decoder. No charge, back in 4 weeks.
I agreed with most of what our forumer said. It seems that some of their Paragon3 products had QC problem but BLI always willing to fix the loco or provide spare parts for free within weeks or months. Attention to the details of BLI's locos are top-notch, and they offer many very rare locos and passenger cars which other plastic or die-cast trains model manufacturers refused to make.
Regarding the QC problem, their PRR S2 second run was a classic case; I found that the train crew figures were missing and the Keystone number plate had a cosmetic problem, though the shop sent me back the train crew figures and a new PRR Keystone plate after two weeks(actually from BLI). I heard that someone who bought their PRR S2 sent them back at least 3 times due to various problems (sound, smoke unit, running issues, cosmetic defect, etc.), believe it or not! The similar problem happened again in their UP Challenger which the crew figures were missing in spite of the fact that they were supposed to be included according to their website. A modeler who knows people working for BLI told me that the reason of missing train crew figures was due to the tight schedule, if they insisted to add the crew figures for that run, they would have further delayed the release date. Although the train crew figures only worth a few bucks, I think it is quite unprofessional to send out the unfinished product to the customer. Labor costs continue to rise in all regions of China over the past decade, so I was not surprised that this kind of mistake was made from the short-handed factory.
Anyway, the PRR S2 is also a very good example to show the overall quality of BLI's product, it has almost 90% of detail parts of a Challenger Imports version but the price is 68% lower compared to the Challenger Imports version, let alone lights, smoke until and decoder are built-in on BLI's PRR S2! The onboard sound on my PRR S2 and T1 were quite loud but it can be fixed easily. My BLI PRR T1 arrived with *no defect and both of my BLI PRR T1 and S2 still working properly.
After I bought the BLI PRR T1 and S2, I still pre-ordered their Loewy K4s. Although the release date is a question mark, My family and I decided to not cancel the order. My PRR S1 (NJ Custom Brass), NYC Dreyfuss Hudson (MTH) and Streamlined K4s (Bachmann) are waiting for her arrival!
Jones 3D Modeling Club https://www.youtube.com/Jones3DModelingClub
I have one of their SW1500 engines. It runs very well, and while I haven't delved into their settings for speed, it looks like they have a built-in momentum as this engine will slow down then stop, instead of coming to a complete stop. I use NCE and set the momentum to '0' which should make the engine stop instead of slowing down. I use it in the yard, so I have to be extra careful when switching.
Now that I'm retired, I will probably take out the manual and review their settings. I do have another BLI diesel engine and it runs quite well. Steam too!
Neal
Buy it! You won't be disappointed.
I have several BLIs including this one and they are as good as it gets.
If there is a problem, BLI will totally stand behind it.
Just do it!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I have a couple of BLI locomotives and really enjoy them. Before they discontinued the UP "Big Boy", I was fortunate to get one and it's one of my favorite locomotives. I also have a Santa Fe 4-8-4 Northern. My layout is DC controlled and you can change many of the CV settings with BLI's DC Master.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I don't have any but it seems to me the most QC complaints I see are about Walthers and BLI.
Generally people are happy about customer service, but I would think Atlas is a more commonly owned brand, and I rarely see a complaint. Granted, they aren't doing steam engines.
I admit I've been tempted by BLI's refurbished prices, but haven't pulled the trigger.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Lets see what happens here.
Sorry I tried to attach a past post link here. I'll figure out how to move it here soon. EDIT: Guess not.
There is a BLI SW1500 thread that I started back in the dust (Mon. Feb. 6, 2017) somewhere here.
I like my RDG sw1500, I'm on my fourth (first two had a factory defect, showed up in about one hour of running, melt down, third one ran then just stopped). The fourth one been good so far but it's the only one I have. I'd like to get another sw1500...but.
In the BLI line I have a M1a, M1b, I1a, H10, SW7 (x2), RSD15 and that problem child SW1500.
Thanks for trying to help me mbinsewi, Somethings just not clicking in my head on this linking thing.
It's kind of a crazy process, you have to copy the link, open in another tab, surround it with on the front end, and on the back end, copy that, come to where you want to post it, and past it, WITHOUT using the "Insert/edit Link" thing.
OR, you can just use the link thing, and post a dead link, and people can copy/paste, and usually someone will make it live.
Mike.
My You Tube
I had an older BLI Santa Fe 4-8-4 Northern that had the older Quantum decoder. It was a major source of grief. I returned it twice to have it repaired. I finally quit messing with it and bought the same locomotive with the Paragon 3 decoder; light years better. There is a guy that does upgrades from the Quantum to a Paragon decoder. Maybe, one day, I'll send it to him and do that, but, for the time being, the one with the Paragon 3 decoder runs like a dream.
I bought one of BLI's NYC SW1500 years ago. It is my best running loco, love it.
It never derails, good pulling power, good sound, momentum slow down is default.
Terry
I'm not going to bash their "quality", I think they are as good as any of the major brands, even though I did have trouble with a few steamers I have.
It always seemed to me that their diesels are not as detailed as Proto, Genesis, Intermountain or Atlas - and not being into sound or DCC, never had any desire for any of their diesels.
I have lots of Proto, love the fine detail, they run great, and I bought them without pesky decoders to remove.
Sheldon
Have two SD40-2's and six AC6000's the 40-2's i don't like the 6000's are ok.
Russell