Issue resolved. BLI sent me a new cable. I installed it. The plug on it had no end plate runners. It did not work. Then they sent me two new plugs. Both with end plates different looking than either of the first two and they had runners. I installed one of them and the problem was solved. That plug finally inserted far and firmly enough into the socket under the cab to hold it in place and resist tugging without partially or completely slipping out. BLI Tech Support did a great job working with me on this and for that I am grateful. Of course, I would have preferred not to have had the issue to begin with.
Thanks everyone. I contacted BLI Support. They've been very prompt with their replies.
They said the raised rib on the one side is not supposed to be there. And "During the Paragon2 run years ago we used to file those down (and sometimes even add a drop of lubrication to the sides) because the tolerance of the opening at the back of the cab was too small and the tightness of the socket was too tight for proper insertion and removal. A lot of broken wires back then from people having to pull on the wires to disconnect."
They're going to send me replacement tether cable. If I don't gain satisfaction with that, I'll send the engine and tender in for their evaluation/repairs. There's presently a 12-week turnaround and I just bought this as my first BLI steam engine along with a Rolling Thunder system to see what that is like and widened curves on a portion of my layout just for this engine. I'd like to see what it's like at least for a little while. So far on the occasion that there is a good connection between the tender and engine it strikes me this could actually be an excellent engine to own, operate, and potentially recommend to others. I just wish the plug wasn’t so loose in it’s socket. If I were to detach the drawbar, I don't think this unit with make it 2" without the engine and tender separating. It's the loosest plug-socket connection of any engine I've ever owned.
Dave
The BLI's I have, M1, I1, H10, all the plugs/sockets fit more then snug, almost to the point it scares me to pull them apart and having the wires pulled out of the socket/plug. You should even be able to unhook the drawbar, and pull the loco down the track with your fingers and the tender will be pulled along by the wires. You can even pull the tender and the loco will follow along with out the plug/socket coming apart. I'd even hate to pull the loco one way and the tender the other way to separate the plug/socket.
Oh, here is a thought, look in the plug on the tender and count the holes (8), now look at the socket under the cab of the loco and count the pins (8), do you have a equal number of pins and holes? Maybe a pin is bent over?
About those ribs on each end of the tender's plug that match the slots on the loco's socket. The ribs and the slots as with the holes and pins are all set off center the long way, they can only go together correctly one way.
Now if those ribs are sheared off, I wonder if the plug could be forced in to the socket wrong one time and never work correctly after that? Look in to the loco's socket, the pins and slots should be in the lower half of the socket. Now look at the tender's plug, the holes and ribs should be in the lower half of the plug.
I'm going to bed now, it's 3:37am. here.
I have an old photo of one of my BLI steam jumper plugs:
IMG_6425_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
My experience is opposite yours. Once the plug is seated into the socket it takes quite a bit of force to pull it back out. My BLI steam roster includes about fifty locos. They all have secure-fitting plugs and sockets.
I never paid much attention to the ribs on each side of the plug but I do look at the alignment of the pins, they are slightly offset so that the plug "should" only be able to go in one way.
I use the blunt-end of a wood skewer to press on the plastic plug at several points around the edge to make sure it is seated fully.
I have heard of some BLI owners buying spare plug/harness assemblies for replacement. Perhaps contact BLI for a new harness with plug?
Don't know, I'll bump you post because under moderation, it appears back in time and may have been overlooked.
We have BLI fans, so someone should know.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
The plug on my new PRR J1 has trouble staying inserted into the receptacle for it under the cab. The plug does not stay squarely inserted. There is no catch or latch. It can slip partially or completely out of its receptacle with only the slightest tension one or more wires. The left or fireman's side in particular can become partially dislodged the easiest of all. There is ample length of each wire from the tender to the engine -- some slack in each even around 26" radius curves. I notice that one end-plate of the plug (the right or engineer's side) has a raised runner or rib molded into it that fits into a corresponding slot in the receptable, but the opposite end-plate of the plug is smooth without any such raised element. Is that normal? Or perhaps the problem? What are yours like? When the plug becomes less than fully and squarely inserted I lose some DCC functionality -- typically the headlight doesn't work or motor control issues (e.g. no forward or reverse motion but all the sounds work). Thank you.