BLI PRR K4's at Trainworld

[jecorbett]

I just ordered one. It will be my 5th BLI steamer to go with 2 of their switchers. I love everyone of them. All run great and sound great. The best part is I have gotten everyone at a sale price. The most I paid for any of them was about $270 for the M1A and that was at my LHS. I got two Hudsons at TW for $130. Is this a great country or what?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kchronister

QUOTE: Originally posted by bangert1
[Jon

I went on line but did not see the K4 listed for $230. Where did you see that price??

http://www.trainworld.com/broadwayltd/

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bangert1

QUOTE: Originally posted by jondrd

Looks like Trainworld is having another "shelf cleaning". BLI K4's starting at $229.99 (Isn't this really $230? Guess if it's a good pricing strategy for gasoline...yada, yada?) I assume this "starting at" would be undecorated. This sounds interesting to me, what do forum members think? I checked BLI list, looks like $350 MSRP.

Anyone have this loco? If so, what's your experience with it?

Moderator, please relax; Trainworld advertises in Model Railroader every month. [:D]


Jon

I went on line but did not see the K4 listed for $230. Where did you see that price??

http://www.trainworld.com/broadwayltd/

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jondrd

Looks like Trainworld is having another "shelf cleaning". BLI K4's starting at $229.99 (Isn't this really $230? Guess if it's a good pricing strategy for gasoline...yada, yada?) I assume this "starting at" would be undecorated. This sounds interesting to me, what do forum members think? I checked BLI list, looks like $350 MSRP.

Anyone have this loco? If so, what's your experience with it?

Moderator, please relax; Trainworld advertises in Model Railroader every month. [:D]


Jon

I went on line but did not see the K4 listed for $230. Where did you see that price??

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerstripe

Maybe it's just me but the K4 sounds the same as the M1a, actually the M1a sounds better. The same bell & whistle but the M1 just sounds better, maybe its the sound echoing of the plastic as opposeded to metal tender. or the K4 tender is just smaller.
But having said all that, now that its on sale I might as well get another one.

Good observation. I watched the steam on the Pennsy and the whistle is a PRR whistle, but not exactly like the K4 used. It is more like the J1 and the freight M1's probably used this too, but the passenger whistle should be a different tone. BLI uses the same recording for the M1, K4, T1 and J1.

BLI also used this same lame whistle for the Union Pacific mountain series, and it is not correct for it. The 7000 class used a chime whistle and you can hear it at the Sacramento Railroad museum almost any summer weekend. Too bad BLI did not know that.

[Anonymous]

I am very happy with BLI engines. Have a Hudson, 2664, Mountain, Mikado and E7. They are great. Recommend Trainworld as well.

Sometimes get a headache running all 5 sound locos at once and throw the Atlas's back on

[tigerstripe]

Maybe it's just me but the K4 sounds the same as the M1a, actually the M1a sounds better. The same bell & whistle but the M1 just sounds better, maybe its the sound echoing of the plastic as opposeded to metal tender. or the K4 tender is just smaller.
But having said all that, now that its on sale I might as well get another one.

[jondrd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kchronister

QUOTE: Originally posted by jondrd

QUOTE: Originally posted by mthrules

MTH is coming out with an HO K-4 in April.
www.mthhotrains.com/models.asp

Let me guess; it's fully compliant with SLF 5-DCC system. [swg]



Jon

I'm thinking 5-dcc will be out of date by the time it launches :-)

kchronister,

Good point-I thought I read somewhere that SLF Control Industries 6-DCC system is on target for late March, early April 2007. Article mentioned that SLF Control Industries may spin off a new company NoSLF Control Industries to market next generation # -DCC.

If NoS stands for nitrous oxide I can envision no grade too steep for your model locomotives. Can't hazard a guess as to how they're going to integrate a NoS system to electrically run model trains. Maybe they got a deal cooking with Hornby live steam? But that really doesn't involve combustion either. I just can't fathom the direction they're taking their technology. Well maybe by next April we'll know-very intriguing.


Jon [8D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jondrd

QUOTE: Originally posted by mthrules

MTH is coming out with an HO K-4 in April.
www.mthhotrains.com/models.asp

Let me guess; it's fully compliant with SLF 5-DCC system. [swg]



Jon

I'm thinking 5-dcc will be out of date by the time it launches :-)

[jondrd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

MTH is following the MicroSoft model. 18 months to 2 years after the projected launch date. If the trend continues, it's likely they won't work very well.

And MicroSoft was following the IBM mainframe model. IBM sales people of eons ago on finding that their competitors were introducing new model mainframes would assure their clients that it would be fooli***o commit to the competition since IBM itself would shortly be introducing new mainframe technology which would leapfrog anything the competition was about to introduce. Think it was their Ghost line.(Only the Phantom knows for sure)

Existence of Ghost line may have been why it was so difficult-then impossible for Gates to sell his OS to IBM. Dare we let reality intrude?

If following the MS model will MTH K4 suddenly lock up while processing a train from A to B?


Jon

[jondrd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mthrules

MTH is coming out with an HO K-4 in April.
www.mthhotrains.com/models.asp

Let me guess; it's fully compliant with SLF 5-DCC system. [swg]



Jon

[jondrd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kchronister

QUOTE: Originally posted by jondrd

Looks like Trainworld is having another "shelf cleaning". BLI K4's starting at $229.99 (Isn't this really $230? Guess if it's a good pricing strategy for gasoline...yada, yada?) I assume this "starting at" would be undecorated. This sounds interesting to me, what do forum members think? I checked BLI list, looks like $350 MSRP.

Anyone have this loco? If so, what's your experience with it?

Moderator, please relax; Trainworld advertises in Model Railroader every month. [:D]


Jon

I have three of them, and it's a fantastic loco. The latest was bought from TW for the $229 price (They sent the price reduction out to their e-mail list about 2-3 months ago before it appeared on the site).

The one I got is decorated normally - Postwar PRR (Since it's a single-roadname loco, what point would there be even making it undecorated?)... I think the 'starting at' is probably suggesting that certain loco numbers might be in short supply and cost more... I don't think BLI offers a pre-war and post-war variation (like Spectrum does), but that might be part of the caveat too. When I ordered mine, I put $229 as the price (I fill out and fax in my orders) and didn't get any pushback on it... In fact, they shipped it lightning fast - I got it two days later.

What's up with the aside to Bergie? I've never seen him object to simply mentioning Trainworld (or, come to think of it, any manufacturer or retailer) here.

Re aside to Bernie: may be paranoia or bad book keeping. I started a thread on good eBay sellers, got several recommends from forum members and then thread "disappeared". The bad book keeping may be me not keeping track of subject title and subsequently not tweaking advanced search enough to unearth the thread.

Paranoia is aside to Bernie re TrainWorld advertising in MR and OK to keep thread available to forum members. Does the fact they're "listening" make it 1/2 paranoia?

Re undecorated, maybe some devoted LIRR fan might want to do one up in LIRR colors? BLI 2005 catalog shows 6 unlettered models: #'s 323,326,329 with sound and #'s 337,340,343 w/o sound. MSRP $450.00 and 299.99 respectively.

Really appreciate your feedback. Am going to sign up for their eMail advisories-sounds [8D] . [tup] [:D]


Jon

[SpaceMouse]

MTH is following the MicroSoft model. 18 months to 2 years after the projected launch date. If the trend continues, it's likely they won't work very well.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mthrules

MTH is coming out with an HO K-4 in April.
www.mthhotrains.com/models.asp

I find it interesting that the schedule on your web site is as follows::

Should this be updated a year or so???


Anticipated delivery for the K-4 is scheduled for late Summer 2005. The locomotive will be distributed through the M.T.H. Authorized Retailer Network.

[Anonymous]

MTH is coming out with an HO K-4 in April.
www.mthhotrains.com/models.asp

[Eddie_walters]

BLI does produce a pre-war and a post war version of the K4 (I have a Pre War one in a box not 2 feet from my seat here awaiting a layout!). I suspect the "starting at" bit is because the second production run was only just released a few months ago, and it was much improved in some areas - for example a new loco bell, modified marker lights for the pre-war version, and all sorts of other little changes. I'd guess that's still selling at near retail.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jondrd

Looks like Trainworld is having another "shelf cleaning". BLI K4's starting at $229.99 (Isn't this really $230? Guess if it's a good pricing strategy for gasoline...yada, yada?) I assume this "starting at" would be undecorated. This sounds interesting to me, what do forum members think? I checked BLI list, looks like $350 MSRP.

Anyone have this loco? If so, what's your experience with it?

Moderator, please relax; Trainworld advertises in Model Railroader every month. [:D]


Jon

I have three of them, and it's a fantastic loco. The latest was bought from TW for the $229 price (They sent the price reduction out to their e-mail list about 2-3 months ago before it appeared on the site).

The one I got is decorated normally - Postwar PRR (Since it's a single-roadname loco, what point would there be even making it undecorated?)... I think the 'starting at' is probably suggesting that certain loco numbers might be in short supply and cost more... I don't think BLI offers a pre-war and post-war variation (like Spectrum does), but that might be part of the caveat too. When I ordered mine, I put $229 as the price (I fill out and fax in my orders) and didn't get any pushback on it... In fact, they shipped it lightning fast - I got it two days later.

What's up with the aside to Bergie? I've never seen him object to simply mentioning Trainworld (or, come to think of it, any manufacturer or retailer) here.

[jondrd]

Looks like Trainworld is having another "shelf cleaning". BLI K4's starting at $229.99 (Isn't this really $230? Guess if it's a good pricing strategy for gasoline...yada, yada?) I assume this "starting at" would be undecorated. This sounds interesting to me, what do forum members think? I checked BLI list, looks like $350 MSRP.

Anyone have this loco? If so, what's your experience with it?

Moderator, please relax; Trainworld advertises in Model Railroader every month. [:D]


Jon