Broadway Limited SD40-2 with sound Comments?

[Driline]

Does anyone have experience with the new Broadway Limited brand SD40-2's with sound? I've never owned a Broadway Limited and was wondering are they akin to a Kato or Atlas or Proto2000? What kind of quality are we talking here.

Thanks..

[cacole]

I don't think you'd be disappointed in one of them at all -- I have one of the Illinois Central versions and it runs very smoothly, has good detail, and the sound is outstanding.  The only negative aspect of them is that the sound is always turned up to 100 percent output on QSI systems and nearly always needs to be turned down or it is distorted.  I have mine set to about 50 percent volume and it sounds much better.

 

[Driline]

I don't think you'd be disappointed in one of them at all -- I have one of the Illinois Central versions and it runs very smoothly, has good detail, and the sound is outstanding.  The only negative aspect of them is that the sound is always turned up to 100 percent output on QSI systems and nearly always needs to be turned down or it is distorted.  I have mine set to about 50 percent volume and it sounds much better.

 

What would you compare it too? Kato? Atlas? ???

[Anonymous]

My BLIs dont run quite as well as Kato or Atlas, but are very nice nonetheless. They are very quiet, just not quite as smooth. The detail is on the same level as Kato and Atlas but I dont like the paint quite as much. The sound is very good, I think Loksound is better but BLI makes me happy.

I think you can see that they arent quite the best at any one thing, but are very nice all around, a good buy.

[bogp40]

When the SD40 was first released, I was not that thrilled with them. The detail and drive is nothing in comparison to other BLI releases. I notice that some of the more recent units are being packaged more carfully as not to destroy the handrails, which the end rails really bother me with the drop step floating as part of the railing mold. Some of the piping and sand lines were distorted and could even hang up if bent.

When you turn off the sound in most BLI SD40s the drive may be a little noisey. I would compare the drive to a P2K. Atlas and Kato is a superior drive but BLIs were designed for sound. You don't sacrifice any weight and the speaker enclosures are fitted for optimum quality of sound. So far none of the other makers have approached this point. There are many BLI SD40s running at my club and after some break-in and debugging they all seem to run fine. The sound is great of coarse, and ,actually you will need to turn it down a bit.