broadway limited models.

[Anonymous]

any one have any input on the quality of this product.
have been using bowser and other kits, but would like to try ready to run engines.
i like the bowser kits, but wi***hey would sell them with can motors.

[ARTHILL]

I have the heavy Mike with sound. I love it. I put the traction tire on and it will pull everything. It looks good, ran right out of the box and the sound hurts your ears, just like the prototype (It can be turned down). It is DCC ready, but I have not gotten there yet. It looks as good as my brass and my proto 2000.

[simon1966]

I have 2 BLI steamers. My Heavy Mike had a bad shorting problem out of the box, but BLI were very responsive in taking care of the issue. SInce then, everything has been great and I have been very happy with the locomotives.

[tstage]

coastn,

[#welcome] to the forum! Good to have you aboard! [:)}

Yes, Broadway Limited (or BLI) is a very good outfit. Like any manufactuer, there are better locomotives in their product line than others. But, for the majority of their product, it's at the top.

I just purchased the BLI Light 2-8-2 Mike for my layout. It's a VERY nice locomotive and a strong puller! It pays to shop around. I picked mine up for about 1/2 MSRP.

coastn, is there a particular locomotive that you're interested in?

Tom

[jacon12]

I have one of their 2-6-6-4 steamers and it's a honey. This past weekend I bought one their SD-40-2 Diesels and it had a problem so I gave them a call. I was told to ship it in to them and to put a note in the box with instructions to check out the replacement thoroughly before shipping it to me.
They take care of their customers.
Jarrell

[RedGrey62]

I have the heavy Mike as well, runs like a charm. I also have the E8, just haven't seen it yet as it is at home, and I am not.

Rick

[selector]

Welcome. I have a 4-6-4 Hudson and a PRR K4s at the moment, and like them both very much. I have a Niagara S1b somewhere in the mail, so you can be confident that my experience with BLI has been positive. Additionally, when I broke a pickup tine on my Hudson's tender, BLI fixed it for free...all I had to do was ship it to them with a check for $7.00 for postage.

They are cranky out of the box, in my experience. They are "tight" and need at least a solid hour, maybe even two, of break-in. Then you lubricate the axles and valve-gear/rods, and you are in for a treat.

[hdtvnut]

I second what selector sez, BLI's can run stiffly, and may smooth
out, but some have poorly made or adjusted drives. I have one each
of almost all the steamers, and two had to go in for replacement or
tweaking. If mail-ordered, they sometimes suffer shipping damage to
side rods or small parts. The LL type boxes give better protection
by suspending the loco in a cage.

For these reasons, it's wise, if possible, to go to an LHS and
inspect a BLI before you buy it, since BLI is known to take as much
as six weeks for turnaround; might be worth a few more bucks.

Hal

[canazar]

I guess I have to go with the flow. I have had a cab foward for over a year now and has been great. Runs excellent and pulls a house. I also just recieved a my SW7 yesterday. It ran, and sounded, just I hoped and excepeted. I love it.

[Anonymous]

I have the SD40-2 on order from my LHS. I have to make sure I let them take it for a spin on their layout test track before I take it home. Anything else I should be aware of?

[dave9999]

coastn,
I bought one of the first run of the Hudson and it has some issues... they have since worked these out.

I also have a Southern E8 that I am extremely happy with. Great runner and puller. It also has a
great sound system. They make a fine locomotive, which is pretty good considering that they have
not been around very long. I have a few more of their locos on my list of things to buy. Good luck, Dave

BTW, Welcome aboard...

[mikebonellisr]

My BLI Hudson and Mikes are fine runners with great sound.A class company to deal with.

[Anonymous]

I guess mine must be one of the bad ones referred to earlier. Don't get me wrong, it's not that the detail isn't good, or that it had problems, just that it's not running up to par with my other stuff. It has a tendency to derail, it doesn't pull as much as my plain ol' IHC 2-8-2, and it just seems draggy and gripey in general.
Btw, it's a Hudson 4-6-4.

Greg

[Anonymous]

I've got a Mountain that has worked perfect from day one. She is a good puller and all sound and DCC controls work. Only thing is any track irregularities are found quickly, which is OK because they needed attention anyway. 22" radius is about as tight as it will negotiate reliably, but I try to keep a 24" minimum anyway.

[Anonymous]

Here is a BLI Heavy Mike coming off a 3.5% upgrade and around a curve in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/?v=b9rvo7u-BVU

I ran this engine with a coal train on a friend's railroad and it worked out well. BTW, this engine does not have the traction tire installed.

I just posted to this new video site which I think is very easy to use so it might be a few moments before they finish processing this.

[folkestonekeith]

On one of my visits across the pond I saw one on the first BLI locomotives on a test track at a hobby shop in Houston - I listened and got hooked on sound but didn't buy that particular of loco as what not keen on that prototype!!

Upon returning to the UK I ordered my first BLI - the N&W Cl.A 2-6-6-4 and the most recent to arrive is the Cl.J 4-8-4. In between I've got the SP Cab-Forwards and Trainmasters (two versions of each!!), Chicago N&W E6A (looks great with the Kato Bi-Levels!!), Pennsylvannia T1, Ji and GG1, Union Pacific MT-73, E6 and E7 sets and a SW7 so I suppose really I must like BLI models.

So far, I've been lucky that I've experienced no problems and think that the models I've purchased are some of the best models I've bought. All are great runners and great haulers. The SW7 kept derailing when first run but seems to have got over that problem now!! The hooter on the N&W J blows your mind - I certainly jumped when I first heard it!!

Think yourselves as lucky - we still do not have any off-the-shelf r-t-r sound-equipped UK-outline models...........

[Anonymous]

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL FOR THE INFORMATION. I have had 3 different HO layouts and one 027, at different times in my life. I will be constructing another HO in the next few months. My main intrest in locomotives, is steam (1900-1950 era). The Santa Fe railroad is what I am intrested in.
The Santa Fe had some of the largest examples of steam locomotives of any railroad in certain classes (non articulated). The 5011 class 2-10-4's are but one example.
The Santa Fe also acquired large steam locomotives from other railroads by purchase or lease. the N and W 2-6-6-4 was one of them. BROADWAY LIMITED makes an example of this engine, as well as the "C and O" 2-10-4 whitch is a close proximity to the Santa Fe's 5000 Class 2-10-4's. The 5011 class mentioned above were larger..
for the Santa Fe buff's of the early years, "IRON HORSES OF THE SANTA FE TRAIL", by E. D. Worley is a great book to have, if you can find one. I was able to read the first copy through my local library, but now have my on copy.

[nasaracer32]

QUOTE: Originally posted by coastn

The Santa Fe also acquired large steam locomotives from other railroads by purchase or lease. the N and W 2-6-6-4 was one of them.

Actually, N&W never sold any of their As. You may by thinking of some of the old Y3 and Y4 engines. Just to let you know.....

I have 3 of the BLI Class As and one of the Js (611). I had to send the J back for new running gear and now it is perfect. All three of the A's have been perfect once I got them sorted out and broken in.

In dealing with BLI customer support, they have been great and very helpful.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to give my 2cents on this topic as well. MY dad and I purchased one at a local trainshow for about half the price brand new in November (Milwaukee Road E unit), and were just hooked. We thought ok for $120 it was worth a shot we were just hoping it wouldnt sound like the power pack we bought 5-6 years ago (The steam engine sound it made sounded like someone blowing one of them kids whistles or somethin). MAN WHAT SOUND, FEATURES and DETAILS!

WIthin a month I won a CNW E unit on ebay for a little over $150. Same results, great runner, and sound. I am going to be receiving my 3rd Broadway limited engine (With sound) this week. A 2-82 Heavy Mikado Milwaukee Road. From what Im hearing on this forum Im going to be in for a real treat again.

DON

[Anonymous]

BLI has done a good job of overall quality, and in general, you won't go wrong purchasing a BLI product.

If you have a problem, contact their service department and get authorization to send it back for repairs. They have been very helpful in this area and sent me the replacement sound chips for the PRR J1 and the SF 4-8-4 that needed upgrading.

[Anonymous]

I am very pleased with the BLI C & ) 2-10-4. It ran perfectly right out of the box. I have the sound control unit for DC (since I do not have DCC( and the sound is excellent.
J.Nichols

[steveblackledge]

I got an M1A 4-8-2 and all i can say is FANTASTIC, i have also got an NW2 switcher and that is also a little gem, the only problem i got was it ran the wrong way, BLI sent detailed pics and instructions to fix it which i did without a problem, overall 10/10

my other baby is a new P2K GP20 with QSI sound and this is also one fine loco

[Anonymous]

I Stand corrected. The engines were 2-8-8-2 types. Santa Fe purchased them during world-2, for helper service at raton pass. ref. page 276 of IRON HORSES OF THE SANTA FE TRAIL, by E. D. Worley. There were 8 of these engines, under the 1790 class

[TBat55]

I've got a Hudson and SW7. Both were returned for free repair, took weeks.

It seems to me the first production runs have difficulties and design changes (maybe it's language translations). I will now WAIT on new releases and read the reviews on forums.

[Pruitt]

I've got three of the heavy Mikes. One of them had a driver bearing that wasn't installed properly in it's seat, but it only took about ten minutes to reseat it. All are fine runners.