"Taking the plunge" selling your favourite loco's to buy a new BLI loco

[steveblackledge]

Do you have a fleet of older Athearn equipment like i have, my buget is limited so i tend to buy blue box kits from Athearn which i like, but i want to get some of the BLI action. The only way i can afford this is to sell some of my collection which is hard to do, my loco roster was for the chop, it went on Ebay and raised a good return so to calm my nerves i rang my friends at Trainworld and ordered my first BLI, an NW2,,, if it's as good as they say i'll buy a BLI SD40-2, to accompany it,, is one BLI loco with sound worth a handfull of other loco's, time will tell

[AntonioFP45]

Steve,

I'm fortunate that my LHS the manager enjoys demonstrating BLI locomotives. I think you'll be quite pleased! I've seen the Hudson, GG1, E7 GP9, and SD40-2. I liked them all!

After reading some of the criticisms on the BLI SD40-2, I wondered if it's worth it.

Well, if you've read my post on visiting a club layout recently I got to see one of these in action. For me it was very enjoyable! This SD40-2 was part of a 5 unit lashup hauling a long train. The horn, doppler effect, and sounds were sweet music to my ears! Again, the secret is not to have it at high volume. The SD40-2's owner had the sound just low enough that the horn could clearly be heard, but the prime mover sound (diesel engine) faded into the distance once the locomotive was about 5 feet away.

Go for it! Sound is here to stay! Don't ru***oo quickly either. As time goes on more than likely good deals will be available. Keep your eye on Ebay, too.

A friendly suggestion. Don't overlook Soundtraxx's potential either! To me, Soundtraxx's version of the EMD 2nd generation diesels sounds better than BLI's. You can take a quality locomotive newer run Athearn BB or Genesis unit and have a vendor like Tony's Trains or Litchfield Station install sound for you. The sound from these units are also impressive!

Have fun and enjoy your locomotive!

[johncolley]

Aye, a hard step to take, and once made, one doesn't ever want to go back. I understand your financial situation, but instead of trying to sell them off, I am donating mine to interested kids that come to our club occasionally. Encouraging them to be the future of model railroading, eh?

[canazar]

Steve,

A couple of things for you to ease your nerves..

I received a BLI Cab Foward from my mom and fiancee for Christmas (they both love me a lot) and it runs incredeible. it also has sounds which has changed everything. It is great! If the rest of BLI's stuff is like this, you cant go wrong..

As far the prcie goes on some of the engines I got over the sticker shock by useing this logic. (Dont ge tme wrong, it still 200 bucks you have to come up with) but......

I have 2 huge boxes of old brass that belonged to my uncle from the 50's and 60's. These engines ran all in the 100-200 price range back THEN! Unfortunalty, cancer took him right when he finally moved into a house with a basement, but his engines are still with me thansk to my mom and fmaily holding onto them. Some still run, most will again when I rebuild them.
Just the other day I showed them to my new 4 year old son (my finacee's son) and we sat there in comeplete awe for hours as we lookd and marlved over them. It hit me then, 40 YEARS later, these engines are stll bring me joy and making memories. So, now, I can justify spending the "big money" engine becuase I know they will be around for years and years to come. And hopefully my son will show them to his kids. Looking at that way, spending a couple of hundreds of bucks on a an engine that will bring me joy like my Uncles ( memories now for 4 generations. My Uncle, My mom when she was a little girl, now me and my son.) will be some of the best money I will ever spend.


Best Regards
John Kanicsar.

[rrinker]

Yes, I have certain peices that, for the same reasons, i will NEVER part with. Even if a lot of is is, by today's standards, 'junk', it holds a lot of memories for me. I have (or should say, had) a lot of other things too that weren't so important, those I've sold off to buy new things. But those certain items, even if they are never run, will always have a place with me.

--Randy

[twhite]

Steve--you're a better man than I, Gunga Din! Selling off locos you love must have been a real wrencher--I could NEVER sell off my old brass (mainly because they still run well). But about BLI--I've got several of their steamers, and they're beautiful running and sounding locos--haven't heard much about their diesels, but then an old fart like me isn't interested in infernal combustables, anyway. But enjoy--I think BLI's a good company, and I hope they're around for a long, long time.
Tom

[steveblackledge]

Hi and Thanks to all for the replys, it's a bit of a bugger selling something that you built, but i think it will be well worth it, i may get a steamer as they sound fantastic (i have worked on British Steam Locos, it's in the blood). i have favourites that will not go at any price like my SD60's in the Oakway scheme, i did a WHG event in the UK in September last year and the Oakways with long coal drags on realy did it for the crowds, if i had gotten sound aswell that would have been the "icing on the cake". I thought about DCC but i like DC being a bit of a caveman, i know the benefits of DCC and maybe someday i'll convert but at present i am anticipating some very interesting inovations to rival DCC, look whats happened in the last 10 yrs.

[NZRMac]

I feel for you Steve, I've just sold my race car to furthur my loco roster. I had a tear as it was rolling down the drive on it's trailer.[sigh]. But I've got 5 BLI loco's on the way 1x 2-8-2 light, 2x SW& switchers, 2x SD40-2,[8D] can't wait, Tony's tell me the switchers are 4 weeks away.

Ken

[Virginian]

I sold my absolute favorite model, a Key N&W Class A with auxuliary tender, custom painted. It was perfect. It was my last brass articulated. I am quite happy with my BLI Class A's. I'm waiting for my Class J. But, I don't think I will ever sell old #608. My first engine of any kind, a Sunset brass J, also custom painted. I got to sit in the engineer's seat and blow the whistle on the real one, backing up to hook on to the Powhattan Arrow, early one morning, a long, long time ago.

[steveblackledge]

Hi Ken, look at it this way "you can't hurt yourself with HO loco's the same as you could with a race car", the investment is a good one. Don't suppose you work at Southpac Trucks NZ?

Virginian, great memories from a great time in history, i can just remember the last steam in the UK back in 68, i was 2 but i still remember the dirty neglected engines passing the new Electric loco's at my grandads caravan/trailer home next to the west coast main line in the UK, funny what you remember, cant think what i had for dinner yesterday.

[NZRMac]

Hey Steve, no I work for the biggest appliance retailer in the South Island, Smiths City, I repair Fisher and Paykel appliances.

Yup I think I've made the right desision, with a wee one in the family it's nice to be home more!!

Ken.

[cspmo]

I wouldn't buy BLI NW 2, I would wait for Atlas MP 15.

[steveblackledge]

not heard of the MP 15 from Atlas, i'll keep me eyes out for that one

[NZRMac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cspmo

I wouldn't buy BLI NW 2, I would wait for Atlas MP 15.

Why?
From everything I've read the BLI is a very good loco.


Ken.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by NZRMac

QUOTE: Originally posted by cspmo

I wouldn't buy BLI NW 2, I would wait for Atlas MP 15.

Why?
From everything I've read the BLI is a very good loco.


Ken.

If you look at that SD40-2 you'll think otherwise. *shudder* That thing pales in comparison to a Kato SD40. Heck, even Athearn Blue Box SD40-2s look better than the BLI's.

[NZRMac]

I posted this somewhere else, I've got nothing to compare the SD40-2 with (prototype) and my old athearn is pretty beaten up, nobody makes models of the prototype switchers we have here. I'm really looking forward to getting them. I'm not a rivet counter, so I don't really care. If they run nice make great sounds and pull a heap of hoppers, YAHOO!!!!

Ken.[:D][swg]

[rrinker]

The BLI NW and SW are MUCH more like their steam locos than the SD40 is. I dunno what the deal is with the SD40.
My father in law just got his BLI PRR M-1, it's fromt he second run and is another "made in China" model. Yet, the detail is GREAT and it runs great as well. With the sound muted, it's QUIETER than my Stewart diesels - NEW Stewart diesels with Buhler and Canon motors, not the old ones based on Athean mechnisms. I have NEVER seen such a quiet steam loco. Of course, one doesn't run it with the sound muted for long.... but a noisy mechanism would detract fromt he sound effects, so it's great that it's quiet. That's TWO top-notch BLI models he has now, plus the Atlas Trainmaster.
AT the LHS, the SD40 they ran on their test track was noisy. The NW, quiet as a mouse. And while they did indeed run it on DCC, I'm pretty sure it ran FORWARD when FORWARD was selected - and they grabbed the one I wanted to see out of the case, not one they chose - although it's possible they could have reporgrammed CV29 on their entire stock.

--Randy

[steveblackledge]

decided not to get the SD40-2 yet, i have just ordered an M1A 4-8-2 (BLI) can't wait for it to come, not gotten anything Pennsy to pull yet, but i will,
Wife ain't to impressed at me buying 2 BLI locos but what the hell, she won't be driving them, and after all, i did finance them from selling some of my older and unsuitable stuff on ebay

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by canazar

I received a BLI Cab Foward from my mom and fiancee for Christmas (they both love me a lot)...

That was hard to tell!!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by steveblackledge

Do you have a fleet of older Athearn equipment like i have, my buget is limited so i tend to buy blue box kits from Athearn which i like, but i want to get some of the BLI action. The only way i can afford this is to sell some of my collection which is hard to do, my loco roster was for the chop, it went on Ebay and raised a good return so to calm my nerves i rang my friends at Trainworld and ordered my first BLI, an NW2,,, if it's as good as they say i'll buy a BLI SD40-2, to accompany it,, is one BLI loco with sound worth a handfull of other loco's, time will tell

Most of the BLI products are really great to own. I would encourage you to hear them and buy one if you can, but you might save money by waiting for some of the sales they seem to be having.

I normally purchase the models when they come out, but now I will wait until some of the dealers want to get rid of the shelf engines and buy more of the latest releases. The N&W A class was on sale for less than half price recently when BLI needed money to bring in the latest items, read SD40-2 and the switcher. That price break was used to get rid of many of the engines they had in stock.

You might be able to get one with big savings to buy something else if you watch the sales closely.

[jlcjrbal]

I picked up a BLI 2-8-2 Lights B&O as my first engine. I was so impressed with it when the LHS took the time to explain them to me. I have just sent it back to BLI for repairs as it was just a mess after 4 months. Now they have the Die-Cast line coming out.. IMO I am putting out a dcentbuck for these trains and I want them to be around for my sons children , so I am hoping t hey are well received and they do all BLI trains in Die Cast

[steveblackledge]

bangert1, i got both at a discount, the NW2 i got for $150 and the M!A at $144, they should be with me within the week and i can't wait. I think the wife will be happy when she see's how good they are, all she see's is a month's worth of shopping money down the pan. the kids will be VERY impressed with the sound system, my neighbours getting excited about them coming, wants to have a go for himself, he's not a model railroader but that may change ?