BLI's F Unit Thread (Title edited to reflect changing situations with these units)

[bogp40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cspmo

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

safety valve - I also have an ABBA F consist. Unfortunately they are not BLI but LLP2K. I have sound in all four units. I use the same address for both motor and sound decoders in the first AB set and the other AB set has its own address. That way I can Mu set B to set A and only use one throttle postition.
Terry[8D]

P2K never made F units. Do you mean E units?

They must be Proto 1000 F3s.
Why don't you consist all 4 units to the same address?
Bob K.

[cspmo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

safety valve - I also have an ABBA F consist. Unfortunately they are not BLI but LLP2K. I have sound in all four units. I use the same address for both motor and sound decoders in the first AB set and the other AB set has its own address. That way I can Mu set B to set A and only use one throttle postition.
Terry[8D]

P2K never made F units. Do you mean E units?

[Anonymous]

That is some serious motive power you have there

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

I was unaware that BLI sold their AB combinations all powered. If so, that might tax a lot of todays power packs. Without meters, how would one know? Sound adds about an extra watt (VA) to each unit.

Joe Fugate mentions that BLI 's QSI locos also have a capacitor to charge up. Hmmmm.4 units X 1amps + .25 amp motor + load- and 50% for starting = ???

Good questions.

I have a video on the You Tube that shows two of the units tied to a Analog Tech 4 power pack. They were thirsty for power but the pack handeled them well. The units were sorta onery because they were fighting to draw as much as possible to feed thier appetites for power.

I might just put all 4 units on the bench later this weekend and fire em up on that poor pack. The Tech 4 people enjoy telling the world how powerful thier packs are. Well, we are going to prove em. (For a few minutes any how)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davidmbedard

QUOTE: Originally posted by NevinW

It sounds like the mechanism is great. It is too bad they botched some of the paint jobs so bad. The Western Maryland paint job was surreal. I would have bought a couple otherwise. - Nevin

Sigh.....I hate nitpickers

David

Hardly nitpicking here, The Western Maryland is trimmed in Deluxe Gold or Imitation Yellow. That is just the way it has to be done.

The positive thing is that BLI recognizes that there were mistakes made and moved to correct them almost before the first units hit the street. I dont recall too many companies that do that.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

QUOTE: Originally posted by Safety Valve

I wanted to state that I ran ABBA BLI F7 units on a railroad today sucessfully as a consist. It took two throttles to drive all 4 horses but am learning about consisting as I go along.Getting the 4 to work together resulted in a locomotive lashup that will pull everything I own up the wall. I have never seen such brute "Grunt" force in a desiel until today.

REALLY? Real F-7's generally pulled 3 - 6 passenger cars and maybe 10 freight cars on the 'flatlands' and ABBA with 16 cars up 2% grades. How many cars are you expecting to pull?

Your BLI's are Powered A's and dummy B'S.

QUOTE: It is my humble opinion that these units represent the best Model Railroading can offer and it takes alot to get me to feel this good about a locomotive.

I'm not sure if what you have is good or bad, but I am disturbed by 1. your need for "2 throttles" to run 2 (powered) units . I dont own a single train that won't work with just one throttle - including some ABBA's with all 4 unit's powered.

Something is wrong. 1. your power pak's VA capacity, or 2. something is draggin'. 3. BLI'S with QSI sound require 5 volts just to start. I suggest starting with strong power pak - with meters. 30 VA is only 2.5 amps @ 12 volts. http://www.modelrectifier.com/products/trainSound/product.asp?ID=1265&Subcategory=Big power

No sir, each of the 4 locomotives in the set are individuals with thier own decoders, sound and motor. They each have a two digit address based on the lead unit's first two digits.

A unit 231 makes it #23 and the B 231X makes it #24 for simplicity. Using the "F" marking on the B unit to have both pull together in the same direction is useful. Now the other set needed to run backwards but is useful because there is no room to "Turn" the locos for the run back.

The reason one of sets were dead is the throttle for those were closed. Once both throttles are open sufficently they all ran.

Regarding the consisting, I am working on making each of the B units slave to the A's and hopefully result in just having two for one throttle.

We had consisted the units as a A-B set which worked well for one throttle (I think it was a 400) on the program track and then we consisted the other AB set. The fun began when we attempted to lash both consists together. We ended up using one throttle for one consist and the other for the other.

I have heard the PCM will have A units with decoder while the B unit has a motor and sound but no decoder. It will be plugged into the A unit like a steam locomotive tender so.. I think from a programming Point of view it might actually be a good way to do it.

I do worry about things like wires hanging down too low or wearing off at the connectors.

The control system used on the layout was a Digitrax mid range system with 5 amps.

We had genuine concerns for power usage and after about 20 minutes running the booster itself was still cool to the touch and did not drop out on us due to heat.

The sound was rather quiet but suspect that is because I havent mastered the volumes yet. I posted the video and it turned out well.

Alot of the BLI steam will pull 15+ cars up 3% grades in HO scale and I own a few that can do it. My thinking towards model trains is heavily influenced by bad performing trainset units from my early years. So pulling power is one of the citeria I have for my motive power. They will pull a 15 car up the hill with or without a helper or they will get sold off.

BLI has done a good job with them. So I do enjoy showcasing these models.

[Don Gibson]

I was unaware that BLI sold their AB combinations all powered. If so, that might tax a lot of todays power packs. Without meters, how would one know? Sound adds about an extra watt (VA) to each unit.

Joe Fugate mentions that BLI 's QSI locos also have a capacitor to charge up. Hmmmm.4 units X 1amps + .25 amp motor + load- and 50% for starting = ???

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

>>> snip <<<<

Your BLI's are Powered A's and dummy B'S.

>>>> snip <<<<

Really? I know some are that way, but my A-B set of BLI F7's are both powered and with sound.

[Don Gibson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Safety Valve

I wanted to state that I ran ABBA BLI F7 units on a railroad today sucessfully as a consist. It took two throttles to drive all 4 horses but am learning about consisting as I go along.Getting the 4 to work together resulted in a locomotive lashup that will pull everything I own up the wall. I have never seen such brute "Grunt" force in a desiel until today.

REALLY? Real F-7's generally pulled 3 - 6 passenger cars and maybe 10 freight cars on the 'flatlands' and ABBA with 16 cars up 2% grades. How many cars are you expecting to pull?

Your BLI's are Powered A's and dummy B'S.

QUOTE: It is my humble opinion that these units represent the best Model Railroading can offer and it takes alot to get me to feel this good about a locomotive.

I'm not sure if what you have is good or bad, but I am disturbed by 1. your need for "2 throttles" to run 2 (powered) units . I dont own a single train that won't work with just one throttle - including some ABBA's with all 4 unit's powered.

Something is wrong. 1. your power pak's VA capacity, or 2. something is draggin'. 3. BLI'S with QSI sound require 5 volts just to start. I suggest starting with strong power pak - with meters. 30 VA is only 2.5 amps @ 12 volts. http://www.modelrectifier.com/products/trainSound/product.asp?ID=1265&Subcategory=Big power

[scubaterry]

safety valve - I also have an ABBA F consist. Unfortunately they are not BLI but LLP2K. I have sound in all four units. I use the same address for both motor and sound decoders in the first AB set and the other AB set has its own address. That way I can Mu set B to set A and only use one throttle postition.
Terry[8D]

[bogp40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kbfcsme

QUOTE: Originally posted by NevinW

It sounds like the mechanism is great. It is too bad they botched some of the paint jobs so bad. The Western Maryland paint job was surreal. I would have bought a couple otherwise. - Nevin

Rumor has it, corrected body shells are on the way!!!![:D]

I glad they straightened out the WM, it's good to hear that they run excellent and pull well. If they run as good as the Stewarts that's good enough for me.
Thanks for the report on your test run.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

Corrected body shells, I think the BLI's website indicates that a recall for all F units except stock numbers 404 and 405 (B&O) has information specific to it.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by NevinW

It sounds like the mechanism is great. It is too bad they botched some of the paint jobs so bad. The Western Maryland paint job was surreal. I would have bought a couple otherwise. - Nevin

Rumor has it, corrected body shells are on the way!!!![:D]

[NevinW]

It sounds like the mechanism is great. It is too bad they botched some of the paint jobs so bad. The Western Maryland paint job was surreal. I would have bought a couple otherwise. - Nevin

[Anonymous]

I wanted to state that I ran ABBA BLI F7 units on a railroad today sucessfully as a consist. It took two throttles to drive all 4 horses but am learning about consisting as I go along.

Getting the 4 to work together resulted in a locomotive lashup that will pull everything I own up the wall. I have never seen such brute "Grunt" force in a desiel until today.

I also had to be careful because once the first A-B dragged off the second B-A dead and the train up the 3% as well. Gotta to remember to make sure all 4 units are working at once. IF not, flat wheels might actually be a possibility.

It is my humble opinion that these units represent the best Model Railroading can offer and it takes alot to get me to feel this good about a locomotive.


EDITED:::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmkwR8xiOH8

It was a test run video with a set of Norman Rockwell Boxcars that are way too modern for the F units. But they are useful because they are like sensitive on the track.

Eventually I will record more videos in the future. I tried hard to keep the surrounding enviromental noise out of the tape by either waiting until the event passes (Trucks) or perhaps someone mowing grass.