Just got my second of four BL 2 2000. This one has a date stamped on the prices sticker. Seems it was sold Dec 1990 for $39.99.
Just like the first one, it center gears where cracked, FP 45 Athearn gears fixed the problem and runs well with the first one I got.
During rebreaking in all the lights work great and where way brighter than a normal Athearn Blue Box light. Then I installed the shell and ran. Front light was dead but rear light is fine.
Question is, are the lights normal 12 volt lights or something driffrent? They just seem a lot brighter than the bulbs that my other engines run. They do not have a cricut board but in stead 4 diodes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QURWYEj4lgo&NR
Just for fun not that I dumped Internet Explore 7.Oh it a POS Explore.
Wecome to comment on the hand made tress in the back ground as well. Not bad for a newbie, well I like them.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Opps, here are the BL 2's.
Still a pretty cool vidoe
Cuda Ken again
So it worked until you put the shell on? If that is the case you could have pulled a wire loose or even broken the bulb (I have done it). Take it apart and see whats up.
If it worked with the shell on for a while than the bulb probably just burned out. Its 16 years old, those things dont last forever. I would replace it with an LED and resistor, but another similar bulb will work also.
cudaken wrote:Question is, are the lights normal 12 volt lights or something driffrent? They just seem a lot brighter than the bulbs that my other engines run. They do not have a cricut board but in stead 4 diodes.
I'm pretty sure Life-Like used 1.5 volt bulbs in their engines up until recently. I haven't seen the oldest P2Ks with the brown boxes, so I could be wrong about them, and they might have 12 volt bulbs.
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Nice looking Monon BL2s. I also have one on the way.
I replaced the bulb with a white LED in my C&O BL2, at the same time I fitted the soundchip. It should work with DC as well.
Jon
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All Proto 2000 engines used 1.5V bulbs and the early ones used a 6 diode circuit like this from :
http://www.mrollins.com/constant.html
Jon, if it was from E-bay I scored the first one. All so expect to replaces all the axels gears. So far of the 3 that I have got only 2 of the 12 axels gears have not been cracked. I ran out out of gears when I got the 3rd one today. Cheap temp fix I came up with. Used a pick to spread the cracked gears, used Liquied Nail in the crack (I think it is the same stuff as CAA glue or what ever it is called) let it dry for 10 minutes and they are working fine. Running triple headed and dragging 55 cars as I miss spell. But as soon as I can get to LHS they will be replaced.
As far as them being good looking Jon, they look better in person. The gold catches the light just right and look great.
Bulbs all so came in DOA, thanks for the tip on the 1.5 bulbs as well.
Not throwing stuff again, Cuda Ken
Ken
I got mine from Timonium, or rather a pal picked one up for me after I asked him to look out for one. I'm quite partial to the black/gold scheme, but only have a Proto 1000 RS2 at present and I know what you mean about the gold catching the light.
The gear repair sounds pretty thorough. I would be tempted to leave the gears as they are and see how long the repair lasts. I did a similar repair on a Genesis 2-8-2 Mikado, but I didn't go as far as the liquid nails, and it is still going strong after a year.
Jon, is the RS 2 still offred new by Proto in Monom? Is it a swich yard engine, BL engine like the BL 2's or a main line engine? I guess a switch yard engine. Seems the about the only Monom's I can find are BL 2's by Proto and F-3's which I all ready have a 10 of in War Bonnet paint. Been a few over priced Atlas engines with DCC stuff I don't need being DC as of now. Plus some AHM I not willing to take a chances on.
Do you know if there are any current Monon's in back and gold still being made?
On the repair, I ran the BL 2 that was repaired with one that has new gears. It was a heavy dragg and I could hear the gears clicking. But I all so only glued one side of each gear, I was just trying to get it moving. Plus the train was to long for 2 of them and wheels where spinning. Tripled headed they work like a charm and draw very little power. Running at a slow speed around 25 sMPH MRC 2500 is only at 55%. On the MRC 9500 it would be around 30% thottel.
By the way, your BL 2 looks great.
Cuda Ken, loving trains again.
jon grant I replaced the bulb with a white LED in my C&O BL2, at the same time I fitted the soundchip. It should work with DC as well.Jon
Is that a BL-2 specific sound chip? How do you like it? I wouldn't mind having one in my BL-2 as well. What brand did you buy? I have bought several Proto's, as well as having all of the original AHM versions ( I like BL-2's A LOT ). I found out that if you drill holes in the old shells over the gas? door casting, a small round dot in the middle, you can use the old AHM bodies on the Proto with no problem. That way you can have more selection of railroads, from FEC to BAR to CE&I. I don't think Proto had any of those roadnames on their shells. Just a heads-up.
Jerry in Virginia
I know this is an old thread. I am looking to add DCC to my layout. What decoder would you folks advise for an older/non dcc ready Proto 2000 Bl-2? I am only looking to control forward/reverse movement, speed, and lights. I am using a new Prodigy controller. How difficult would the installation be?
I like what you did to your C&O BL2. What did you do to fill in the numberboards? What paint did you use to cover it up?
Freelancer with an interest in N&W, SCL, and other 70s railroads
Is the headlight a standard bulb or an LED beam?