Model Railroading > BLI Models

BLI electronics and in some cases the motors are pure junk. This has been the case since the first BLI models.
The models themselves are well done.
BLI uses their own inhouse decoders that are crap.
They won't listen to anyone. As long as people keep buying their models they won't change. I have sent back many models for repair and they come back with the same problems.
If people stop buying their models, they will listen or go belly up.

Sorry. This was supposed to go with the sharknose post below.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/19 11:52 by needles_sub.

Pretty much...the reason the only BLI engine I have is one I got for dirt cheap!

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

I agree, I have 3 BLI locomotives and two of them have had MAJOR work done on them. The first to go bad was the Light Mike: the decoder just crashed. Had sound but not function. Replaced with a Soundtraxx T-2 Steam and it runs like a charm.  The second was a DRGW Challenger: sent it back after about 3 minutes of running. Still had MAJOR issues and I replaced the decoder with a T-2 and also replaced the # 3 axle in the front engine due to issues was the axle!  Runs like a charm now. The third is a Consolidation and so far, knock on wood, it runs OK, but then it does not get run that often and if it needs it, it will also get a T-2!

As for the model themselves, I like them.  BUT I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER BLI PRODUCT!!!

David Ketchum
Cheyenne WY

The sad part was the narrow gauge C-16's. owned three of them at one time--identical locomotive-. They all ran at different speeds at different voltages, the sound effects were nice but did not benefit from sitting for extended periods. I finally sold then off on ebay with the warning that each engine had its own operating characterics. I got out of 0n30 alt together!

Of the five I own, four are on the self. One steamer with Mechanical and electrical issues, one steamer with Mechanical issues, and two SW1500's that stutter.

One NW2 still working well. All Paragon 2's. Steam sounds are ok but diesel sounds are very clunky and unsophisticated.

Unfortunate that BLI is the largest producer of Steam along with Bachmann.

Sometimes I wonder if these loco's are purchased by a bunch of old guys and they never leave the box except for the display self.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/19 16:51 by ChrisCampi.

I have two Paragon3 Reading T-1 4-8-4's, #2101 and #2123, which I purchased from BLI's Refurbished store.  When I tried to run them doubled headed (advance consist on NCE ProCab system) the would act "wonky" starting and stopping randomly, and sometimes running away at full speed without any control over them.  I finally removed the BLI electronics and replaced them woth SoundTraxx Econami decoders with Current Keepers.  I also eliminated the smake uints, as I don't find HO scale smoke very realistic.  But now they run perfectly, both singly and as a doubled headed consist.  An I think the SoundTraxx chff is better than the off-beat BLI chuff.

Stuart

I ordered a Paragon 3 Big Boy a few months ago.  All of a sudden, it would not run anymore and I could detect that electrical burn smell.  It was out of warranty, and I sent it back to BLI.  They replaced the decoder and the motor (they said both were fried) and didn't charge me a penny!  I thought that was very nice.  Perhaps there were some known issues with these, so they were trying to keep people happy by replacing the bad parts for free.  It runs, sounds and smells great now!  Better than it did when I got it new.  Perhpas it never ran correctly, and just took time to completely die.

I've had one experience with BLI. I bought a California Zephyr dome car recently since it is close to BNSF's Canyon View business car. I'm on a tight budget right now so my model railroad budget has basically been slashed to nothing, save for a few small purchases here and there. The passenger car is the first large purchase (50 bucks or more) I've made in months. Because of that, I was quite disappointed to get this car in the mail and find out the paint has a very strong gold tint to it. I hoped it wouldn't be too bad, but when I ran it with my Walthers passenger cars, which are silver, it stuck out like a sore thumb. I want to repaint the car to match the others, but the paint is next to impossible to strip off. Rubbing alcohol didn't work. Soaking the car in Easy Off oven cleaner (a trick I saw on another site about removing BLI paint) didn't work. I'm going to try getting some fresh rubbing alcohol and soaking it for a long time to see if that works, but who knows.

First and last time I'll buy BLI. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 10:09 by arizonaBNSF.

I've had great service from BLI when it comes to replacing bad decoders, but it's still a shame that their electronics can't keep up with their engines' appearance.  I model the PRR and have a bunch of BLI products, including an ABA set of their new Baldwin Sharks, and I guess it's just a matter of time before the decoders on those crap out.  I think I'm about to join the "no more BLI for me" club.

Bob

arizonaBNSF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've had one experience with BLI. I bought a
> California Zephyr dome car recently since it is
> close to BNSF's Canyon View business car. I'm on a
> tight budget right now so my model railroad budget
> has basically been slashed to nothing, save for a
> few small purchases here and there. The passenger
> car is the first large purchase (50 bucks or more)
> I've made in months. Because of that, I was quite
> disappointed to get this car in the mail and find
> out the paint has a very strong gold tint to it. I
> hoped it wouldn't be too bad, but when I ran it
> with my Walthers passenger cars, which are silver,
> it stuck out like a sore thumb. I want to repaint
> the car to match the others, but the paint is next
> to impossible to strip off. Rubbing alcohol didn't
> work. Soaking the car in Easy Off oven cleaner (a
> trick I saw on another site about removing BLI
> paint) didn't work. I'm going to try getting some
> fresh rubbing alcohol and soaking it for a long
> time to see if that works, but who knows.
>
> First and last time I'll buy BLI. 

It's not paint but actual metal plating. Which is why paint strippers don't work.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's not paint but actual metal plating. Which is
> why paint strippers don't work.

That's interesting to know. Do you have any reccomendations on how to remove it down to the bare plastic? The rubbing alcohol did soften it up a bit and I was able to pick some off with my finger, but obviously I can't do that with the whole model and if I were to paint directly over the finish at this point (if that would even work with the metal plating), it would still be visible where I picked at it. 

BLI certainly sells many "refurbished" locomotives. Is that something other model train manufacturers do too?

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 19:35 by wabash2800.

arizonaBNSF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's not paint but actual metal plating. Which
> is
> > why paint strippers don't work.
>
> That's interesting to know. Do you have any
> reccomendations on how to remove it down to the
> bare plastic? The rubbing alcohol did soften it up
> a bit and I was able to pick some off with my
> finger, but obviously I can't do that with the
> whole model and if I were to paint directly over
> the finish at this point (if that would even work
> with the metal plating), it would still be visible
> where I picked at it. 

Have you tired ScaleCoat paint stripper? I have success with it removing plating off models in the past.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 13:41 by needles_sub.

I have not tried ScaleCoat paint stripper, but I'll give it a shot. I'll try anything at this point.