Preproduction photos of the BLI's new N scale locomotives

[BeastofTheEast]

Any up right side photos?

[peteski]

Any up right side photos?

No, I didn't take any "beauty shots".  I thought that with all the photos BLI already posted officially (some were linked to in  an earlier thread here on TRW), modelers would be more interested in the mechanism and underside details.

[pjm20]

Can't wait to get me some BLI!

[Specter3]

I have to say that at this point if you want more Pennsy steam you will support this loco unless it is absolut trash. BLI makes a good loco in HO so one would hope this would be functional enough to be supported well. I am hoping it is because I would like to see their pacifics come to N. The light would make a decent I1 and the heavy looks to be suitable for an I4.

[Dave V]

Even my tiny postage stamp-sized Pennsy is getting two of 'em.  I start drooling when I imagine a meet between M1s on my layout...

[CodyO]

Getting 2 as of now but might try for a 3rd as my birthday gift in June, can`t blow all my hobby monies with 4 PRR F7s coming in July

[reinhardtjh]

Between the 3 hobby shops in my area that I frequent I have 4 on pre-order.  I really hope these turn out as well as BLI's HO models.

[victor miranda]

I have to say that at this point if you want more Pennsy steam you will support this loco unless it is absolut trash. BLI makes a good loco in HO so one would hope this would be functional enough to be supported well. I am hoping it is because I would like to see their pacifics come to N. The light would make a decent I1 and the heavy looks to be suitable for an I4.

uh...
dingit.

about that absolute trash...
is the MP Pacific absolute trash?
how about the  Precision Brass K4? ... did that mark high on the trash scale?

As a PRR wannabe SPF , I know I am going to get my arm twisted to buy it.

I already know the model will come with sound.
so right off the block I know about 100 dollars of what ever is the going rate
is BADLY spent to get a shiny new one.

If the model on the shelves arrives with a three pole motor and late 60's wipers
for the pick-up, then I am very likely to spend the 100 dollar premium on the savings
 to get the brass PRR M1...

BLI needs to deliver an ordinary loco for our current standards and it will sell.
If you want BLI to sell a lot of them... convince them to ditch the sound premium.

I have none of their Diesels for a simple reason.

victor

[strummer]

uh...
dingit.



I already know the model will come with sound.
so right off the block I know about 100 dollars of what ever is the going rate
is BADLY spent to get a shiny new one.

If the model on the shelves arrives with a three pole motor and late 60's wipers
for the pick-up, then I am very likely to spend the 100 dollar premium on the savings
 to get the brass PRR M1...

BLI needs to deliver an ordinary loco for our current standards and it will sell.
If you want BLI to sell a lot of them... convince them to ditch the sound premium.


victor

I'm in full agreement with the above. Don't want to have to spend extra $ for features I don't want/need.

Mark in Oregon

[mmagliaro]

I'm in full agreement with the above. Don't want to have to spend extra $ for features I don't want/need.

Mark in Oregon

Along this vein,
I am ecstatically happy to have a BLI E7 shell mounted on a stripped Kato E8 chassis with no sound and no DCC.

This topic comes up over and over.   The non-DCC folks want a DC option, and even some of the DCC folks
want the engine to be DCC "ready", but without a decoder.  They often like to just buy their own decoder and plug it in
because they have certain ones they prefer, and don't want to pay for a preinstalled decoder they are going
to remove anyway.   

I really wonder if the segment of the customer base
that wants everything pre-installed is smaller than those two segments (combined).  In other words, if engines
were DCC ready, but without decoders,would that make more people happy or more people mad?

[Kisatchie]

...In other words, if engines were DCC ready, but without decoders,would that make more people happy or more people mad?

It would make me happy to have DCC ready locos always available.


Hmm... it would make me
happy to have a banana
daiquiri always available...

[victor miranda]

Hi Max,

this is actually a money issue.

the cost for DCC is extra and how much more is what causes the problem

If the sound/dcc version is 10 dollars I'll pay it on a 100 dollar loco.
(some one will pay that for a decoder etc...)
and that is to point out that it is not a painful price difference.

where the howls start appears at about over 50 dollars.
because it is an expensive decoder no matter the quality.
then the question of what qualities the decoder features
and difficulty of avoided installation.

the sound option may be a little higher
digitrax makes a good n-scale decoder and it costs less than 20 bucks.
and it is hard to justify the additional 30 dollars for a factory install.

the GMD1 is a little pricey for a diesel...
in that case, the 40 dollar extra for sound may be an easy choice...

I think most modelers would accept the bells and whistles as standard
if the price for those items are not clearly unreasonable.

so far I am of the opinion that factory DCC install price is pretty clearly
more than the value of the modeler install.

I do expect that will change.  right now, roll yer own is the clearer path.

victor

[Chris333]

I notice in a few MR loco reviews they state the DCC equipped loco would not run great on DC until some decoder speed value was changed. And I have heard that online as well, along with my own experiences with Bachmann locos. My solution is to rip that sucka out and go straight DC because I have no way to program the decoder. I have no idea why a DC guy would buy a DCC programer just to fix something they didn't want and were forced to buy.

[BeastofTheEast]

Not Nov 2014, Not Dec, Not Jan, but May 2015? I'll probably be dead before these stupid things ever hit store shelves.

[peteski]

Not Nov 2014, Not Dec, Not Jan, but May 2015? I'll probably be dead before these stupid things ever hit store shelves.

Is that a good or a bad thing? 

May 2015 is only few months away.  Cheer up!

Hey, I'm still waiting for Rapido Osgood-Bradley cars - nowhere in sight, and the Turbo train (it has probably been close to 10 years).    Still alive and kickin'