BLI cyro cars are in at MBK.

[Missaberoad]

Just received my two from MB. Very detailed models and worth it. One thing that stood out on the box was the Prop65 cancer warning. Is this cause of model itself containing something like lead or the moisture packet in the box?

If that is the "causes Cancer in the state of California" warning, it's been on model trains for at least a decade...

I imagine it's due to something in the manufacturing process...

[C855B]

These cars look nice but there are several issues that keep you from just putting them on the track and enjoy running them.

1) Cars wobble back and forth as they roll.
2) Cars won't couple unless lots of force is used.
3) Wheelsets aren't in gauge.
4) Wheelsets fall out of trucks.

...

A pair arrived this week and I ran them for the first time tonight. Confirm issues #2 and #3. The couplers are bad - lots of force, and one would not center.

Given it's 2019, the wheelsets are just plain crap, and the wheel profile is pizza-cutter-esque, just lacking the deep flanges. They would negotiate an Atlas C55 #10 at no more than restricted speed. I can't find my stash of FVM 36" wheelsets (or I'm [...shudder...] out), so they are now off the layout and in the drawer labeled "RIP Track". I did not open the coupler box to see if a 1015 shank assembly would fit, but if I'm going to fool with that may as well see what it takes to get a TSC box on the end platform and call 'er done.

Lovely cars, but at the moment they're shelf repair-drawer queens.

[bbussey]

Going to need to figure out a way to body-mount the couplers also, so the trucks can be replaced.  I'm hoping that I don't have to resort to a 3D print or an etching.  We'll see.  I grabbed two but I'm under no urgency to get them service-ready.  They do look nice, although I had to perform some body maintenance as well.

[wcfn100]

Just opened mine and it was broken in a half dozen spots.  I can't even pretend to be upset as this pretty much what I expected. 


Jason

[Showme]

  I ordered 3 pairs from MBK and after all these comments about damage, I took every one of them out and checked carefully. The only problems I saw was a couple of the cars had the lower rail loose at the ends but a dot of superglue will fix that. I did order cars with the top rails confined to the hatch area only. I could see a disaster in the making with the cars with full length rails on top walkways.
  I do wish manufacturers would use brass wire on those low rails because they seem to always take the hit whether it be Atlas, Athearn, or these tank cars. Some of the damage I see in the pics are tough to figure out why. Especially broken couplers. The cars I got seem to be nested pretty good. But then, the pairs of cars come in cardboard cases with the plastic cases inside those. Maybe that helped?

Bob

[Mark5]

I gave in and got one. This one is good 1962+.

Potential good news on the coupler mount - there is a "platform" on the end where a coupler could be mounted.

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The coupler pocket is gonna have to be short.

[Mark5]

The roller bearing trucks on the one I bought are 33". Gotta check the proto so I can see what size the real ones used. Coupler is crap based on visual inspection, but I will discard and body mount anyway.

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Mark

[Mark5]

I believe these should have 100 ton trucks - 36" wheels (after looking at many proto pics). Also, if you look at the 2nd photo I posted above, you can see stenciled:

"36 I W CLASS C WHLS"

More evidence:
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And still more (from an HO model):
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Mark

[bbussey]

Good work @Mark5 — hopefully BLMA 100t trucks fit the job, along with MTL 1016 (or 1019) couplers if there is enough room to inset them properly.

EDIT - looks like not enough room for a 1016. Maybe a modified 1015 if the screw hole clears the existing body screw ... or possibly, a longer screw can do double duty and hold the coupler and the body.

[ljudice]

You would think they would have looked at Atlas and Athearn tanks for ideas when designing it...

[peteski]

You would think they would have looked at Atlas and Athearn tanks for ideas when designing it...

I ask myself that question fairly often when examine newly-designed model. 

Some good designs (like the Kato-style low friction loco trucks) seem to have been copied to various degree by other  manufacturers, but then like in this case, I scratch my head asking myself "why didn't they use a design that works well, instead of reinventing the proverbial wheel".  Maybe the design engineers want to put their own spin on the model, or aren't savvy enough to examine other existing well-working designs and use similar designs in their models?

[C855B]

I ask myself that question fairly often when examine newly-designed model. 

... like in this case, I scratch my head asking myself "why didn't they use a design that works well, instead of reinventing the proverbial wheel".  ...

My honest, un-PC answer which will make few friends among the company reps who lurk here? This seems to be an affliction unique to certain HO producers (somewhat) recently breaking into the N market. NIH syndrome. "We know what works, we will do it our way."

Wrong.

EDIT: I wasn't going to name names, but I will call out BLI and ScaleTrains.com for their ongoing coupler debacles. For the R&D money they sunk into engineering and producing their own N scale couplers not to mention the cost, both money and PR, dealing with customer support/dissatisfaction, they could have bought MTL in 55-gallon drums. I'll give Athearn a pass on this with the McHenry, as they were supporting a promising alternative that didn't quite pan out, but at least it's not quite the in-operation problem of the imitators.

[bbussey]

Swapping in BLMA 100-ton trucks and body-mounting standard MTL 1015 couplers works. Drill and tap the hole for the couplers directly in the center of the punch out dimple on the bottom of the end walkway. Use 3/16” flat head screws. The outer axle clears the coupler box and the car rolls freely. I’m still working on an easy way to mount the trucks, but that won’t be difficult. So fortunately, it takes little effort to get these ready for service.

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[daniel_leavitt2000]

Nice! That looks a lot better.

[learmoia]

My honest, un-PC answer which will make few friends among the company reps who lurk here? This seems to be an affliction unique to certain HO producers (somewhat) recently breaking into the N market. NIH syndrome. "We know what works, we will do it our way."

Then why aren't the couplers body mountred?   

You could apply that to questions to several of BLW's odd ball design choices over the years..llpp

~Ian