BLI Guided Development Survey

[dem34]

BLI has put this out. Seems to be asking for opinions from the greater modelling community on what they want/expect from BLI models.
TLDR
Should we put more smoke generators in our steam and perhaps even diesel models?
Should we sell DCC Ready models?
Does anyone even use rolling thunder?
Why do people dislike Paragon?
And what other brand of decoder do people like?

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf21ndeE2nf6WxppoUICN4Q39vGyyxubXe9zgcZXOV7NojESA/viewform

[peteski]

Interesting questions. I hope survey takers put down honest and accurate answers.

[thomasjmdavis]

Hmmm....kinda backward marketing.  If you are not already a BLI owner, you can't participate in the survey unless you just make stuff up. The way to sell more product is to find out what the people who don't buy product already want that you aren't doing. 

I realized as a result of looking up "Rolling Thunder" on their site, that in addition to paying for a decoder that a lot of folks don't like, one is also paying for a RF transmitter that you don't have any use for unless you want "Rolling Thunder^TM.  At least now I know what it is.  I've been watching their videos for years being completely unclear what the difference was between a "Paragon 3" (or 4) and a "Paragon 3, Rolling Thunder^TM" since they refer to some one way and others the other way.

Now, here is a question about Rolling Thunder^TM- The price of the receiver is $100 (in round numbers). An HO system with receiver and subwoofer is $250. An N scale system with receiver and subwoofer is $200.  The receivers are the same unit for both scales and costs $100.  Which means if you buy an HO system, you pay $150 for the speaker, but if you buy an N scale system, you pay $100 for the speaker. So, what is the difference between the 2 speakers?

https://www.broadway-limited.com/rollingthunder.aspx

For me....sound is secondary.  I would prefer a "DCC ready" version.  Rolling Thunder^TM is irrelevant for me, since they don't make sound decoders for the locomotives I already own, and it seems like a lot of bother so that (if I ever buy a BLI product) a small percentage of my trains can "rumble", and it would be silly to have the floor shake when a BLI Pacific goes by with a couple coaches, but nothing when an ABBA set of Katos drags 3000 tons of highball freight past the viewpoint.

Now, if they actually want to know what they need to do to sell me stuff.... produce the ATSF steam in N scale that they currently produce in HO.  Or...not that I would expect them to....but either class of 4-8-4 in use on the GTW in the 1950s- among the last steam locomotives to haul regular scheduled passenger trains in the US.  Or even their CN counterparts in GTW lettering, I'd live with the detail differences.

Anyway, if you are already a BLI customer, and are filling out the survey, and somewhere have the opportunity to ask for ATSF steam, feel free to add a couple of units for me to your "I would buy X units if you made ATSF steam."

[nickelplate759]

I am a BLI customer, but I don't own any Paragon4 engines, so I still can't answer their questions.
I have several Paragon3 engines, and several more of the original "Precision Craft" engines with no sound at all (and that I installed decoders in myself).

[peteski]

Took the survey, and asked to forget about smoke (silly oily gimmick, which looks totally unrealistic in N scale), Rollin Thunder (IMO another gimmick), and to offer "undecoderized" models (DC), so I can install some "real" decoders.  I did word things nicer than what I wrote above.

[Cajonpassfan]

Well, I have a bunch of BLI stuff, including a number of locos equipped with Paragon 4 decoders, which I do like. They fixed the lame lighting protocol, and the "keep alive" function is very good, at least on my layout. I wish I could upgrade my older Paragon decoders to the P4 standard.

I did respond to the survey, but it's clearly HO-centric...I mean I could win an HO steam engine for participating..
I also noted I thought the smoke is a silly gimmick that gums up track and poo pooed  the "rolling thunder". Pleeež

Still, I've always felt BLI is making a good effort to improve with each new release and decoder generation, and that I appreciate. So, if they reach out, I'm willing to play. Though not DCC related, I also did let them know how ridiculous I think (and @peteski will no doubt agree) the new solid Pacific drivers look

Otto K.

[peteski]

Still, I've always felt BLI is making a good effort to improve with each new release and decoder generation, and that I appreciate. So, if they reach out, I'm willing to play. Though not DCC related, I also did let them know how ridiculous I think (and @peteski will no doubt agree) the new solid Pacific drivers look

Otto K.

Actually Otto, I forgot about those solid drivers (yuck!).  Probably because I don't own that loco.

[kscessandriver]

I responded, and I let them have it. If they just produced a DC/DCC ready version of what they make, I'd own a lot more of their models. For what it's worth, they used to do so, with Precision Craft Models...

[mu26aeh]

I responded, and I let them have it. If they just produced a DC/DCC ready version of what they make, I'd own a lot more of their models. For what it's worth, they used to do so, with Precision Craft Models...

It's why I don't own any of their AC6000 models.  I wasn't touching them without a ESU loksound included with the purchase

[C855B]

I have several BLI locos, but none with Paragon 4, so the "mandatory answers" page about Paragon 4 got a bunch of "1" (bad) entries from me. The three PAs I have are Paragon 3 and they have never been on my layout... expensive shelf queens at the moment since I haven't found the roundtuit to remove the factory decoders.

I cannot believe they're seriously considering smoke as a feature although I had read about that here previously. I surmise that somebody in management is trying to re-live their childhood experiences with Lionel's gimmicks, completely forgetting the mess smoke made. Once I get around to scenicking the layout, would I allow a smoke-spewing model on it? Not in a microsecond for the cumulative damage it would do.

[dem34]

And that seems to be the same overall sentiment I get with smoke. The overwhelming majority of HO modellers I know turn off the smoke unit before it touches the layout. And going beyond mess there is also the the constant overheating risk that can very easily creep up even on a modest running session, not to mention with how small N scale reservoirs would be.

[eja]

I would like them to make new models that folks aren't complaining about or returning as soon as they receive them.

Guess that is not one of the questions, however.

[reinhardtjh]

I did respond to the survey, but it's clearly HO-centric...I mean I could win an HO steam engine for participating..

In the end essay I told them I'm in N-Scale and I don't need an HO locomotive (even if it is PRR) and said to give me Big Boy instead.  MSRP on the BigBoy is lower than the E6 so why not? 

I also told them that Kato did a better job 15 years ago on their Mikado then they did on the Pacific and Mikados and to please re-think the driver design.

[reinhardtjh]

I would like them to make new models that folks aren't complaining about or returning as soon as they receive them.

Guess that is not one of the questions, however.

Once you get through all the Paragon 4 questions, there is an essay section as the last question which seems to be as long as you need - go to town and give 'em hell.

[CBQ Fan]

I provided feedback. I would love to see a DC version that will work with other brands. Even multiple BLI locos in DC is iffy.