BLI Pennsylvania M1a/b

[mmagliaro]

The thinner driver tires on the BLI model look much more realistic than the Key model.  Nice!

That was the first thing that leaped out at me.
(and that's just one of the ways that this model is miles ahead of the Bachmann Berk or K4)

But it's even more than that.  Look at the thickness of the piping on the Key model.  Look at the crispness of the moldings of things like the compressors.  Look at the signal equipment box to the right of the compressors! (The Key one is very blobbish looking.  The BLI one is crisp and sharp)  Look at the water scoops under the tender, and the tender truck sideframes.  The cab window frames -- the rivet detail around the cab window.  I could go on and on.

Plastic has steadily been creeping up on brass for years, and for a long time I've thought that many of the old brass engines, while they look good, have chunky detail compared to what is possible now in plastic.

I think this BLI model looks much better than the Key brass M1 in every way.

And kudos for getting the 2 blind inner drivers right (Key got them right too).  That's how the prototype was.

I am really glad to see how good this looks.

[Bob Bufkin]

That's a great video: you can really get a sense of the size of the Ms from some of those shots....

Mark in Oregon

Note the smaller tender one the one.  Hopefully they can do these on further runs.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I was hanging out with @chicken45's last night, and trying to find a flaw.

I couldn't. BLI did a stellar job on these.

Now I can't wait for those H10s they'll be doing sometime around 2055.

[chicken45]

I was hanging out with @chicken45's last night, and trying to find a flaw.

I couldn't. BLI did a stellar job on these.

Now I can't wait for those H10s they'll be doing sometime around 2055.

That's because you didn't try to double head them!!

[Joetrain59]

Anyone look into the owners manual? Page 20 has graphics problem, an illustration over a body of copy. Looks like old time mechanical paste up errror.  Wonder if BLI ever looked at final proofs.
 Joe D

[Lemosteam]

Yep, saw that too!

[dougnelson]

BLI works extensively with the PRRT&HS to ensure these PRR locos are accurate. One example is the darker cab roof (freight car color + black), compared to the tender deck (straight freight car color).  Very nice job.

Lack of working front coupler is unfortunate. Seems like that may have been an engineering and/or production issue.

[GaryHinshaw]

I gotta say: that is a muscular-looking loco on a beautiful layout.  Well done BLI and Doug!

[Dave V]

Guys,

What am I doing wrong?  Neither of my M1bs work.  They act dead as a doornail, not responding to decoder address 03 or any attempt to assign CVs.  No headlights, no sound, nothing.  In all seriousness, is there an "on" button somewhere I'm missing?

 

[christoph]

Dave,

mine works well on straight DC, far better than the picky Centipedes.  DCC is still to be tested, I must install the Roco Lokmais throttle first.
Do your units work with DC?

Christoph

[Dave V]

Dave,

mine works well on straight DC, far better than the picky Centipedes.  DCC is still to be tested, I must install the Roco Lokmais throttle first.
Do your units work with DC?

Christoph

Yes, with enough juice, they do run in DC.

[Lemosteam]

@Dave Vollmer I had a similar issue with one of mine.  Had to do several factory resets and re addressing to 03.

[Dave V]

Got it!  Had to reassign the addresses...  Some reason it didn't like 03.  But the other problem was my command station toggle had been bumped from N to O/G scale!  Oddly enough my Bachmann K4s were fine, but the BLI engines went into protection mode.

One of these beasts is now alive and growling...  Time to wake the other one!

[C855B]

... the other problem was my command station toggle had been bumped from N to O/G scale! ...

Not like they're going to change it given the maturity of the product, but this is a really weak design issue. There is often a need to diddle with the sleep/op/run switch, but beyond first setup rarely ever the scale switch. That they're miniature toggles only a half-inch apart poses a risk to less robust decoders. The scale switch should've been one of those flush slide switches only changeable with a screwdriver.

[Dave V]

So, 30 loaded hoppers and a cabin.  Nice!

But it's shorting out in turnouts (I know, Peco turnouts are tight) and it also acts like it's not getting pickup from all of its wheels.

More tuning of track and loco...