Saw the new BLI boxcar with mule sounds today... (Eval on Page 8+)

[bbussey]

I hope a notable number of them are returned, so that BLI will be discouraged from releasing "dumbed-down" products in the future.  They've been flirting with going this route on the earlier products, although the K7 is to the extreme.  The N&W hopper was well done.  But the H32 has detail issues and looks sub-standard against the FVM H30; the NYC USRA cars have issues as well but they aren't as evident.  The quad hoppers do have brake appliance detail and body-mounted couplers, but they really aren't that distinguishable from classic N scale quad hopper models of half a century ago.  Either that's a testament to how well the original models were done, or an indictment on BLI that the model is not an obvious upgrade over the originals.  They've done better with the motive power, but the freight equipment has been uneven.

[Frisco Larry]

" a fool and his money"  I bought 5 cars.  I think they look fine except for the solid stirrups.  I like the sound.

[towl1996]

I had reserved the four pack of non sound cars. Even after seeing the picture of the car I was still going to keep them, thinking a dark wash might help to hid the solid body, as I really wanted these cars. But then I read the BLI guy's comment about them not caring about any potential negative feed back. So I voted with my wallet, I returned the cars.
Thankfully, I have a couple of the Traincat K7s.

I'll never pre order any BLI product again, T1 or any other Pennsy steamer included.

[Dave V]

But then I read the BLI guy's comment about them not caring about any potential negative feed back.

Where is this comment?

[Missaberoad]

Where is this comment?

Bryan made mention of it in his Report on the N scale Convention.

Additional disappointing news — the BLI stockcar tooling is solid for ALL versions of the model, including the non-sound version.  Ken does not seem to be concerned that there will be blowback against compromising the model for what amounts to a gimmick feature.  Upon further reviewing the samples on the table, the ends, roof and possibly the side cross braces can be salvaged to kitbash an X23 boxcar or R7 reefer.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=39468.msg482569#msg482569

[bbussey]

Yup.  I was incredulous.  I don't remember the exact quote.  But my take from the exchange was that the solid sides didn't matter because they would sell well enough for them to make a profit.

It also was annoying that I had seen him just a couple of weeks before at a prior show, the first time I had seen the model, and he told me then that the sound car was solid while the non-sound car had open slats.  In Kansas City, he told me that just the one tooled body for both versions.  And Ken wasn't concerned in the least, because they would sell well enough.

[Dave V]

Wow...

Sometimes I wonder if we're out of touch with "mainstream" N scale.  Maybe Ken's right; maybe most people won't care and will buy them up.  Maybe we're just on the fringe.  I imagine these would have a niche in N-Trak for shows.  One wonders if the mooing falls in and out of synch when there are multiple cars.

I'm disappointed with Ken's response, although I don't know that I'm as surprised as perhaps I should be.  Maybe he's taking a cue from Bachmann?   

Either way, I would struggle with paying that amount for any car, especially one I don't desperately need.  Combine my low priority for this car with the low fidelity and the gimmickry and I'll just have to pass.

I'm not cutting off my nose to spite my face; I love my M1s and if BLI makes other comparable Pennsy steam locomotives I will buy them no matter how many poorly-rendered freight cars with goofy sounds they make.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Someone a few lines back mentioned the "Lionel" Athearn FGE reefer. I would like to point out that these also came without sound and happen to be the best tooled 57' car out there. Better than Red Caboose. Better than Intermountain.

[bbussey]

Someone a few lines back mentioned the "Lionel" Athearn FGE reefer. I would like to point out that these also came without sound and happen to be the best tooled 57' car out there. Better than Red Caboose. Better than Intermountain.

Agreed.  The Athearn FGE reefer is well-done.  The sound units could use a capacitor, because the cycle resets whenever the wheels his a speck of dirt on the track.  But put the car on a siding, and the diesel periodically turns on and off.  The potentiometer allows the sound to be adjusted.  I have them turned down to the point that you only hear them if you are right next to them.  The model rides a little high but that's easily corrected.  Very happy with this model.

[ridinshotgun]

Wow...

Sometimes I wonder if we're out of touch with "mainstream" N scale.  Maybe Ken's right; maybe most people won't care and will buy them up.  Maybe we're just on the fringe.  I imagine these would have a niche in N-Trak for shows.  One wonders if the mooing falls in and out of synch when there are multiple cars.

I'm disappointed with Ken's response, although I don't know that I'm as surprised as perhaps I should be.  Maybe he's taking a cue from Bachmann?   

Either way, I would struggle with paying that amount for any car, especially one I don't desperately need.  Combine my low priority for this car with the low fidelity and the gimmickry and I'll just have to pass.

I'm not cutting off my nose to spite my face; I love my M1s and if BLI makes other comparable Pennsy steam locomotives I will buy them no matter how many poorly-rendered freight cars with goofy sounds they make.

I don't see how these could have been marketed as a satisfactory Ntrak product.  Every show i hsve ever been to and set up at is too noisy for anything with sound to heard very well. The venues are always too big with tons of talking and extraneous noises such as the quad copter folks and the large scale traintrain rides that setup.

Now our setup at the club is a different matter during open houses. But I didn't order them for sound purposes, and neither did the others that I know that ordered them and also cancelled.  For us the sound was more of an added gimmick so we went with the dumb cars. However there are more than just issues with them having solid sides. That is the biggest fubar but other details appear crude and oversized. Just not worth it at the price point set.

[Mike C]

A real shame about the tooling on this car.

Luckily for me, I have no real interest in this car, but I'm wondering if a better shell could be fitted to this car ...

I wondered the same thing . Not that I need any though , just wondering.

[tom mann]

When was the MT (or Atlas) stock cars originally tooled?  Sometime in the 70's, right?  Is there any probable reason why this tooling/model looks like this?  Is it a new technique, like 3D printed molds or something?  I'm just trying to understand why this is such a huge step backwards.

[bbussey]

The MTL car, around 1975. The original Atlas 10'6" stock car, around 1970.

[Chris333]

The tooling should be just like they spec'd it.

[djconway]

Well I was one of the suckers,  I bought both the open hoppers and the covered hoppers, so when I saw the announcement I had my LHS order a 4 pack of no sound cars. 

This is the main reason why I totally dislike the model of announce with a short cutoff date and push the risk out to the buyer.  No risk to the manafacturer, the modeler has to commit before they can see it, or risk not getting it.

What's there next model going to look like? I'm not going to risk my money on BLI, I may miss a model or two just to see where BLL is going.
Their money is going into HO, too few modelers in N to worry over?