BLI Heavy Mikado problems

[Teditor]

My BLI Heavy Mikado had a hitch in the sound like a broken loop in the chuff, the loco is very intermittent in running, it just keeps cutting out, if I put pressure on the tender it runs better. I tried to remove the tender trucks and the screws holding them must have been lock-tighted and power driven, eventually got them undone (myself and two club members had a go), I wanted to see how the pickups worked, as it turns out, pointed axles in cups with soldered wires, the loco also had a hatred for its traction tires, ran out of Bull Frog Snot so applied thinned PVC in the same manner, works like a charm, on the rare occasion it actually runs, any suggestions, at the moment it is basically an almost $600.00 (AUS) Shelf Queen.

Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From the Land Down Under.

[CBQ Fan]

Very clean track really makes a difference.

[Teditor]

We have very clean track, the problem existed from the get-go, there has been a rare occasion where it has run relatively good.

Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From the Land Down Under.

[CBQ Fan]

Have you tried cleaning the wheels?  Just sharing a couple of tricks that helped my BL steam locos.

[Teditor]

The tender wheels have been cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner and the loco by running it on toilet tissue with contact cleaner, I have another BLI loco, HO Scale C & O T1 2-10-4 that has had a decoder replaced (which has also failed) and lost a drive gear tooth and it derails even on straight track, beautiful locos as far as detail and running when they are good, but good seems temporary with them, maybe I just got staff knock-off time models.

Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From the Land Down Under.

[jjb62556]

That's why I got rid of my BLI stuff...Too many problems!

[ns737]

it sounds like the tender truck wheels are fully sitting down on the rails . as you stated when you put pressure on it. either the drawbar may be lifting the front tender truck just lightly off the rails or the tender frame may not be flat. and as far as cleaning wheels . use coffee filters. (no lint)

[jdcolombo]

I don't own any of the BLI heavy Mikes, but I do own 5 of the light Mikes.  From the factory, with the Paragon 3 decoders, the engines almost always hesitated or stalled at low speeds on my VERY clean track.  I ended up replacing the Paragon 3 decoders in all of them with ESU LokSound micros and a TCS KA-1 keep alive, along with a new 11x13mm speaker in a custom enclosure.  Now they run superbly.  No stalls, no hesitation, smooth as silk, and they sound great.

I think the Paragon 3 decoder is terrible.  It would probably be better if you could add a keep alive to it, but there's no easy way to do this, and no space for it with the stock speaker in place.  While spending another $150 (US) on an already expensive engine is galling, in my case this strategy fixed all the problems, and I now use the Mikes regularly in local service on my layout, where they perform like champs.

See the following thread for more information:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=48510.0 (note that I used a TCS KA-3 in this install, but have since switched to the KA-1, which works just as well and takes up less space).

John C.

[Teditor]

Very impressive, how a steam locomotive should sound, whistle being the dominant sound and a good staccato exhaust,I guess another couple hundred bucks may be well worth it, don't no if doing the job is above my pay grade tho!

Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From the Land Down Under.