Centipedes Shipping?

[Cajonpassfan]

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  What is that thing?
Otto K.

[Dave V]

@peteski's review doesn't exactly fill me with confidence that the Juniata Division needs centipedes...

[chicken45]

I am excited to see what you do to them, @peteski. I re-gauged my wheels with an NMRA gauge. I had to do the same with my BLI PA/PB set.

[haasmarc]

@peteski's review doesn't exactly fill me with confidence that the Juniata Division needs centipedes...

Don't worry about it Dave.

My layout is Atlas C55 and some Fast Track.  My Centipedes jumped at every switch.  I re-gauged them, which is pretty easy, with my NMRA gauge and now they flow through the switches smoothly with no issues including a double slip.  I ran them around the layout looking to see if they catch on a bridge or tunnel portal but had no issues at all.

One thing that does surprise me is that they are sensitive to dirty track.  I hadn't run any trains in months so I had to run my track cleaning train around first (2 Atlas motorized track cleaners, one in vacuum and one in polish mode, sandwiched by 2 LifeLike PA's all mu'd together).  Even after that, I had a couple of spots which needed extra attention before the Centipedes would be happy and not stall.  With all those wheels I would have thought they would be very easy on dirty track.

[peteski]

That "thing" is a DCC sound decoder with a spaghettil-like wire harness and connectors.    Not my favorite way to wire up a model, but I'm sure it is easier to deal with when the model is being put together on an assembly line.

To me just spreading the wheels to be in-gauge is not up to my standards.  I will install plastic washers to prevent the wheels from moving and getting in narrow gauge again.  Also, increasing the gauge increases the total length of the axle. The makes them ride tight in the bearing cups.  So I will go one step further and press the half-axles slightly in. That way, even when in correct gauge, they will still have a bit of play in the bearing cups.  This might be a waste of time to others but I like to go that extra step.

The problems I described shouldn't stop anybody from buying this beautiful and unique beasts. It is just disappointing to have a $400 pair of locomotives which aren't really ready to run (unless you use track switches with looser geometry).  I'm not sure why many manufacturers (even Kato) seem to make their locomotives tight in gauge. Getting it right is not rocket science. 

[glakedylan]

question, please

the stock photos online @ several hobby shops show the "A-A" units with single stripes
and the individual "A" units with 5 stripes

is that the way they come or are the photos not accurate?

also I see that buying 2 separate units costs more that the double units

does not make sense to me, is one paying more for the 5 stripes?

finally, is there one that is more prototypical for early '50s, one stripe or five stripe?

yes, the bug continues to bite...

sincerely
Gary

[muktown128]

Basic story - As delivered in 5 stripe passenger scheme.  Later downgraded for freight service and changed to single stripe scheme.  A-A sets offered by BLI in both 5 stripe and single stripe scheme.  Single A units only offered by BLI in 5 stripe scheme.   

[glakedylan]

thanks for the info
very appreciated
Gary

[peteski]

In most cases buying sets of multiple items costs less than than buying multiples of the single items. 

[chicken45]

That "thing" is a DCC sound decoder with a spaghettil-like wire harness and connectors.    Not my favorite way to wire up a model, but I'm sure it is easier to deal with when the model is being put together on an assembly line.

To me just spreading the wheels to be in-gauge is not up to my standards.  I will install plastic washers to prevent the wheels from moving and getting in narrow gauge again.  Also, increasing the gauge increases the total length of the axle. The makes them ride tight in the bearing cups.  So I will go one step further and press the half-axles slightly in. That way, even when in correct gauge, they will still have a bit of play in the bearing cups.  This might be a waste of time to others but I like to go that extra step.

The problems I described shouldn't stop anybody from buying this beautiful and unique beasts. It is just disappointing to have a $400 pair of locomotives which aren't really ready to run (unless you use track switches with looser geometry).  I'm not sure why many manufacturers (even Kato) seem to make their locomotives tight in gauge. Getting it right is not rocket science. 

Can we count on a thread for this what we can "Best Of?"

[chicken45]

question, please

the stock photos online @ several hobby shops show the "A-A" units with single stripes
and the individual "A" units with 5 stripes

is that the way they come or are the photos not accurate?

also I see that buying 2 separate units costs more that the double units

does not make sense to me, is one paying more for the 5 stripes?

finally, is there one that is more prototypical for early '50s, one stripe or five stripe?

yes, the bug continues to bite...

sincerely
Gary

They sell singles and A-A sets in both single stripe and 5 stripe.

[peteski]

Can we count on a thread for this what we can "Best Of?"

Eventually...
It will be similar to the Arnold SW1 review, but I'm not going to reverse-engineer the BLI decoder board! 

[Lemosteam]

Eventually...
It will be similar to the Arnold SW1 review, but I'm not going to reverse-engineer the BLI decoder board! 

Boo Hiss Disqualified!

[reinhardtjh]

the stock photos online @ several hobby shops show the "A-A" units with single stripes
and the individual "A" units with 5 stripes

Initially, the Centipedes were bought for PRR passenger service and they were decorated with 5-stripes.  After a few years, they proved unreliable for passenger trains and were downgraded to freight service.  Eventually they were repainted with the single stripe.  BLI had produced both versions.

is that the way they come or are the photos not accurate?

That's how they come, the photos are accurate.

also I see that buying 2 separate units costs more that the double units

does not make sense to me, is one paying more for the 5 stripes?

No, you're just paying extra to be able to buy just one unit. Also note that the PRR singles are different, one has a trainphone antenna and one doesn't.  It's like BLI broke up one of the A-A sets.

finally, is there one that is more prototypical for early '50s, one stripe or five stripe?

I don't have any hard data, but it appears that by late 1952, maybe 1953 most had been repainted to the single stripe scheme.

[mmyers]

Pulled the trigger on a set last night from MBK. Wish they would have had them restocked last Saturday when the 20% off deal was good during the Timonium show.
That's it. One set. Rest is for the MI's

Martin Myers