Great review! Love the detail you go into. And a little fun fact about the sound is their SD45 sounds were recorded in person from Northern Pacific 3617 at the North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth MN. A engine that I personally have the privilege to work with. NP 3617 is a SD45 and has the 645E3 20 Cylinder prime mover and their audio file sounds exactly like the real deal. From the high pitch turbo Down to the overly fast bell. (Minus the incorrect GE Air compressor. I’ve been assured that will be fixed on their next run). Keep up the good work BLI and keep improving the quality of your engines!
I recently purchased a Athearn Genesis Veranda Turbine I have a Ready To Roll Veranda Turbine that is DCC ready only no sound. I planed on putting Tsunami 2 in it and upgrading it from Incandescent bulbs to LED'S . But never got around to it. I saw the new Loco at the train store I hade the money so I bought it. I might put a LOK sound decoder in it as a comparison between Tsunami and ESU.
The blue on that demonstrator looks sparkly?!! I grew up in northern California in the 1970's and the Southern Pacific SD45 was an iconic diesel during those times. This is the first SP SD45 with the L windshield and SP details. Being BLI, I'm still not sure I'd want to buy one and so far have been waiting for ScaleTrains. ScaleTrains has offered SP SD45's but only with standard or "use to be" windshields, as in SP first order SD45's or rebuilt SD45R's. Most of SP SD45's had the L windshield after the first order.
I don’t currently own any Broadway Limited models, and after your last few reviews I can’t say I have much interest in changing that. Seems like if I get a steam engine I’ll run into problems with performance AND getting the issues fixed (granted detail wise they do a great job, so I guess I’d be getting it for display) and diesel wise it seems like they’re lacking in detail and performance versus other manufacturers. Thanks for the informative review!
I'm glad to have helped you make better decisions in your model railroading world. I'll endeavor to keep it real as much as I can! Thank you for watching and letting me know!
I do use these radio chatter functions when I can. I think they make things a little more realistic, as if you’re in the cab listening to the radio chatter yourself.
Lombard Hobbies I believe has ScaleTrains SD45s on a steep discount on $199.99 for DCC sound versions if you want to compare them. The upcoming Walthers Proto 45s might be also worth a comparison too
Thanks for making these videos. I really hope BLI decides to do DCC ready in the future. Their steam detail seems to be good in my experience, but whatever diesels I’ve seen are subpar at best. At least the paint on yours is beautiful!
Yes, that's right! Avoided the chipped paint issue I'm seeing coming up so very often! I think DCC-ready is something so many people have asked for, but their profit margin is incredibly high on DCC-installed I'm not sure if they'll do it.. we'll have to see..
I have a 4x8 layout in my office, so every once in a while I will throw some BLI chatter in. I would like to know more about the size of your layout and how you store and index your collection. Thanks for asking us about our opinions on your channel.
The EMDX 4354 passed into the hands of other railways until finally reaching TFM and being remunerated at 1200. Currently the 1200 carries the KCS Belle scheme. The locomotive is in the Railway Museum of H.Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
I do not use the chatter functions. Although I do like it on my MTH locos because if the engine is just sitting idling the chatter automatically comes on.
I love the horn, I love the prime mover, the rest just sucks. The bell goes away too fast, it's super under detailed, it's EXTREMELY overpriced, and I'll just get a scale trains one. Also the prime mover is great, but it sounds like a MODERN SD40-2 or 45, not an old one from the 60s. They idled slower than this or faster. This is right in the middle, most of the newer SD40-2s and 3's idle like this.
These are really good points. I think this model has really disappointed a number of people. Hopefully they’ll use the critique to do better in the future.
@@DoctorHobby hopefully they'll just go out of business or switch to ESU. I got an SW1500 over the weekend and had to travel an hour back to where I got it the next day because it had problems out of the box, typical Broadway. every broadway thing I've had had had problems and was returned.
The "chatter" sounds reminded me a lot of the one o scale mth sd70ace that I own. I wonder if they bought the mth sounds when mrh shut down or whatever it is they're doing.
Those two companies used to collaborate on models but then had a falling out.. They might have shared those or maybe one ended up copying the idea from the other?
Lionel has crew talk but it's distinctive enough in comparison. It's entirely possible they bli owns a set of recordings from their mth days then. Very similar stuff. What I notice between ho and o is the ho tends to clearer. You get more details. Of course there's limited base. Ho is polyphonic. O stuff well some of but times could have changed is (was) not. Etc...
How many people are thinking about going back to DC? Due to high prices and often shoddy QC I am growing tired of getting burned by high priced DCC items. Maybe it is all getting too complicated to have reliable running engines.
There is the old adage that “the more complicated you make the plumbing, the easier it is the clog up the drain.” Maybe that’s some of what we have going on here…
To be honest. When it comes to Broadway Limited, I do not care for their diesel locomotives. I perfer their steam locomotives. If I were to get diesel locomotives, it would be from Athearn Genesis or Scaletrains.
An insightful review! Pity that you keep getting bad pickups. I don't think I can claim all mine are good, since I only have one modern BLI engine (An SP Cab Forward), but I have 2 other engines on preorder. For Pick the topic, I am interested in seeing you DCC the Rivarossi Pacific Have you considered doing a full collection video?
This was a great review. No sugar coating. I'm not a fan of bli. I have a few in the collection. The T1 looks great but is plagued with decoder issues. The RSD-15's look amazing, but as with yours, there are shortcomings. Crackles in the sound, and the pickup is turrible. I wouldn't pay full retail for any of their product because of the issues associated. There's many other engines on the market with more detail for a comparable price point. I'm going to vote for #3
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences! I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one having these issues, doing something wrong, or just jinxed? Someone even commented (it's gone now) that my wavy track was causing all of the smoke unit blowups.. not sure if that's plausible or not. I will note your vote! Thanks millions for being the first person to ever vote! So, it's technically now the case that one vote CAN make a difference!
There is soooo many unneccessary sounds in their sound decoders.They put them in there as a selling gimmick, & its utter crap.The only sounds they really need are the first 10-12 functions.If BLI concentrated on making their products more reliable, instead of adding gimmicks, they might sell a better product & have fewer issues
Now that some people have commented on these, I'm getting it... But your point can't be denied about BLI seriously needing to work on their quality control issues .. hopefully responses to the survey will help
One thing I forgot to mention. Is I have a pair of these that Athearn did in their Ready-To-Roll line a few years ago. They weren't that heavy either. Lastly, I heard to avoid any headaches with DCC is not to have any dead spots on your layout. If you're running DC that dosn't matter so much because when the locomotive goes over the dead spot it electrifies that spot. Can't do that in DCC. Just thought to let you know.
Except for the city/country chatter, yes. Call me jealous, but why should the O gaugers have all the sound options? Besides, the Bearcat scanner railfans like me can appreciate the extra touch of trackside realism. Now, if only someone would come out with an ho scale railsound boxcar.....
Ah! That's exactly the kind of thing I wanted to know about these sounds! I haven't started doing a lot of live railfanning, but I could easily see myself becoming enamored with that aspect of realism. Thanks tons for letting me know!
After the review of this sd45 model and seeing how disappointing that it is, I will say that Scaletrains produces the best model of the sd45 available in ho scale. This locomotive should have had more weight installed inside the chassis for better traction performance- Tom.
You’re really right-I’m not sure how, with so many good SDXX models there are in the world, why they came up with this. There was so much missed opportunity here. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
With a $400 MSRP this model is not worth it. Scaletrains Sd45s run at $290 and blow the Bli one out of the water in every regard. The detail is better, it pulls way more, it sounds better, and the lighting is better and there are more lighting features.
Thanks for the info about the pull power… I think im going to have to come up with a standard I can use for this channel that I can use consistently…. Maybe it’ll be the “chocolate weight scale” or something like that.
Man. That sucks if it is on level. What if it has to go up a grade? Down to half that, I guess??That sounds about as good/bad as an Athearn BB.. Probably a 4 axle.
Why to buy BLI SD45? It is an expensive model for what it is. Terrible decoder with incorrect sound of 20 cyl EMD 645 T prime mover. That air compressor sound is wrong! It sound more like a modern GE locomotive. Detail wise, I see the BLI cheapness on the trucks sideframes with molded in brake cylinders and air lines. Also the handrails are translucent even in natural room light. Cheap execution for an expensive model. Again, for SD45, my choice by order are: #1 Scaletrains, #2 Athearn Genesis # 3 Walthers. BLI is a far behind #4 and last. Do not expend money on BLI diesel line. The only model in the BLI diesel model that I recommend is a Alco RSD 15. Even though the decoder doesn’t sound good and doesn’t work well.
So I heard about this review and your comment from a friend and wanted to come see it myself. After testing mine (BLI EMD Demonstrator model) out two weeks ago what I can say is this, I totally agree that the air compressor sounds wrong, was the first thing I thought having heard the real thing a lot recently. However your other comment about the sound of the 20 cyl EMD 645 prime mover, I don't agree at all. BLI actually got the sound from the Northern Pacific 3617 at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. How do I know this you might ask?, well they came up and I ran the locomotive for them during a testing session in April 2022. While the EM2000 messes with the throttle some, I have a hard time believing that it would change the sound of the actual 20-cylinder prime mover. One thing that I and one of my fellow volunteer engineers that helped me get it going agreed on, was it was just as annoying sounding as the real thing. (For the record we have both ran the Great Northern 400 as well which has the prime mover from an SD45-2. I don't think it sounds much different if at all.) I also ran it all the way up to notch 8 for them.
The first this model has been in BLI development since 2016. So, that is why the details are toned down a little bit. Also, the founders BLI come from O scale background which they love to use ABS plastic in O scale for durability reasons. ABS plastic though does not really show off the fine details that other injection molded plastics do. SD45 is just an upgrade from their more cookie-cutter SD40-2 models and they did add more details than any other of their older diesel models. The long-shank couplers are for the 18 inch radius guys. About seperatly applied grills don't look right most of the time and have a tendency to warp. I encourage most manufactures to stay away from doing it and can get better looking detail if it was modeled in. The handrails look to be the standard bendable plastic that all manufacturers use. The chatters sounds are more the operators who like to create real operation situations. So, if you don't like them don't use them. That's why their are higher in the function settings. As for the horn and bell not working when the locomotive hasn't gone through startup. In real life the engine needs to be started in order for the compressor to run. As far as weight is concerned, weight doesn't always = traction. I have an AC6000CW by BLI and SD80MAC's from Kato. My Proto 2000 SD45's out pulled both of thoughs models. You got to have good wheels to be able to have good traction.
We just found the fanboy, guys! "If you don't like them, don't use them." Not enough face, not enough palm on that comment. "In real life the engine needs to be started in order for the compressor to run," that's why on the MODEL it these things shouldn't work too . Please, please make that video about model railroaders being too pedantic soon!
@@roperdoper7812 "If you don't like them, don't use them" is the equivalent of "water is wet, heat is hot". Why people even bother to write stuff like that I haven't the faintest idea yet it keeps coming up again over and over for some bizarre reason. Doc wasn't even saying if he liked them he just wanted to know if and why people used them. The answer to his question is buried in the fact barf up there but I doubt he'll read through all of that personalityless fact barf long enough to get there (I only did out of a sense of morbidity). Who needs a personality when you've got facts, right? lol
Have a handful of bli paragon 3 and 4 diesels and steam and I've never had any issues with any.
Great review! Love the detail you go into. And a little fun fact about the sound is their SD45 sounds were recorded in person from Northern Pacific 3617 at the North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth MN. A engine that I personally have the privilege to work with. NP 3617 is a SD45 and has the 645E3 20 Cylinder prime mover and their audio file sounds exactly like the real deal. From the high pitch turbo Down to the overly fast bell. (Minus the incorrect GE Air compressor. I’ve been assured that will be fixed on their next run). Keep up the good work BLI and keep improving the quality of your engines!
I recently purchased a Athearn Genesis Veranda Turbine I have a Ready To Roll Veranda Turbine that is DCC ready only no sound. I planed on putting Tsunami 2 in it and upgrading it from Incandescent bulbs to LED'S . But never got around to it. I saw the new Loco at the train store I hade the money so I bought it. I might put a LOK sound decoder in it as a comparison between Tsunami and ESU.
The radio chatter and the other non block motive sounds are a big reason I don't care for BLI's sound decoders.
They do seem to take up space when they may have been able to put those bytes into having more realistic chuffing samples, etc.
The blue on that demonstrator looks sparkly?!! I grew up in northern California in the 1970's and the Southern Pacific SD45 was an iconic diesel during those times. This is the first SP SD45 with the L windshield and SP details. Being BLI, I'm still not sure I'd want to buy one and so far have been waiting for ScaleTrains. ScaleTrains has offered SP SD45's but only with standard or "use to be" windshields, as in SP first order SD45's or rebuilt SD45R's. Most of SP SD45's had the L windshield after the first order.
It does have some glint to it, yeah. Doubt it would have sparkled in real life, but.. maybe?
The coupler sound plays once the engine starts moving.
Again... Not sure why they can't make these sounds available on demand.. So strange
I love how you collect Asian trains, you don’t see them often so it’s cool to see them!
I'll be showing more of them off really soon!
I don’t currently own any Broadway Limited models, and after your last few reviews I can’t say I have much interest in changing that. Seems like if I get a steam engine I’ll run into problems with performance AND getting the issues fixed (granted detail wise they do a great job, so I guess I’d be getting it for display) and diesel wise it seems like they’re lacking in detail and performance versus other manufacturers. Thanks for the informative review!
I'm glad to have helped you make better decisions in your model railroading world. I'll endeavor to keep it real as much as I can! Thank you for watching and letting me know!
I do use these radio chatter functions when I can. I think they make things a little more realistic, as if you’re in the cab listening to the radio chatter yourself.
Ah, that’s a really good point! I can totally see that. Thanks for weighing in on this!
Wow, I am glad that my two ScaleTrains Rivet Counter SD45s are better than yours, sorry. You should try ScaleTrains’ SD45!
Lombard Hobbies I believe has ScaleTrains SD45s on a steep discount on $199.99 for DCC sound versions if you want to compare them. The upcoming Walthers Proto 45s might be also worth a comparison too
Sounds like people have some real options in the SD45 world, which is really good to hear
That should have said "non-locomotive sounds".
I have two BLI, diesels and a little bit disappointed of them. I will not buy another again. I prefer Athearn Genesis, Rapido, and Scale Trains
I think your sentiments match quite a few of my viewers. Thank you so much for weighing in and for watching!
Thanks for making these videos. I really hope BLI decides to do DCC ready in the future. Their steam detail seems to be good in my experience, but whatever diesels I’ve seen are subpar at best. At least the paint on yours is beautiful!
Yes, that's right! Avoided the chipped paint issue I'm seeing coming up so very often! I think DCC-ready is something so many people have asked for, but their profit margin is incredibly high on DCC-installed I'm not sure if they'll do it.. we'll have to see..
I have a 4x8 layout in my office, so every once in a while I will throw some BLI chatter in. I would like to know more about the size of your layout and how you store and index your collection. Thanks for asking us about our opinions on your channel.
The EMDX 4354 passed into the hands of other railways until finally reaching TFM and being remunerated at 1200.
Currently the 1200 carries the KCS Belle scheme.
The locomotive is in the Railway Museum of H.Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Very cool information! If i find myself in the area, I'll check it out for sure!
@@DoctorHobby th-cam.com/video/IkRj3hd5R2E/w-d-xo.htmlsi=bBwCe_laab4bMQFd
This video shows the KCSM 1200
I do not use the chatter functions. Although I do like it on my MTH locos because if the engine is just sitting idling the chatter automatically comes on.
That’s right! I forgot about that! I have a few MTH locomotives and they’re definitely “chatty.”
nope, don't think I have ever used those functions.
I don't think i have, either
I love the horn, I love the prime mover, the rest just sucks. The bell goes away too fast, it's super under detailed, it's EXTREMELY overpriced, and I'll just get a scale trains one. Also the prime mover is great, but it sounds like a MODERN SD40-2 or 45, not an old one from the 60s. They idled slower than this or faster. This is right in the middle, most of the newer SD40-2s and 3's idle like this.
These are really good points. I think this model has really disappointed a number of people. Hopefully they’ll use the critique to do better in the future.
@@DoctorHobby hopefully they'll just go out of business or switch to ESU. I got an SW1500 over the weekend and had to travel an hour back to where I got it the next day because it had problems out of the box, typical Broadway. every broadway thing I've had had had problems and was returned.
The "chatter" sounds reminded me a lot of the one o scale mth sd70ace that I own. I wonder if they bought the mth sounds when mrh shut down or whatever it is they're doing.
Those two companies used to collaborate on models but then had a falling out.. They might have shared those or maybe one ended up copying the idea from the other?
Lionel has crew talk but it's distinctive enough in comparison. It's entirely possible they bli owns a set of recordings from their mth days then. Very similar stuff. What I notice between ho and o is the ho tends to clearer. You get more details. Of course there's limited base. Ho is polyphonic. O stuff well some of but times could have changed is (was) not. Etc...
How many people are thinking about going back to DC? Due to high prices and often shoddy QC I am growing tired of getting burned by high priced DCC items. Maybe it is all getting too complicated to have reliable running engines.
There is the old adage that “the more complicated you make the plumbing, the easier it is the clog up the drain.” Maybe that’s some of what we have going on here…
To be honest. When it comes to Broadway Limited, I do not care for their diesel locomotives. I perfer their steam locomotives. If I were to get diesel locomotives, it would be from Athearn Genesis or Scaletrains.
I think a lot of people are opting for this direction. Maybe they'll learn from it and get better in the future..
$319 for that?
A lot of people seem to have that reaction... Understandably so..
@@DoctorHobby Jeremy seems to love them
An insightful review! Pity that you keep getting bad pickups. I don't think I can claim all mine are good, since I only have one modern BLI engine (An SP Cab Forward), but I have 2 other engines on preorder.
For Pick the topic, I am interested in seeing you DCC the Rivarossi Pacific
Have you considered doing a full collection video?
This was a great review. No sugar coating.
I'm not a fan of bli. I have a few in the collection. The T1 looks great but is plagued with decoder issues. The RSD-15's look amazing, but as with yours, there are shortcomings. Crackles in the sound, and the pickup is turrible. I wouldn't pay full retail for any of their product because of the issues associated. There's many other engines on the market with more detail for a comparable price point.
I'm going to vote for #3
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences! I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one having these issues, doing something wrong, or just jinxed? Someone even commented (it's gone now) that my wavy track was causing all of the smoke unit blowups.. not sure if that's plausible or not.
I will note your vote! Thanks millions for being the first person to ever vote! So, it's technically now the case that one vote CAN make a difference!
There is soooo many unneccessary sounds in their sound decoders.They put them in there as a selling gimmick, & its utter crap.The only sounds they really need are the first 10-12 functions.If BLI concentrated on making their products more reliable, instead of adding gimmicks, they might sell a better product & have fewer issues
Now that some people have commented on these, I'm getting it... But your point can't be denied about BLI seriously needing to work on their quality control issues .. hopefully responses to the survey will help
One thing I forgot to mention. Is I have a pair of these that Athearn did in their Ready-To-Roll line a few years ago. They weren't that heavy either. Lastly, I heard to avoid any headaches with DCC is not to have any dead spots on your layout. If you're running DC that dosn't matter so much because when the locomotive goes over the dead spot it electrifies that spot. Can't do that in DCC. Just thought to let you know.
Except for the city/country chatter, yes. Call me jealous, but why should the O gaugers have all the sound options? Besides, the Bearcat scanner railfans like me can appreciate the extra touch of trackside realism. Now, if only someone would come out with an ho scale railsound boxcar.....
Ah! That's exactly the kind of thing I wanted to know about these sounds! I haven't started doing a lot of live railfanning, but I could easily see myself becoming enamored with that aspect of realism. Thanks tons for letting me know!
After the review of this sd45 model and seeing how disappointing that it is, I will say that Scaletrains produces the best model of the sd45 available in ho scale. This locomotive should have had more weight installed inside the chassis for better traction performance- Tom.
You’re really right-I’m not sure how, with so many good SDXX models there are in the world, why they came up with this. There was so much missed opportunity here. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
With a $400 MSRP this model is not worth it. Scaletrains Sd45s run at $290 and blow the Bli one out of the water in every regard. The detail is better, it pulls way more, it sounds better, and the lighting is better and there are more lighting features.
Seems like praise for ScaleTrains is fairly universal (with a few exceptions) so I’ll look into getting one! Thanks tons
The more I see bli the more I won't buy their stuff. Thanks for the video. One ounce of pull equals 15 freight cars.
Thanks for the info about the pull power… I think im going to have to come up with a standard I can use for this channel that I can use consistently…. Maybe it’ll be the “chocolate weight scale” or something like that.
Man. That sucks if it is on level. What if it has to go up a grade? Down to half that, I guess??That sounds about as good/bad as an Athearn BB.. Probably a 4 axle.
Definitely would need a helper going up a grade and probably isn't the model for people who need a lot of single-engine pulling power
Why to buy BLI SD45? It is an expensive model for what it is. Terrible decoder with incorrect sound of 20 cyl EMD 645 T prime mover. That air compressor sound is wrong! It sound more like a modern GE locomotive.
Detail wise, I see the BLI cheapness on the trucks sideframes with molded in brake cylinders and air lines. Also the handrails are translucent even in natural room light. Cheap execution for an expensive model. Again, for SD45, my choice by order are: #1 Scaletrains, #2 Athearn Genesis # 3 Walthers. BLI is a far behind #4 and last.
Do not expend money on BLI diesel line.
The only model in the BLI diesel model that I recommend is a Alco RSD 15. Even though the decoder doesn’t sound good and doesn’t work well.
So I heard about this review and your comment from a friend and wanted to come see it myself. After testing mine (BLI EMD Demonstrator model) out two weeks ago what I can say is this, I totally agree that the air compressor sounds wrong, was the first thing I thought having heard the real thing a lot recently. However your other comment about the sound of the 20 cyl EMD 645 prime mover, I don't agree at all. BLI actually got the sound from the Northern Pacific 3617 at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. How do I know this you might ask?, well they came up and I ran the locomotive for them during a testing session in April 2022. While the EM2000 messes with the throttle some, I have a hard time believing that it would change the sound of the actual 20-cylinder prime mover. One thing that I and one of my fellow volunteer engineers that helped me get it going agreed on, was it was just as annoying sounding as the real thing. (For the record we have both ran the Great Northern 400 as well which has the prime mover from an SD45-2. I don't think it sounds much different if at all.) I also ran it all the way up to notch 8 for them.
The first this model has been in BLI development since 2016. So, that is why the details are toned down a little bit. Also, the founders BLI come from O scale background which they love to use ABS plastic in O scale for durability reasons. ABS plastic though does not really show off the fine details that other injection molded plastics do. SD45 is just an upgrade from their more cookie-cutter SD40-2 models and they did add more details than any other of their older diesel models. The long-shank couplers are for the 18 inch radius guys. About seperatly applied grills don't look right most of the time and have a tendency to warp. I encourage most manufactures to stay away from doing it and can get better looking detail if it was modeled in. The handrails look to be the standard bendable plastic that all manufacturers use. The chatters sounds are more the operators who like to create real operation situations. So, if you don't like them don't use them. That's why their are higher in the function settings. As for the horn and bell not working when the locomotive hasn't gone through startup. In real life the engine needs to be started in order for the compressor to run. As far as weight is concerned, weight doesn't always = traction. I have an AC6000CW by BLI and SD80MAC's from Kato. My Proto 2000 SD45's out pulled both of thoughs models. You got to have good wheels to be able to have good traction.
We just found the fanboy, guys! "If you don't like them, don't use them." Not enough face, not enough palm on that comment. "In real life the engine needs to be started in order for the compressor to run," that's why on the MODEL it these things shouldn't work too . Please, please make that video about model railroaders being too pedantic soon!
@@roperdoper7812 "If you don't like them, don't use them" is the equivalent of "water is wet, heat is hot". Why people even bother to write stuff like that I haven't the faintest idea yet it keeps coming up again over and over for some bizarre reason. Doc wasn't even saying if he liked them he just wanted to know if and why people used them. The answer to his question is buried in the fact barf up there but I doubt he'll read through all of that personalityless fact barf long enough to get there (I only did out of a sense of morbidity). Who needs a personality when you've got facts, right? lol