Hello all! I am a newbie to HO scale and I just inherited a few things from a family member who was a collector and I don't know what to do with it. Like the title says, I have a Broadway Limited Blue Line Big Boy and it is still in the plastic wrapping and has never been removed from the box. I have never had any experience with Broadway Limited, and wouldn't even know where to start on this loco. I am running DCC and I have heard that these come with sound, but not DCC? Is that true? What decoders would work with it if I decide to keep it? I am in the process of building a 28"x10.5' switching layout and I'm not entirely sure this thing would fit on my layout except the main line and I would end up putting it on a shelf and letting it sit there for years if I kept it. This is why I am so torn on this. On the one hand it is a beautiful model and I would LOVE to have a Big Boy, but on the other I am not one of those guys who lets trains sit on a shelf and I would want it to go to someone who will run it. What should I do? Does anyone have any more info on these locos? Is it true I will need another decoder to run the motor? Please let me know because I am leaning towards selling it and I would like all the info I can get to make an educated decision before committing to sell. Thanks guys!!!
Yes they have DC/DCC sound, but lack a DCC motor decoder. almost any 8 pin decoder can be plugged into the tender to handle DCC motor control. very simple to do, as coal load tips up and out to access electronics, which you have to do anyway to plug loco and tender together anyway. the only hard part is programming both decoders to desired address, but BLI's web forum has programming procedures up for all the major brand DCC command systems. Once programmed, they are fine running locos. FYI: totally nerdy trivia the tooling for this big boy model was originally planned and designed for Lionel to join the challenger and gas turbine in their HO line using QSI sound/DCC electronics. When Lionel bailed out of their HO line (again), the manufacturer licensed the tooling to BLI, and were manfactured with their blueline sound electronics package. As part of the court settlement with MTH, the toolings ownership was transfered from the manufadturer to MTH who now offers the big boy with their DCS/DCC Protosound electronics.
You may wish to look at the BLI forum for recommendations ,these BLI Bigboys are in high demand so if you decide to sell should fetch a fairly high price.
Don't think there is a right or wrong answer to your question - if you like it, keep it. What I find valueable might be junk to someone else. But...if your interests lie elsewhere, it seems like it's something you can get some value out of if you decide to sell, in order to pursue your other goals.
It's not as bad as one might think. One of the prgramming modes will prgram EVERY decoder on the layout to what you puty in. If you're programming on the club layout, this means 40 engines are now set to that cab number, but for BLI engiens, it will program cab number to both decoders simoutaneously. Works fine for me and everyone else at the club running Blueline
Ok. Thanks for the info guys! It is helping sway my decision towards keeping it. I do feel bad though because I'm only going to have a 10.5' layout that won't be able to give her any exercise. I suppose some back and fourth every now and then is ok as well right?
Of course! And othign says you couldn't do switching with it. and who knows, maybe you'll find some MRR club with a massive layout someday.
I do volunteer at the Greeley Freight Station Museum and when I get enough volunteer hours racked up, I will be able to bring my own stuff to run on their 5,500 sq. ft. layout so I suppose I can always wait for that...
There yeah go!! having years ago decided on the great northern as my road of choice found myself falling in love with their large articulated engines ,and of course no space for a layout large enough to run these monsters.Salvation came in the form of a club that has grown over the years and now has a 20X50 h.o pike.Matter of fact through our parent organisation we at this time occupy a 160 acre Park dedicated to railroading , everything from Nscale to 7 1/2" gauge live steam....13 miles of it.
Holy crap I think I need to move to Arizona!!! :tb-biggrin: That place sounds like an absolute wonderland. Does the club have a website?
You bet'cha www.azmodelrr.com Check our links for the Maricopa live steamers club across the driveway....
Well guys, I did it. I did something stupid and watched some YouTube video reviews of the Big Boy. I couldn't take it after that and tore that sucker open. It sounds incredible and I was shocked to find out that it's ALL METAL!!! I am glad as hell that I decided to keep it!!
Good thing you kept it, that's a No Brainer! Certainly, no big boy like that would ever be a legitimate impulse buy, you're lucky to have one. especially after all that MTH nonsense (those DCS decoders are failures of the worst kind).
Yeah I actually did put it up for sale and when I started to realize just how badly I wanted to keep it, my girlfriend rescued me. I wanted to sell it to fund some projects and she saved me by buying it from me just to give it back to me as a very early Christmas present. I think she is definitely a keeper :tb-biggrin:
