Consumer Applied Details

[petey]

I'm peeved! Not that any of you should care. I now have 7 BLI locomotives. I consider myself a fairly good customer of theirs. I admit, I don't have three of each type.
I would like verification of my decisions concerning application of coupler cut bars. There are no instructions enclosed with the locos, and this applies to my latest, an Intermountain Railway F7.
Do the bars go underneath the MU hoses AND under the coupler head on BLI's E6? The front coupler is the one with the rounded front? It would need holes drilled in the pilot, to apply? (If so a drill mask would have been nice.) I have asked BLI twice. Failing an answer there, I asked Max Models. Whoever answered the email didn't read beyond the subject line, and proceeded to give me instructions for ordering these parts.
Can anyone help?

 

[NYC-BKO]

Here's a picture of an E-6, shows cut lever clear enough for positioning! Don't get mad at the companies, part of modeling is doing some research.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo1412o.jpg

 

[CalFlash]

He has the right to get mad. They had to do the research to make the model in the first place. At least they can pass on the information they have in what they did. IMO BLI is a very non consumer friendly company. They don't seem to understand the modeler.

 

[Ralph]

It is frustrating when companies do not respond to customer inquiries. I'd encourage you to pursue the issue with them and let them know about your dissatisfactions. Meanwhile, did Brian's pic help? Stay tuned, other Gaugers might have more info for you.
Good luck!
Ralph

 

[CalFlash]

I got a reply or two from BLI when questioning them about the horn on their E-units but they only showed they don't understand or don't care (probably both). They are interested is selling product period. The E-unit comes with a pair of single chime horns but the sound is for a multi chime with no option to change it. What's with that?

 

[Fred_M]

LOL Jerry. What makes you think they hire hobbiest to work support? I'm quite sure they have no idea what you are talking about when you call them. They are only trained to sell sell sell. The other day I called to check the balance on my credit card and it took 15 min to reach a person, 2 min to get the balance, and then they spent another 5+ min trying to sell me identity theft, a home equity loan, and balance life insurance. Make me wonder if they could really service me if I had a real issue without first selling me something and then transfering me to a supervisor. Last time I called Walthers with a complaint they told me I need to contact the manifacturer, on a Trainline Product LOL. Fred

 

[hudsonelectric]

Unfortunately, this 'consumer applied detail' feature is a production cost cutting measure that's pretty wide spread, not just with BLI. I bought two of the new Atlas H-24-66s with sound and decoders, and...ta-da! I have to put on detail parts like the end platform railings, etc. I just received my pair of Walthers express wood reefers and...yep! I have to put on the grabs, roofwalk, etc. They should be labeled as ARTR...almost ready-to-run!

 

[petey]

THANKS, EVERYONE.
Brian, I printed the pic. Fred, the procedure I particularly like, is the dreaded voice mail. You are led to believe that something will be done. I have NOT received many more answers, then return calls, and how ironic for Walthers to offer that advice for a product THEY market.
I now have the front details, and from a previous time have just the corner, of the rear of an F7. I can see the cut bar under the hoses. As to the pilot on the E6, there are no drilling dimples, nor a mask. So I will have to fiddle around with the drill bit, watching it wander about the pilot surface, and oversizing the hole so I can shift each side to make it mostly horizontal. (I found how to apply the draft gear on BLI's SD40, by looking closely at the parts blowup, and it was opposite the orientation of a Kadee.) No such diagram is enclosed w/the E6 or Intermountain's F7. By the way Jerry, the F7 is in what I remember as MP's freight scheme. I have to admit that BLI has done an amazing job with putting out so many locos in such a short time. Their emphasis has to be on production. I hope sometime, they will catch up on these customer matters.

 

[CalFlash]

I don't mind putting on the details - it's the lack of directions that is the concern of this thread. As a matter of fact, I still prefer kits to RTR. There's not a company that I know of that applies decent looking underbody brake rigging in HO and that includes Kadee. I prefer to do my own but detest having to hack off what they put on with the risk of messing up something I wanted to keep. With a kit, I can just throw out what they provide and start from scratch.

 

[spitfire]

Broadway Limited is a new company and because of that I think they are undergoing growing pains. I agree their customer service needs work, and I have written to tell them so. I too have had less than satisfactory dealings with them, and yet I continue to buy their products....for now. They are bringing out a slew of new products so clearly they are spending money on R&D. Only time will tell if they understand the necessity of spending money on customer service too. Short-term a novel product will get a lot of sales, long-term it's customer service and product reliability that will keep a company in business.

Val