broadway limited baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2 "centipede" any good?


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foxofinfinety

Member
I recently was watching some video's about O-scale on youtube, one of these mentioned the Lionel Centipede units, now I don't have much in O-scale and although I like the unit also found them way to expensive,
yet shortly after a store I do often buy US models send out a newsletter with discounts, and one of the units in that email caught my attention: the Broadway Limited baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2 "Centipede" with DCC and sound.

they have three versions: PRR (original numbering), PRR (renumbered) and the baldwin Demonstrator design.
I also know of a SAL and NdeM version, but I like the PRR most and the store only has those three versions.

yet I don't really know Broadway Limited at all, so I kinda wonder, is there anyone here who has experience with Broadway Limited in general, or in particular one of these units?

further, according to wikipedia, the units PRR got initially where numbered 5823A1/2 to 5834A1/2, but later renumbered #5811 to #5834.
the only thin I couldn't find, and do really want to know, is when did this renumbering occur?


two less important questions I had:
firstly, would anyone know what kind of couplers are used on these?
I was thinking on putting Kadee couplers on most of my models and mostly buying them along with new units, but looking on kadee's website for Broadway Limited it lists "(if not equipped with Kadee® Couplers).............148 or 158",
if not equipped, so does that mean Broadway Limited normally already used Kadee couplers or...?

and secondly, has there ever been a Union Pacific Centipede?
the Lionel model I saw in the youtube video was a UP, specifically #998 + #999, what I found on wikipedia, Union Pacific did order a Centipede, which would get those numbers, but it was never actually sold to the Union Pacific, does anyone know if thats true?
 
union pacific never owned any centerpides a handful of eastern roads bought them post war heres some history on them

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_DR-12-8-1500/2

& bli is a good company not many complains at all
* sorry i see you already looked them up & after you buy one if it has kadees well your ahead of the game, if not change them out :)
 
I have two of them, one PRR and one SAL. Both run very well, with some minor adjustments to the DCC. They come equipped with KD couplers. You would be amazed at the minimum radius these things can be coaxed around. The only complaint I have is the inside driver set on each power truck is an idler. They pull pretty well that way, so it may not be an issue for most people.
UP ordered some Centipedes, then cancelled the order.
 
@bnsf971: "with some minor adjustments to the DCC" meaning the CV's or physically the decoder? I'm assuming CV's, but if so which adjustments did you make?
the digital system I have doesn't really allow for changing CV's but if I know which to change I can change them on the club layout which has a more extended DCC central, and especially, a more extended control remote.

in length I can't go much more then around a SD40-2 with 9 or 10 freight card, depending on the cars.
(or one F7A with 4 streamliner's and one heavyweight, I do then have space for a F7B, but I don't actually have a B unit for the F7)
and I have no grades on the layout, at least not on the tracks US models can run on*


@blackz28: that is actually the exact page I got the info I know from ;)
sadly the one thing I'd have liked to know it doesn't mention is when the PRR renumbered them from 5823A1/2 - 5834A1/2 to #5811 - #5834.
I'm not really sure which I like more, so I figured if I'd know at around what time they where renumbered I could get the one that fits with the rest of the models I have more.
I know UP hasn't actually owned any centipede's, but what I mostly wondered about is if its true that they had been ordered as #998 and #999, before the order was canceled,
from what I got from wikipedia they had been given a road number before they order was canceled.

*I have a separate track with Atlas code 83 for US models, the rest of the layout is made with Märklin K-track, but as this is 3 'rail' the US models get stuck on the turnouts as they are to low to get over the 3rd 'rail'.
 
Hi, I have the demonstrator versions of the Centipede and they run well as do the many BLI locos I own.
I have not found it necessary to adjust any CVs on the Centipedes on my layout.

I have only had a problem with one BLI product , a Pennsy T1 and that was fixed by BLI very quickly.

As stated above U.P. ordered a pair of Centipedes but cancelled the order. These became the demonstrator pair Baldwin #6000 so there never was a U.P. version.
BLI are producing a U.P. liveried version late next year which I have pre-ordered but is obviously ficticious !

Hope this helps, Colin.
 
RE: PRR Baldwin Centipedes . . .

foxofinfinety said:
@bnsf971: " . . .



@blackz28: that is actually the exact page I got the info I know from ;)
sadly the one thing I'd have liked to know it doesn't mention is when the PRR renumbered them from 5823A1/2 - 5834A1/2 to #5811 - #5834.
I'm not really sure which I like more, so I figured if I'd know at around what time they where renumbered I could get the one that fits with the rest of the models I have more.
I know UP hasn't actually owned any centipede's, but what I mostly wondered about is if its true that they had been ordered as #998 and #999, before the order was canceled,
from what I got from wikipedia they had been given a road number before they order was canceled.

*I have a separate track with Atlas code 83 for US models, the rest of the layout is made with Märklin K-track, but as this is 3 'rail' the US models get stuck on the turnouts as they are to low to get over the 3rd 'rail'.
Click to expand...

From Withers Publishing, Pennsylvania Railroad Diesel Locomotive Pictorial, Volume Four - Baldwin Cab and Transfer Units by John D Hahn Jr . . .

The Baldwin Centipedes built for the Pennsylvania Railroad were ordered in pairs. First pair was built 4/17/47 (Baldwin ship date) and were numbered 5823-A1 and 5832-A2. Last pair were built 2/28/48 and were numbered 5834-A1 and 5834-A2. A total of 12 pair were built and numbered sequentially.

Renumbering and application of new builders plates was completed by 11/1/1950. New plates were provided by Baldwin and applied by PRR.

New numbers on the locomotives were 5811 - 5834. The A2 units were numbered 5811 through 5822, the A1 units numbered 5823 through 5834

The units only lasted a few years in Blue Ribbon passenger service due to reliability problems and were downgraded to secondary passenger service, freight and pusher/helper service.
Not sure when the paint scheme changed but pictures in the same publication show 5 stripe scheme through 1950 and the earliest picture with the single stripe scheme is 1955.
I also see a picture of regular freight version sharks in the same publication dated 1956. Lead "A" unit is in single stripe scheme, following "B" and "A" units are in five stripe scheme.

Total length of a pair of coupled units is 183 ft.
For comparison, three EMD F-7 units would be 153 ft in length, four EMD F-7 units would be 204 ft in length.

Four F-7 units would have 32 wheels on the rail, the Centipede 48 wheels(although 16 wheels were un-powered) on the rail.

The Baldwin Centipede was a monster . . .

All PRR Baldwin Centipede units were retired during 1962.

I purchased a pair of the first run BLI PRR Baldwin Centipedes in the single stripe scheme. Don't really have a valid use for them on the layout we run on but, like many Pennsy modelers, when they were first announced, I had to have one. We took it to our club layout, connected the drawbar between the two units, dialed them up on the Digitrax DCC system and started running them around the mainline. The layout has fairly generous radii in the curves so no real problems there. Son and I then ran them through the main freight/classification yard and they managed to stay on the track.
Although there is limited run time on the locomotives, they seemed to perform okay. Eventually we changed the addresses to the cab numbers and consisted them. At some point, we separated the drawbar and put some distance between the two units and let them run, with a distance of 3 ft between them, around the mainline. They seemed to be pretty evenly matched in speed . . . so mated them up again and put a bit more run time on them, forward and backward, varying speeds.

Don
Lower Arizona
PRRT&HS 7555
SASME

Live Long and Prosper . . .

vn_medal_tiny.jpg
 
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well, its has its first test-run, it runs nice, though the sound is rather loud, so I will need to adjust that a bit.
only problem, how, the DCC system I use doesn't support programming CV's.
most fun, I can't turn off the sound either, since the system I use has four function buttons, and mute is F8...

is it possible to program the volume for all functions at once or only for each sound individually? I can program it at the model railroad club but it be easier to just lower the sound at once for everything, the horn is also rather loud and I think so is everything else.


@spookyac47: it did come in the box as well, but I usually do prefer having manuals on the computer, so thanks for the link, I'm more likely to use the PDF then the printed version.
 
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