# BLI Trackmobile review



## Flynn_lives (Jul 6, 2013)

Since I haven't seen this on the forums and youtube is sparse, I thought I'd do a quick review.


The Broadway Limited Trackmobile is sort of a niche product. It really isn't a loco, even though it's DCC or DC powered...but more of an "addon" to your fleet....especially if you model heavy industry. It comes in most of the big roadnames and also smaller specialty users. 


First off the model itself is 90% diecast. That includes the trucks and everything except it's cab. That doesn't include the non-functional rubber wheels for off track driving, however they can be positioned with screws to display the model in that fashion. There is no sound and their are no lights. The drive system is what kinda sucks. For around 90 bucks, you're stuck with a noisy as heck engine, with only front wheel electrical pickups. Now I can kind of see the point of not having enough room to have an all wheel drive system due to room inside the model, but it really limits the Trackmobile to what it can do.<See annotations>

Speaking of the drive system. The motor sounds like a windup toy. It's that high pitched. Being that it needs a fair amount of power to move a "standard" weight car, unless you have other engines that have sound, you're gonna hear it. Most often it will have problems getting any electrical pickup due to its weight, and at scale speed...without traction wheels, you're gonna have tons of wheel slippage. Did I mention that only one end has a coupler? Performance on turnouts, is probably dependent on what you use. Mine hates my walthers DCC friendly ones.

Here is where it shines.....People don't expect it. It's akin to everyone gawking at the huge Schabel car. Unless they knew about the trackmobile, they'd more or less assume it was a non-functioning piece of weird rolling stock. It's always a head turner at shows that i've been to and on my layout, it blends seamlessly into the background of the oil refinery setting. 

Functionally it's a really expensive switcher that is designed to turn heads. If you can deal with that, it's for you. I have seen 2 video's so far of it being outfitted with lights and sound, however the gentleman who did this, isn't telling what he used or how he did it.


Annotations.
1. I'd gladly pay for more for sound
2. yes there is indeed room to add sound and light

For anyone who does not know what these things do in real life here is a quick video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe4BfmEH_LI


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

I bought a couple of them, almost a year ago I think. Actually, they have all wheel pickup but only one axel drive. Here's a video of mine going through a #10 turnout while pushing a flatcar with a load.


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