blowdown steam vs cylinder steam

Just my personal opinion, but I prefer the blow-down effects, if done properly for the specific steam locomotive being modeled. The open cylinder cocks when starting movement, is almost impossible for a manufacturer to model/duplicate correctly, because of the alternating nature of how the REAL opened cylinder cocks actually function. For example, with an exhaust event every 90 degrees of driver rotation, the correct "open cylinder cocks" feature should be, for example; right front, then left rear, then right rear, then left front. As one can see, THAT is pretty difficult to duplicate, even in O Scale.

The blow-down effect is much easier to duplicate and can also be activated by the operator from the remote handheld, any time during operation, i.e. just as on the real locomotives.

I'd want both.  If only able to pick one, I'd go with cylinder steam.

For some reason I find this thread to be hysterically amusing.  Suggest you enjoy your steam no matter where it blows.  LOL.

Pete

I will, but one can dream, can't they?  Besides, we need to let off a bit of our own steam sometimes.

"the correct "open cylinder cocks" feature should be, for example; right front, then left rear, then right rear, then left front. As one can see, THAT is pretty difficult to duplicate, even in O Scale."

difficult, but awesome!!!  

I vote for both, but IF only one I go with the open cylinder cocks, that is awesome on the 3751 when she does it for the folks starting out on a run.

both are nice, but really oil up the track. 

They don't do it for the folks - they do it to prevent hydraulic lock.

i would rather have a round boiler belly and accurate frames than "steam" coming out of anything.  My sniffer cannot handle the smoke.

I feel sorry for the poor technician that has to work on these things.  Not only does he have to be an electrician and a mechanic, but now he's got to be a plumber too

I can see the price of fixing new trains going up, up, up!!!

The sequence actually depends on if the engine was quartered for left-hand lead or right-hand lead.  Most locomotives were right-hand lead, except for the "Standard Railroad of the World" which preferred left-hand lead... go figure.

"i would rather have a round boiler belly and accurate frames than "steam" coming out of anything.  My sniffer cannot handle the smoke."

i had the same problem until JT Mega-Steam came out with NADA. it works great and I don't react to it at all.