Favorite Modern feature on locomotives

Whistle Steam

@SouthernFan56 posted:

Whistle Steam

Whistle steam on a $200-250 engine would be cool. Since I don’t have steam, I didn’t think of that.

Odyssey

@romiller49 posted:

Odyssey

With todays BTO on high end locomotives, its an Odyssey to find some of them after they are released!

I would like to say cruise control, but that wouldn't be necessary if they were truly properly geared, as our friends in 2RO generally experience, so I am going to have to say their typically exquisite proportions and detailing, not to mention the 1:48 sizing, at least in the "Premier" (any brand) product lines.

Smoking whistles, swinging bells, even sound of late, are not of large moment to me. The sound seems to be an irritant, more and more - especially steam. And I do mostly steam.

Well, I like a lot of the features, but I suspect my favorite feature would have to be cruise control for low speed running and control.  That would be followed closely by the great sound and smoke effects of modern stuff, and then the lighting effects.  Obviously, this all should come in a quality package that is reasonably faithful to the prototype.  I don't consider myself a true rivet counter, but I do like good and accurate detailing on a locomotive.

Truthfully, it's hard to pin down one feature because a good execution of a model is a sum of it's parts.  If one part is severely lacking, that may render the whole experience moot.

Cruise control for me, for sure

No contest.  The Lionel's Real-Time Quilling Whistle using the slider on the Cab2.  I have control over what I want to signal.  The easy to use bell function is neat too.

I honestly love having the sounds but its a coin toss with cruise control.

Cruise, sounds, smoke, I need them all!

@Csxcellent posted:

If regular lionchief or menards could provide a speed control at a very reasonable price I would be very pleased.

Like many others, cruise is my favorite modern feature, by a significant margin. Regular LionChief doesn't have it, due to their price point, but the LionChief Plus engines with their outstanding cruise are very good values.

I like the automatic uncoupler system on my MTH RailKing loco's.

After spending nearly my entire model train life with Swiss made Buco 3 rail O gauge tinplate that had "drop-link" couplers, and the need to have "the hand of God" uncouple the cars and carriages, I am rapt in being able to uncouple a consist on a siding, while the loco is standing still or even on the move.......all with the comfort of a couple of buttons to push on the transformer or hand-held remote!!!!

It's got to the point now where I am slowly converting selected Buco wagons and cars.....and fitting them with "dummy" knuckle couplers at one end, so they can pull my other Buco wagons and cars behind my MTH loco's.

Chuff sounds, smoke, and diesel engine revving come in at a close second!!

Peter   (Buco Australia)

@breezinup posted:

Like many others, cruise is my favorite modern feature, by a significant margin. Regular LionChief doesn't have it, due to their price point, but the LionChief Plus engines with their outstanding cruise are very good values.

They are neat, but a little too pricey for old tooling and lack of detail. With that said, I like the NW2 and f3s. If lionchief got rid of the beeping to connect the remote and added speed control and was in the same price range(likely a few bucks more), id buy that line of products often.

For me, sounds and cruise control, in that order.

MELGAR

So I don't have to write it again, I agree with all that John mentioned in the thread. But, I think my favorite feature is Odyssey II cruise. The fact that I can run multiple trains at realistic speeds and not have to constantly adjust speed, that's awesome!

Slow speed operation.....

Peter

the lionchief plus2.0 system as a whole

its advanced enough to the point where my desire for the legacy stuff is not that important anymore to me and i'm hoping vsr can come to 2.0 so i can completely break away from the basic lionchief stuff

there is so many choices now with 2.0 alone that need help deciding on my next engine

Hands down, cruise control. Wish it was on regular Lionchief, I’d be willing to pay a couple bucks more.

Odyssey/Cruise, nothing else even close.

@JDFonz posted:

Hands down, cruise control. Wish it was on regular Lionchief, I’d be willing to pay a couple bucks more.

You sound like me. That’s what is keeping me away from lionchief. Plus 2.0 is too much for old, non-detailed tooling.

I'm feeling tired, irritable and very snarky this early morning, so: my favorite modern features are the switches that turn them OFF.

@Charlie posted:

Odyssey/Cruise, nothing else even close.

Agreed It allows to to just watch your trains run without having to mess with the speed!

I would think that cruise control is what is actually utilized the most. It’s automatically there so your awareness drops down since its something that you don’t have to push buttons for in order to activate.
Alan

Ditto on the Odyssey II Cruise. Legacy locos can go really slow. The sounds and other features on Legacy locos are amazing.

Locomotive sounds are much more important than cruise control, in my opinion. I have MTH locomotives with PS-1 that run smoothly at realistic speeds without cruise control, although they don't creep along at five or ten miles-per hour. But I run my trains at about thirty miles-per-hour. However, if I were to turn on an engine and it had no sounds, I wouldn't enjoy running it.

MELGAR

Command Control

Being able to accelerate a train realistically - from stop to very slow to slow to medium - is probably the best feature for me over the old days.