"I Have Thoughts...."

Couldn't agree with you more, D&H 65!  I don't understand why so many hobbyists and the manufacturers think that diesel engines need to smoke like steam engines.  The diesels I've seen, when they do short bursts of smoke, emit BLACK smoke anyway and not white smoke.  Diesels emitting constant white smoke is so unprototypical, and I don't get why the manufacturers are pushing it so much, and why so many hobbyists think they need it. 

I would also prefer the other suggestions you mentioned, especially trailing diesel units with their own sound systems and fixed couplers.  That would be great.  I guess I am dumbfounded why manufacturers, i.e. Lionel and MTH as the leaders, come up with these hair-brained ideas, then hobbyists just eat them up with a spoon. 

So Lionel and MTH:  How about more prototypical stuff, instead of just blowing smoke? 

Personally, I don't care for smoking diesels and always keep that feature turned off on all my diesels (including ALCO units).  Also definitely don't need smoking cabooses.

For that matter, smoke coming from the stack of a steam locomotive is quite enough for me (I don't even use that feature all that often).  I honestly don't need steam cylinder or whistle emissions since I figure that's just one more thing that will eventually become problematic (like features on some automobiles).  I don't like "going under the hood" of model locomotives any more than I like getting under the hood of my auto.

Just a matter of different strokes for different folks, as is so often the case.  

I never understood the attraction of smoking diesels in the toy train world.

I never turn diesel smoke on either, and I agree with D&H, maybe they should offer diesels  with or without smoke units and adjust the price.

Art

WOW! I'm not alone. About the only smoking diesels I saw, were switchers, usually those bought or rented for industrial in plant switching duties. I don't use them.

D&H 65,

Spoken like a person exposed to the real world Railroading. I've never owned an engine with smoke or sound. I do not care to start at my advanced age. I'm quite sure that there are those that disagree.........Oh Well!!!

I agree.  Ditch the diesel smoke.  Give us sound.

.....

Dennis

I thought I was alone on this one.  My diesels have smoke switched off and I don't need to worry about it.  I have enough smoke with my steam engines.

Legacy sound is great, I would like to see more Mars lights, details and closer coupling with A or B units with diaphrams.

Steve, Lady and Tex

Hello guys and gals....

I have seen plenty of diesel smoke coming out of public bus. 

The woman who loves the S.F.5011,2678

Tiffany

I always get a kick from some folks who no smoke is a "deal breaker."  Seems like the equivalent of kid holding his breath to get his way.

Lionel might as well make just make a smoke unit with a huge reservoir and put it on a power truck.

Rusty

it's all fantasy for me and I Thoroughly enjoy it, smoke em if you got em.

I keep the smoke turned off. Smoking steamers makes a big enough cloud in the room without a couple of diesels adding to it. Plus, if you're a purist, you have coal or diesel scented smoke which is real fun.

I'd like to see the cattle cars offered with sound, and features like the newly released HO cars. Fantastic.

Played with one of the MTH Diesel's from a RTR set. I have never seen so much smoke for the 4 minutes I had it on, (and the only 4 minutes I had it on). I did, however, fall in love with the sound, horn & ditch lights.

I can't run smoke for very long because train room is too small. But I love the feature on diesels especially with twin stacks like the GP9. To me, the O gauge attraction is BIGNESS even in a confined space. BIG size, BIG sound, BIG power and BIG smoke. HO? Prototypical-ness yes, BIGNESS no.

Probably just trying to get the diesels to do something interesting.

As somebody said (maybe Joshua L Cowen?), "Diesels go, but steam MOVES!"

I don't run the smoke units in my diesels either.

Down at the club, however, most members run the smoke units in their diesels.  They really enjoy seeing the engines smoke up the place. 

Joe

I've seen video of diesels blowing out lots of smoke going up mountain grades. It's usually black or gray, however.

Having said that, I very seldom run the smoke generators on my diesels and cabooses although they are neat features. They just tend to leave behind an oily residue so there's really no need to "weather" anything. It happens naturally.

As I just recently got back into the hobby, my locomotive roster only consists of diesels, 2 ES44ACs and 1 SD70ACe. I only turn on the smoke units when I have visitors as it adds a nice touch.  When it's just me, I operate the diesels without the smoke feature. 

I like the smoke and sound and all the other options they put in our modern trains and don't want to lose any features they now have. If they want to add more that's great, but don't take anything away. Most all features are selectable as to whether to use them or not, so if you don't like something you can turn it off. Wouldn't want to lose that either, something for everybody one way or the other.  

Since Lionel is leaning toward a 'only build 'em to what's ordered' system, why not make it like ordering a new car?  Offer the sounds, smoke, etc. as options, you order exactly what you want, everybody's happy! You only pay for exactly what you want, and everybody's even happier!  Then they could give those of us that want all the options a big discount on a package deal.