HEY LIONEL - A VISION LINE MUST (please)

Automatic front injector?

Never heard of such a thing.  Injectors are located in or just in front of the cab, are manually operated by the fireman and engineer only when necessary to add water to the boiler.

Rusty

Rusty Traque posted:

Automatic front injector?

Never heard of such a thing.  Injectors are manually operated by the fireman and engineer only when necessary to add water to the boiler.

Rusty

Good point. Then of course there is the feedwater system, whether Elesco or Worthington, which also has some tell-tail steam exhausts. Besides, the injector general doesn't "exhaust" much, except when first started.

Wonder what the original poster is referring to?

Maybe Cylinder cocks

SDIV Tim posted:

Maybe Cylinder cocks

Maybe, but then they are not "automatic" either, i.e. the Engineer opens them prior to starting movement.

SDIV Tim posted:

Maybe Cylinder cocks

Maybe, but also not automatic.  Cylinder cocks are opened by the engineer to blow out condensation in the cylinders when starting.  Any steam exiting while at speed means the cylinder cocks didn't shut fully or are worn.

Rusty

As it sits at the beginning of the video (I didn't watch much), I do seem to see/hear? some "chuffing" compressor exhaust from the stack, where it was typical to route it (SP Cab-aheads notwithstanding).

I guess that this could be considered as "automatic".

D500 posted:

As it sits at the beginning of the video (I didn't watch much), I do seem to see/hear? some "chuffing" compressor exhaust from the stack, where it was typical to route it (SP Cab-aheads notwithstanding).

I guess that this could be considered as "automatic".

Sort of, when the cross-compound air compressors are pumping up the main air reservoirs.

D500 posted:

As it sits at the beginning of the video (I didn't watch much), I do seem to see/hear? some "chuffing" compressor exhaust from the stack, where it was typical to route it (SP Cab-aheads notwithstanding).

I guess that this could be considered as "automatic".

Most of the time, the air compressor exhaust is plumbed into the smokebox, routed next to the cylinder nozzles and is shot up the stack.  You'll hear it, or rather the compressor cycling, but seldom see exhaust as it's condensation is usually evaporated by the hot gasses drafting through the flues from the fire.

Rusty

At speed I see cylinder leak or cock leak. Love engineers quilling! Awsome video

Ron464nyc posted:

At speed I see cylinder leak or cock leak.

Possible, but such is NOT normal. Also, the UP, as well as the SP and many, many other railroads, used the Prime steam operated cylinder cocks, so there might be a slight leak at the steam supply fitting/fittings to a given cylinder cock, which looks like a "leaking cylinder cock".

Love engineers quilling! Awsome video

Rusty Traque posted:

SDIV Tim posted:

Maybe Cylinder cocks

Maybe, but also not automatic.  Cylinder cocks are opened by the engineer to blow out condensation in the cylinders when starting.  Any steam exiting while at speed means the cylinder cocks didn't shut fully or are worn.

Rusty

You all must be engineers, as you've completely missed the point! Lol. So, before you get too lost in the details debating this, give the man who said cylinder cocks a prize!  Yes, as seen in the video - the steam emanating from the lower front end sides of the locomotive. And yes, automatic- like the automatic random pop off valve steam feature on the Vision Niagara. So that you can fire it manually IF you'd like, but it will also happen without your manual input. 

So again, the thesis of this thread: Dear Lionel - it would be nice if there were more default steam effects on future Vision steam locomotives. And my preference is dynamo and cylinder cocks. 

DZKKRD - haha. Love your reply! But on a serious note - they already did both smoke features on prior offerings.  

DKDKRD sounds like he was quite serious of not wanting to pay for any more smoke features that he can’t use at home. 

These ideas are all fine, but I agree cost is a factor. I know I’m not interested in paying anything more for these steam locomotives.

If there was no added cost, sure, I’d be on board for these additional steam effects.

OK guys...got a couple of reports of folks getting offended here....so I did some editing but tried my best to leave in enough of the coments to make sense and did away with the bantering of one another.  The discussion is great but try not to get personal with one another...please!

Thanks...

What I want from Lionel,

is video/audio access to their marketing, sales, and engineering meetings where they discuss these "I want" and "Hey Lionel" OGR threads.  

I want to know who falls out of their chair laughing, and how long they are down on the ground.

dkdkrd posted:

PJB posted:

DZKKRD - haha. Love your reply! But on a serious note - they already did both smoke features on prior offerings.  

Of course.  Most of my steamers...and diesels, I suppose...have emissions capability.....and, thankfully, an on-off switch for the control thereof.

Hey, sometimes at Christmas the traditional set up around the tree is called upon to offer the room a short run of seasonal aromatics.  We have the snake smoke oils appropriate for the occasion. 

But, I'd say 98% of my lokies so equipped have never puffed a wisp......except, of course, when electronic circuitry goes 'south'.

Lucas Gudinov

Lucas,

Yep, I know just what you mean. I do the same with my G locomotive under the tree every year. Essential oils mixed with Supersmoke. But after a while I turn it off.  But that's the beauty of these things. I love smoke features and hope Lionel reads this thread as a data point that at least I want more smoke features. But they can be toggled off, and I do this too.  Especially when the wife would come downstairs and couldn't see us through the cloud. Ha!

Don’t get me wrong, PJB. I think it would be ultra cool to see a steam locomotive idling with various emissions matching the prototype, for instance.

The problem is that whatever the cost of a locomotive, you could count on the additional features driving the price upward even further.

Again, not a bad idea. But there are practical drawbacks.

Hey Jim,

I'm with you in terms of the prices already being prohibitive.

But I don't think smoke features are going to move the needle much if at all.  I only say this because in my experience the general price point for VL steamers has remained between $1,500 and $1,800 (street price) regardless of whether its articulated, number of smoke features, etc.  Even the VLBB, which was my priciest VL, was available at around $1,900 and it was not only an articulated and had several smoke features but also introduced new features (eg. depleting coal load).  

I suppose at a high level what I'm saying is exactly what you point out - I like operating features that make the models more closely match the real thing - and to me the 2 prima facie features of a steamer are running gear and steam. 

Rusty

I get it... lots of steam features are great. Otherwise just buy a diesel. With todays technology anything is possible: