I've been enjoying the steam related thread. How about one for diesels?
I would like to hear a high rpm sound starting from a dead stop and then the rpm's ease off once under way at speed. Just the way I remember how it sounded riding in that first coach behind the big Alco Century's on the Long Island.
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Variable smoke effects like in the vision hybird.
Yes ALCo smoke when accelerating. Also the engineer turning his head when the loco goes from forward to reverse.
How about flames from the stack, only for the older GE models. 
I liked the idea about the bearing caps spinning on another post. I think anything capturing better detail adds to the enthusiasm.
MTH did change the behavior of their diesel's smoke units.
Watch the smoke volume go up with the engine's rpms.
How about fixed pilots and proper full length hand rails, on the high end SCALE diesel models.
Side panel smoke for the Alcos.
Lionel has done break-down B Units. Enhanced Alco breakdowns with a real time clock. After they break, you can't run them again for at least 40 hours.
Drive disengagement so you can dead-tow your broken down Alco back to the shop.
More lighting, including step lighting - several side panel opening maintenance doors with a modeled three dimensional engine behind the doors. A down side to more doors though could include increased risk for breakage. More LED lighting, though, is an easy feature to add. Lionel is on the right track with their self centering pilots.
I drove to Salt Lake City for the Thanksgiving Holiday and on the way out saw Union Pacific running freight in western Wyoming at nearly 80 mph. It was cool to notice all the side lighting on the 3-4 locomotives. There is a lot more to lighting than just headlights, ditch lights and cab interiors. N Scale modelers are adding step, safety and inspection lighting to diesels.
The Portland Rose posted:More lighting, including step lighting - several side panel opening maintenance doors with a modeled three dimensional engine behind the doors.
I like this!
I don't know enough about any locomotives to really know what else could be added, but it is always nice to add new features to the more scale models
How about eliminating green markers on the front of diesels. I'd take white maybe, red rarely. And allow us to turn them off. Not a bad option for steam as well.
John, I'm with you on the flames from the stack. A lot of the old F7s on the EL in the last days went through my town lighting up the night sky.
Step lighting if done right (not overdone) would look good.
The random "spit" of air dryers when stopped would add to the RR atmosphere.
This is fun!
I know, I know, they are classification lights....its the tryptophan kicking in.
Rotating bearing caps for sure, walkway lights (both on the front and rear for modern units and southern style walkway lights on their units). Also spinning radiator fans on engines with big fans like the SD70s.
351_DD-1 posted:
I would like to hear a high rpm sound starting from a dead stop and then the rpm's ease off once under way at speed. Just the way I remember how it sounded riding in that first coach behind the big Alco Century's on the Long Island.
You can do that now with m t h docs......
Opening hood panels, more realistic ditch lights. Western locomotives should come standard with non-flashing ditch lights.
I’m sure everything mentioned is doable but are we willing to pay the price.
gunrunnerjohn posted:How about flames from the stack, only for the older GE models.
It better be a Cast iron body, the fire would melt a plastic shell. also a model that has a turbo, seems to me the turbos are the cause of most of the fires still to this day on the 1:1s, if you believe the Youtube videos.
Also if can be used as a cigar lighter. 
Good idea.
Fixed pilots on higher end models
Jim Berger,
MTH docs......??
More indoor air pollution..... how about smoke pouring out from the traction motors!!
How about better quality control before they add anything new.
Dave
351_DD-1 posted:I've been enjoying the steam related thread. How about one for diesels?
I would like to hear a high rpm sound starting from a dead stop and then the rpm's ease off once under way at speed. Just the way I remember how it sounded riding in that first coach behind the big Alco Century's on the Long Island.
I just installed an ESU LokSound decoder in an Atlas GP60 and once the start-up sequence is initiated the locomotive goes from idle to about the 4th notch. Once it starts moving the rpm's drop to idle then slowly increase as the throttle is engaged.
david1 posted:How about better quality control before they add anything new.
Dave
Yes make them Gomez Addams proof! That is, they run more than 6 feet before breaking down!
How about 539T sounds for ALCO RS1, S2 and S4 locomotives. There are still enough of the prototype around to get good recordings.
david1 posted:How about better quality control before they add anything new.
Dave
catnap posted:351_DD-1 posted:I've been enjoying the steam related thread. How about one for diesels?
I would like to hear a high rpm sound starting from a dead stop and then the rpm's ease off once under way at speed. Just the way I remember how it sounded riding in that first coach behind the big Alco Century's on the Long Island.
I just installed an ESU LokSound decoder in an Atlas GP60 and once the start-up sequence is initiated the locomotive goes from idle to about the 4th notch. Once it starts moving the rpm's drop to idle then slowly increase as the throttle is engaged.
ESU Loksound is awesome. Sounds exactly like the real thing. Would like to see something like that for 3 rail.
ESU Locksound looks awesome but appears to be DCC though. Jim Berger mentioned something about MTH docs. What is that?
Yes, LokSound is for DCC. Their sound files are the most authentic in O scale. They have cool features like Drive Hold, an independent brake and dynamic brakes.
I would like Legacy sounds and Protosounds ditched in favor of sound decoders. Other scales have a choice between brands and have much more accurate sounds because of it. There's competition to drive innovation. Keep the same control systems, just new sound.
John Pignatelli JR. posted:gunrunnerjohn posted:How about flames from the stack, only for the older GE models.
It better be a Cast iron body, the fire would melt a plastic shell.
Also if can be used as a cigar lighter.
Good idea.
I did see sparks coming out the stack of UP 6936 idling at the Amtrak Station in Houston. And when it left it was LOUD!
"How about eliminating green markers on the front of diesels. I'd take white maybe, red rarely. And allow us to turn them off. Not a bad option for steam as well."
Gosh, yes. class lights are almost always off. Too many locos look like Xmas trees.
"Fixed pilots on higher end models"
At these prices, an easily, reversible frame-mounted pilot (separate piece or a spacer, etc, for use with the "standard" one) should be a no-brainer. Wait - Atlas does that...! And I put mine on my NYC F2. So - no excuses. (Same thing with the tiny-wheeled steam loco 4-wheel pilot trucks - big curves usually don't require this compromise as often or to the same degree; I have 072 curves, as many of us do. For $2K, could I have a second truck, or optional wheel sets with an easy swap design? Really?)
351_DD-1 posted:ESU Locksound looks awesome but appears to be DCC though. Jim Berger mentioned something about MTH docs. What is that?
Pretty sure he meant MTH DCS. Yes, it's automatic.
Gene Anstine
Jim Berger posted:351_DD-1 posted:
I would like to hear a high rpm sound starting from a dead stop and then the rpm's ease off once under way at speed. Just the way I remember how it sounded riding in that first coach behind the big Alco Century's on the Long Island.
You can do that now with m t h docs......
ooops,imeant dcs
gunrunnerjohn posted:How about flames from the stack, only for the older GE models.
I think I was indirectly involved with this failure mode-think late 70's
Today both GE and Westinghouse semiconductors merged into Powerex 1986
We supplied and still make rectifier stud mount diodes with a solid copper internal cathode rod
When there was a electric short in the locomotive the Westinghouse diodes (150a or 275a) did not open and somewhere in the GE circuit you got flames
The GE diode design uses an internal flexible stranded cathode rod which when shorted would open- a fuse
DCS has always been able to turn the class lights off.
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