Hi Ed; Some time ago (a couple years, I think), you posted a link to some video from Norm Beesky's O/3 Rail layout that shows some of the most effective smoke effects, as well as general good-modeling and wonderful "Big Time Railroading" atmosphere that I recall anywhere.
http://norm.beesky.com/video/CentiDecaM1a.wmv Seriously, does anyone watch that and think about the 3 rails or the over sized couplers? Granted, it would be that much better full scale and two rail... The point is that both Lionel and MTH are very likely to include things like smoke and crew talk, because that's what their main market likes. As long as they don't make caricatures of the models to include these features we should probably plan to deal with it. Sure, the models might be theoretically less expensive without it, but most modern business focuses on making fewer different versions of things as a method of holding down costs. The model will be engineered to have those features, and leaving a few components out of some pieces will probably NOT lower the cost. It is certainly worth expressing what we want to both companies. Strident "nobody will buy it ..." comments probably are counter-productive. I think those two points are all anyone needs to keep in mind. Pieter E. Roos --- On Mon, 10/22/12, Ed <[email protected]> wrote: > > Ed, > > I always thought that the big black smoke cloud meant > the steam engine was aplying more horsepower to move up > certain grade conditions but after leveling off the smoke > turned white or disapeared as horsepower was met for flat > rail and speed conditions. > > Alan Lambert > > Alan... > > Assuming your description to be accurate, this is a great > specification for a Digital Smoke System (DSS). The > DSS should be able to adjust the smoke's color and volume > for each speed step. More volume and more color under > heavy load and vice versa for lesser loads. Tsunami > already does that for the chuff-chuff volume by comparing > the set speed step to the current actual speed step. > And Zimo decoders have an accessory smoke generator with a > fan which is controlled by the decoder so that individual > puffs emanate at the rate of four per wheel > revolution. The puffs can actually be synchronized to > the position of the wheels via a cam on the axle. > > So the electronic and mechanical issues are fairly well > solved. It is the chemistry that is not yet fully > developed and needs improvement. If we could only add > some color to political hot air and capture it in a pressure > can, we might have something to use. > > Until a really fantastic DSS is created, my layout room will > remain a smoke free environment for health reasons. > But I would not mind changing that some day -- at least for > one loop around the mainline. > > Cheers....Ed L. ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
