Is N scale smoke really making a comeback?

[peteski]

Here is an excerpt from a BLI email I just received (a section where they include Customer Q&As).

Q: "Will you ever produce 0-6-0 or 0-8-0 switchers?" - Ben on Facebook
A: It's not in our plans right now, but it is an option of a locomotive we can do. The only hold back as it comes to these locomotives in both HO and N Scale is space for our smoke units. Especially in N Scale.

Are N scale modeler really pining for smoke units in N scale steam models?!  Really? That nasty, oily, stinky stuff which doesn't even look very realistic without puffing like 1:1 locos do.  Why is BLI worried about making sure to include smoke units in all their future N scale releases?  Really?  Is this some sort of new marketing gimmick? Please stick with shoes, mooing (non-smoking) stock cars, and animated water towers. 

As I see it, N Scale smoke was a short-lasting fad in the '70s. Heck, I even fell for it by installing a Seuthe smoke unit in my TT gauge 0-8-0. But I didn't expect it to return in the 3rd decade of the 21st Century!  Especially with all the anti-air-pollution sentiment.     

BLI: please make some small N scale switches and don't worry that they are smokeless! And of course make them Stealth too.

[thomasjmdavis]

Here is an excerpt from a BLI email I just received (a section where they include Customer Q&As).

Q: "Will you ever produce 0-6-0 or 0-8-0 switchers?" - Ben on Facebook
A: It's not in our plans right now, but it is an option of a locomotive we can do. The only hold back as it comes to these locomotives in both HO and N Scale is space for our smoke units. Especially in N Scale.

Are N scale modeler really pining for smoke units in N scale steam models?!  Really? That nasty, oily, stinky stuff which doesn't even look very realistic without puffing like 1:1 locos do.  Why is BLI worried about making sure to include smoke units in all their future N scale releases?  Really?  Is this some sort of new marketing gimmick? Please stick with shoes, mooing (non-smoking) stock cars, and animated water towers. 

As I see it, N Scale smoke was a short-lasting fad in the '70s. Heck, I even fell for it by installing a Seuthe smoke unit in my TT gauge 0-8-0. But I didn't expect it to return in the 3rd decade of the 21st Century!  Especially with all the anti-air-pollution sentiment.      :RUEffinKiddingMe:0

BLI: please make some small N scale switches and don't worry that they are smokeless! And of course make them Stealth too.

Yep, stealth and smokeless.

It's has appeared to me, for several years, that BLI, has been developing a Lionel train set that will run in a 2' x 4' space.  I suspect that Ken had a Lionel set as a kid, and that has warped his view of what modelers want. I assume they sell the stuff to somebody, because they keep bringing out more and more of those airless stockcars.

To my mind, second rate sound, smoke, poorly molded X23 boxcars that moo, etc. are detrimental to the hobby of model railroading, even if toy train buffs love them.  The buyers are likely people who were driven insane by their 3 year olds running around in the "choo choo shoes" 18 hours a day, pretending to be trains.

That said, I have acquired some of their NYC boxcars and PRR covered hoppers that, which are quite presentable. I hope when I get enough layout together to run them, that they run ok.

[John]

I saw an N scale steamer at the last Timonium show .. I don't see the need

[wazzou]

I can’t even imagine anyone saying, no smoke?  Nah, I’m out.
I think that’s utterly ridiculous.

[Jimbo]

“Gee, modelers would rather have NO steam switcher at all than one that doesn’t smoke.”   

[ednadolski]

Isn't that what DCC decoders are for?

[High Hood]

I was shocked when I saw this in the BLI newsletter. As unfortunate as this is, I think it is a fascinating look into BLI’s product development mindset.

[peteski]

Isn't that what DCC decoders are for?

Especially BLI Paragon decoders.   

[mike_lawyer]

I saw that in the newsletter and couldn't believe that was the excuse for not making a small switcher.  If they said the problem is fitting a decoder into a small tender, that at least has some logic behind it, but it is still a weak argument.

Also, I was a little disappointed that BLI mentions it will build an FEF in N scale as one of the next steamers.  We have the Kato model already, which is outstanding.  Why make another FEF?

Personally, I would like to find out what new PRR steam will be released.  They have been very quiet about that, and I have asked several times on their Facebook page.

[EspeeGoldenState]

Also, I was a little disappointed that BLI mentions it will build an FEF in N scale as one of the next steamers.  We have the Kato model already, which is outstanding.  Why make another FEF?

Give us SF 3751 or MILW 261 or NW 611, anything but another FEF.

And I once debated about putting a smoke unit it my HO stuff until I smelt it from someone else for 8 hours and all the sliminess that came with it.

[Peter Amling]

I have to agree. I thought the same thing when I read the newsletter. Realistic smoke isn't practical at this scale. And it's not a deal breaker the way non-stealth is. Bring on the steal and smokeless.


And I'll echo what someone else said, why do the FEF? There's so many models that haven't been done. Same thing with the Big Boy. Oh well.

[peteski]

Also, I was a little disappointed that BLI mentions it will build an FEF in N scale as one of the next steamers.  We have the Kato model already, which is outstanding.  Why make another FEF?

Why did they also make another (smoking) Big Boy with Athearn already producing multiple runs of theirs?  Athearn is a nice model. Then of course there is also the old Con-Cor/Rivarossii Big boy. Kato also decided (as I heard for Mr. Kato's personal reasons) yet another Big Boy.  Another FEF (with smoke of course)? No thanks.

There are many other locomotive models duplicated by multiple manufacturers.  I agree that I'm also disappointed about that state of affairs, but this newly found desire for smoke is really ludicrous.

[Doug G.]

Let's all of us "serious" model railroaders whine about it.

Doug

[robertjohndavis]

I don’t really care if a locomotive has smoke or not. I won’t use it, but it doesn’t bother me.

Except in the case of the BLI Big Boy where the smoke unit was so obvious when looking into the stack that it turned me off so much that I cancelled my order.

I have had good luck with BLI locomotives, but after the pancake drivers on the USRA locos and brass smoke thing on the Big Boy, I will not order sight unseen anymore.

Rob

PS: the 0-6-0 & smoke thing has to be a joke, right?

[bbunge]

Let's all of us "serious" model railroaders whine about it.

Doug

Exactly.  My 20 year old loves the smoke.  He was the one running at the Timonium show that John mentioned.  While John might not have been impressed, it was really popular with the bystanders.  There seemed to be two groups; kids (you know the ones, the future of the hobby) and older folks who would mention the Lionel of their youth. 

Smell?  Uh?  What?  Anyone who is turned off by the smell might be a little out of touch when it comes to Mega-steam scent (which works well in the BLI smoke unit) which offers just about every scent you can think of including non-scented.  I suspect they even have stink bug scent. 

If the brass tubes in the stack bothers someone and you don't use the smoke feature, isn't that fixed with a few brush strokes of black paint?  At least on the BB, the shell comes off pretty easy and the smoke unit doesn't look that hard to remove and could be replaced with weight. 

So what if BLI builds a brand around offering smoke?  Their sales figures will one day prove if it was a good business decision or not.  It seems to me they have listened to the RW side of the market by offering stealth, which also doesn't include smoke.  Personally, I think they would silly not to offer a small switcher just because they can't fit the unit in.

Real world smoke experience with the BB so far includes, dump the squeeze bulb that comes with the loco and get some small syringes.  The syringe also allows you to measure out a precise amount of fluid, important since you don't want to over fill the smoke unit.  As long as you don't over fill the unit, the mess doesn't seem all that bad with two points: 1) keep the locomotive upright - the fluid will seep out if stored on it's side; 2) there still be an oil build up on the outside of the shell after a good amount of running, similar to what happens if you have Lionel experience.  It wipes off with paper towels or the like.  We haven't try to weather the locomotive because of this. 

One charge of fluid lasts about two minutes.  At a show, he usually turns the smoke on when a group shows up and starts to watch the train or when he wants to shoot a video. 

It is worth it?  Well, if one of the reasons you are into the hobby is outreach, IMHO, a strong yes.  I have a video of his BB on a FreemoN layout.  The video was photo bombed by an older couple who walked up on the other side of the module.  As the lady sees the smoke, a massive smile comes across her face; she just lights up, grabs the hubby and points like a little kid.

If you really, really, really don't want to have anything to do with the smoke and the stealth option isn't for you, you can turn off the physical switch and set the CV that controls how long the smoke runs when the function is selected to zero. 

Bob