Lionel VL Big Boy added features.

EXCELLENT!

You are on top of it now, Jon.  Thanks for the response, and hope everyone appreciates your efforts. 

HW

Do you have an email address?

I am very impressed!  Sounds like Lionel will really hit a home run with this one.

Art

Railsounds,

Can you offer any hope of the new Y6b having the wheel slip sound effect? Thanks

In the past, and as far as I can remember anything from it, a number of Vision Line engines have had a surprise feature - off the top of my head I can mention the Centipede motorized and lighted roof fans and the GE Evo roof fans that spin up only at a certain speed. Wheel slip sound effects on a steamer are a REAL BIG DEAL however and it's just as well you don't need to read the manual to know how to trigger them, so I don't resent the advance warning!

Man, I can't wait for the new VL BBs to get here~!

It just keeps getting better.  I can't remember being this excited over anything in some time!  

Personally, I'd rather see Lionel add more steam effects to the Y6b.  It already has whistle-steam as an announced feature.  Without that, I wouldn't have pre-ordered it.  But a dynamo or blow-down effect would be a terrific bonus, since these things tend to trickle into non-VisionLine locomotives eventually.  But unless it's planned ahead of time (i.e., requiring some tooling/plumbing ), I'm not holding out too much hope for  a spec change now.   OTOH, since wheel-slippage is a sounds-only feature, it's more a firmware upgrade rather than new-tooling requirement (I would think).

As I said earlier, the wheel-slip thing seemed kind of gimmicky to me when I heard it at York.  But that's me.  So I wouldn't be all that disappointed if it's not on the Y6b (which it currently is NOT listed to be). Others here were impressed by it.  So it's a personal taste feature for sure.

Some of these things are cool, but you need to use them in moderation... otherwise it becomes a "meh" type thing rather quickly after the novelty wears off.

If I were to rank features most important to me on a steam locomotive (after reasonable detail level), I'd rank them as:  accurate, ear-catching whistle sound; steam-whistle effect; enhanced blow-down effects; roadname/roadnumber-specific announcements, etc...  I can easily do without the wheel-slippage sounds-only and the depleting coal load feature.  Those latter two features will wear off in a heartbeat for me.

David

Wouldn't it be MUCH better if Lionel corrected the "start in compound and switch to simple" exhaust sounds? A compound articulated, such as the N&W "Y" class and "Z" class locomotives should basically "start in simple" and then "change to compound". Then Lionel would have the ONLY correct sounding compound articulated on the 3-Rail O SCALE market.

All excellent suggestions for additional features.......

I would be pleased with any of the above in addition to the advertised features as any additional feature, gimmicky or not, adds in some manner to the pleasure of owning the engine. Additionally, just like the BB purchasers, you feel like you just got that little something extra that takes the sting out the price and makes you keep coming back for more. So c'mon Lionel, throw us another bone on the upcoming Y6b......... 

I too would like the correct simple to compound changeover sounds!

I for one am happy with all the new additions.  I'll use my imagination when operating the wheel slip sounds.  The operation of the smoke unit just proves that Lionel is listening.

Thanks for the update. I do not need to "see" wheels slipping, the sound is enough.

These added features make this VL Big boy super incredible.

Bob  

You mean  you can't use your imagination by pretending to hear the wheel slip sounds?  

So, can I have mine yet?  This locomotive just keeps getting better and better.  I'm so glad I ordered one.

Great news. Especially the options for steam output. Any chance of a Lionel test track video Showing the new "uncataloged" features  like we got for the cab forward. Some of us couldn't get to York and the video someone took of the big boy there was full of background sound and very low quality. 

Just something for the ones ones of us who ordered long ago and are getting anxious to get this.... It's probably one of the most expensive purchases any of us have made for a locomotive and tender!!!!!

video please?????!?!

Can't wait to get mine. Lot's of cool features and this makes me want it today.

Let's just hope the quality of the product is AAA + & 

worth all the hype