I've run across it reaserching logging. Not even N.West logging; it crept into quite a few articles despite that.
This covers a lot of niches, not all loggers ran narrow, its small, low slung, articulated, decent history, Baldwin build; they could do far worse.
As soon as you add more drivers you're eliminating the smaller layouts. This may be why some deeper wallets aren't buying into the monsters as well.
Electronics fit into ho. A decent speaker in the tender should outperform ho sounds easily; they sound pretty good, just not very loud. Especially true if is only driven as the O.P. has suggested. Ho smokes now too and steam effects aren't in every loco either. (it really only takes a motor, fan(think snail shell/turbo) and a tube. A.F. put smoke in and moved it to the stack via tube over 50 years ago as well. With an electric motor and todays quick coupling tube connections it could be in the tender as well. 
I don't buy the "too small" bit anymore; not with cameras having 3 or more motors small as my pinky fingernail; wristwatches doing what they can do; etc etc
Bland names?
At least they have one 
Most numbers arent exactly exciting 
Southern as a alternate puts a big road name in play (and please tell me one ran on the Dummy or Jerkwater Lines... then tell me those wouldn't sell a few hundred on novelty alone
Nicknames on Wyte Notations: Old Timer isn't exactly flattering either, but it wouldn't stop me from using or wanting one anyhow. Neither would Maud. (you could hide a great sound "Easter Egg" for Old Maude too 
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