Many people have asked about the Turbine, so I'll post here just to lay out the technical details. These are on pages 32-33 of the 2021 Big Book.
First, in terms of Bluetooth features:
- LVC - Voice Control. It will be compatible. The Voice Control feature is a function of the LionChief Bluetooth APP and is compatible with any Bluetooth engine we've made.
- VSR - Voice Streaming and Recording. This will not nor will any other Legacy engine from the 2021 Big Book will have the feature. Only the skus in the catalog that have the VSR icon will, which are currently limited to some of the Ready to Run sets. We'll see how it does there and possibly roll it into Legacy in the future. It is a feature targeted more toward kids, so that's why we're starting it off in RTR.
- Bluetooth control in both engine and tender. The tender will be slave to the engine, and will require the engine to operate. The engine can also be operated alone.
Mechanical features:
- Lots of die-cast. Tooling mods done to the shell for electronics upgrades, but still a big, heavy die-cast body. Both the engine and the tender will use handrails on the roof for the TMCC antenna. Tender shell is also die-cast.
- Trucks have been reworked. The inner two trucks will be powered, getting our standard Mabuchi motors. Gearboxes will be backdrivable.
- The engine's switches will all be under a roof hatch. The tender switches will all be on the underbody.
- Electrocouplers on front and rear of engine, and the rear of the tender. Front of tender will get a mechanically operating coupler. Catalog said operating coupler on rear of engine, but that was a typo - it will be an electrocoupler.
- Electrocoupler on/off switch on engine to turn off the rear coupler for when not running in a Legacy lash-up.
- Front and rear of both engine and tender will be scale coupler compatible.
- Two smoke units. One for the turbine and one for the aux diesel engine.
Sound features:
- Engine is getting a 40mm Legacy speaker. Since the engine can be operated stand-alone, the sounds will be comparable to a Legacy Diesel engine.
- Tender will be all about that bass, getting two 40mm Legacy speakers. The sound sets will be balanced between the engine and tender, and will be comparable to A and B F-Units we've done lately.
- Both engine and tender will get dialogue and signal switches, so if you're operating outside of a Legacy lash-up, you can use the switches to choose where the dialog, horn, and bell sounds come from.
- Sounds for the turbine and the diesel engine will work when appropriate and operated with the smoke units. The engine will start with the diesel engine, and above a certain speed step, the turbine will kick on.
Other features:
- Track IR added to engine belly tank.
- LED lighting throughout. MARs on the front where applicable.
- Engine and tender will each have their own dedicated Legacy board. Each will have a RUN/PGM switch. Set both to the same TMCC ID for preferred operation.
I can't image the amount of fuel these things used in real life!
Any other questions, please let me know. Hope I covered the majority of it.
