Vision Line Niagara Variable Ashpan Glow?

I asked the same question on the newest K4 and the Heavy Mikado engines.  The reply on OGR Forum was that old body molds were used that did not allow the opening for the ash-pan glow. 

The ashpan glow has not been a feature on every VL engine. For example, it wasn’t present on the oil-fired versions of the VL Challenger issued in 2010. At the time Lionel said it would not be prototypical on them. It’s been a while since I ran mine but I am not sure that it even has a firebox glow feature. I remember thinking when I got it and noticed the absence of these lighting features that it was more a cost-scrimping thing than anything else.

Adding the ashpan feature to the VL Niagara would have meant making further changes in exisiting tooling beyond what Lionel appears to have no problem doing i.e. creating holes in the boiler shell for smoke features. Of course they adapted the tender shell for the water pick-up feature but on looking at the old CC version exploded parts list, that also seems to me to be a matter of creating openings (together with some new piping and of course a new smoke unit). 

I think that they could have done it if they had wanted to but it might have pushed the cost up beyond what they thought the customer would bear.

It’s a cool feature (and I’ve never had an operating issue with it) and I’d rather have it than not, but I think I can understand why it’s not included on an engine that has so much else going on/going for it in terms of operating features.

Actually, it’s a very cool feature and not least because it does not depend on track power for the illumination - it runs just by the movement of the wheels along the track. Don’t know the technical term for this although I have thought (no doubt incorrectly) about “dynamo.” Can’t find the part I am thinking of on the Lionel website.