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My personal opinion is that the problem with requests for realistic features such a this is that once one becomes available attention is drawn to the next that is missing. The quest never ends. And with increased features and details the odds of something breaking or not working increase, fueling additional threads. O Gauge trains have slowly evolved from toys to models to attempts to create exact miniature duplicates in every detail and function. When a detail on a new model is wrong or missing, many here seem to describe the feature as not merely something they want to have but as something they need to have, as if their trains are going to be functioning in the real world. In a few cases it almost seems delusional. Without question this is a free country and we can want or request anything we desire, and many new features over the decades have given real increase in "play value",  but it just seems as if some have replaced the joys this great hobby once brought them with the frustration of an unreachable goal.  

German posted:

 When a detail on a new model is wrong or missing, many here seem to describe the feature as not merely something they want to have but as something they need to have, as if their trains are going to be functioning in the real world. In a few cases it almost seems delusional. Without question this is a free country and we can want or request anything we desire, and many new features over the decades have given real increase in "play value",  but it just seems as if some have replaced the joys this great hobby once brought them with the frustration of an unreachable goal.  

Exactly.

What never fails to amaze me is that if a feature is not included, it becomes a "show stopper" for some folks.  I remember a comment from someone about the MTH 60 ton boxcab diesel.  The person said in effect that he really liked the boxcabs, but he wouldn't buy one because it didn't have smoke.

It seems the features are becoming more important than the locomotives themselves.

Rusty

Rich Melvin posted:
MR_P posted:

Yup, same thing with cars.  Who really needs a heated steering wheel...

Have you ever owned a car with a heated steering wheel?  That is the single BEST feature in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. You have no idea how useful and enjoyable that feature is on a cold, winter morning.

I do! I don’t have it in my 4 Runner but my wife has it in her new Rav 4. That with her heated seats guess  who’s car we take on a cold New England morning!? 🥶 

Rich Melvin posted:
MR_P posted:

Yup, same thing with cars.  Who really needs a heated steering wheel...

Have you ever owned a car with a heated steering wheel?  That is the single BEST feature in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. You have no idea how useful and enjoyable that feature is on a cold, winter morning.

Ever been in Florida/Houston/Phoenix in August? They need a heat pump version to cool it Rich

BobbyD posted:
Rich Melvin posted:
MR_P posted:

Yup, same thing with cars.  Who really needs a heated steering wheel...

Have you ever owned a car with a heated steering wheel?  That is the single BEST feature in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. You have no idea how useful and enjoyable that feature is on a cold, winter morning.

Ever been in Florida/Houston/Phoenix in August? They need a heat pump version to cool it Rich

Average interior temperature on a non shaded vehicle in Phoenix in the summer is around 160 degrees. In the winter and when the sun is out (which is often) interior temperatures still hit the 80 plus range. 

By the way I agree with train nut and agree the topic has flamed out.

Rich Melvin posted:
MR_P posted:

Yup, same thing with cars.  Who really needs a heated steering wheel...

Have you ever owned a car with a heated steering wheel?  That is the single BEST feature in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. You have no idea how useful and enjoyable that feature is on a cold, winter morning.

I rented a Jeep last year at an airport and got on the freeway in heavy traffic.  My hands started to heat up and then burn.  I had trouble just holding the steering wheel.  I quickly deduced that the steering wheel was heated but I couldn't find a way to turn it off.  This was the first vehicle that I have driven that had a heated steering wheel.  

Finally, I had to pull off the freeway into a convenience store parking lot.  I wan't going to burn my hands for the next 3 hours.  There wasn't a manual in the rented Jeep.

I looked everywhere for an on/off button.  There wasn't one.  I started to push the buttons on the touch screen controls.  I finally found Settings and then Controls and then Something else.  The heater on/off button was about 3 screens down under Settings.  It took me almost a half hour to figure out how to turn the heat off.  

My Nissan has a seat heater physical on/off button.  I don't know why Jeep couldn't have put a simple on/off button for the steering wheel heat in the vehicle.  It is dangerous trying to figure out settings on a touch screen while driving in heavy traffic at freeway speeds.  I am going to make sure that this feature is off before I leave the airport next time.  

As far as model train smoke goes, I never use it.  NH Joe

 

 

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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