I think this day is coming. The Bachmann 44 tonner w/DCC and MRC's announced sound decoder for the Kato NW2 give an indication of how DCC is progressing.
Some not so outrageous... but who knows... Thinking that the GE 44T was a pipe-dream years ago... now some of the small switcher aren't all that outrageous at all. Still want (need) Baldwin VO-660 and Fairbanks Morse H10/12-44 for a more complete D&RGW roster. The Minitrix model already exists... but... one with onboard DCC would be a real gem.... same for the VO-660. This also exists to a certain extent... the Faller bus system; but, lets take that a few steps further. All vehicles including cars, trucks, buses... even motorcycles with DCC onboard running through streets... instead of static as they presently are. Check out some of the video clips featuring model trains... everything is static except the trains... not realistic on video or in person. Perhaps thats why still shots are more realistic... we impute that everything around the center of attention is also moving.
The big hook :tb-tongue:How about an operating big hook? Everytime I derail a train I run out the dcc big hook. :thumbs_up:
Tiny robotic figures doing work around industries or just walking around the streets. Perhaps we could train ants to walk on their hind legs and dress them as people... Hey... you DID ask for OUTRAGEOUS... right? LOL
I still need some MP15AC's for the Milwaukee Road and SD40-2's,I will have to get to work and bash those Atlas MP15DC's until there are some MP15AC's if ever,or conversion kits.At least I will be modeling.
Dragonfly helicopters Maybe you could take dragonflys and paint them up like helicopters and have them flying around the layout..
Tungsten Chassis? Maybe doable: For N scale steam and small switchers, have the chassis milled from pure tunsten (1.7 times heavier than lead). 75% of the world's tungsten comes from China, and that's where most of the N-scale stuff is being made today anyway. Doing this would probably double the weight of most N-scale engines, with the associated traction increase. Wonder how much this would cost? John C.
To have the ability to just snap my fingers and have my layout finished. Instead of working on it when I have the time, which isnt all that often these days.
I suspect the folks from P.E.T.I (People for Ethical Treatment of Insects) already have me on their watchlist.
Upwards of US$300 per MTU (metric tonne unit). That's approximately 10kgs working on 1% extraction. Mind, I don't think that includes the cost of extraction.... Could be somewhat pricey in the end. :thinking:
How about a couple of droids to help work on the layout? Next best would be a new train loving neighbor or two (and even better with train loving kids!) who would be most welcome guests to my layout room. Last option would be a few clones, but that would be the least desirable since any duplicate of myself would still be unable to decide which of the scores of tasks to work on. We would all probably end up running trains back and forth on the working sections and procrastinate about the work left to do.
How about a wife that goes to train shows, never complains about going, even encourages me to buy stuff there.....wait that is my wife !! Why did I start this thread.....???
How about reservations made over a one year period not being delayed/rescheduled such that they all wind up being released at the same time, and just before Christmas at that! (Kato GS4 #4453, IM AC-12, WoT Harriman baggage cars - and I'm betting there will be more!)
Back to being serious... Well... I've been talking about this for years and still no plan in sight. Remote controled coupling/uncoupling... without magnets in the track or other ancient low tech devices. There... now lets see it happen.
http://www.katousa.com/Kobo/E-NMikado.html Kato's Kobo has a ton of cool stuff that I've never seen advertised!
My dream would be a 750' long and 375' wide two level building for an N scale railroad on one level and the HO's on have of the other. The rest of the space would be used for work space, dispatch offices and crew lounge. And of course the money to buy the miles of track such a building would consume, and the full time staff to maintain it.
