Marx "bubbling" water tower

[Diablobike]

Is there a reason why my Marx tower sometimes bubbles but mostly not?  There must be an easy fix.

[wallyworld]

I lined the light box with tin foil glued to the sides and the bottom of the base where it fits ( shiny side out) I also used tape to seal the air leakage while I can always reapply the tape if the bulb goes out. Sometimes it still balks. So..I found that if you turn it upside down for ten -twenty seconds, leaving an air pocket near the bulb, to heat up the air inside it immediately takes off. Hope this helps. I got mine damaged and I bought a replacement (reproduction )box and installed it.

[sir james I]

Good advice above. It's nothing more than a over sized Christmas tree bubble light. It needs to be hot.

[Seayakbill]

Seems like all the bubbling towers are tempermental. Some will crank up quicker than others, doesn't matter if they are Postwar or Modern.

[arkady]

Has anyone ever tried putting a working red light (maybe an LED) on top?

 

[Anonymous]

arkady,

                I have the K Line Dairymans League version that was made right before the end, and it has a blinking red LED on top of the dome.  A heater was also added to the base of the tube.  I've also got the original Marx issue, and it is critical that the base of the tube is resting on the bulb.

[dsmith]

I also lined mine with aluminum foil and I made sure that the bulb is pressed against the bubble tube.  Since heat is involved, having the correct lamp installed and the correct operating voltage is also important.

I have another idea that I haven't tried.  How about painting the bulb with black paint, except for a dot where it contacts the bubble tube.  The idea is that the black paint will absorb more of the heat.  Or perhaps if you paint the bulb with silver paint, to reflect more of the light inward.  These are just ideas, I haven't tried either one yet.

[wallyworld]

dsmith

I also lined mine with aluminum foil and I made sure that the bulb is pressed against the bubble tube.  Since heat is involved, having the correct lamp installed and the correct operating voltage is also important.

I have another idea that I haven't tried.  How about painting the bulb with black paint, except for a dot where it contacts the bubble tube.  The idea is that the black paint will absorb more of the heat.  Or perhaps if you paint the bulb with silver paint, to reflect more of the light inward.  These are just ideas, I haven't tried either one yet.

My guestimate as far as painting the bulb, you might have premature bulb failure as the air also cools the bulb, I would think, maybe not. I used the larger marx bulb intended for globe lamps, and this helped a great deal too ( more surface area?) It is a lot more reliable now but when the humidity is up, or the ambient air is lower, it takes some time and thats when I turn it upside down for a moment or two..I wish I could do that to e-units.

[arkady]

green97probe

  I have the K Line Dairymans League version that was made right before the end, and it has a blinking red LED on top of the dome.

Okay, but what I was thinking of was retrofitting a light to an existing Marx tower.  Has anyone actually done that? And if so, how?

Not to get too far off topic, my Marx tower has always bubbled correctly. But I power it from a separate transformer, where I can control the voltage with greater precision.  And the bulb does touch the bubble tube.

 

[aussteve]

I added a red LED to the top of my Marx water tower.  Dont remember if it was a blinking circuit or steady on.  It was risky but I successfully snapped off the red button on the top of the tower, made a hole for two small black wires.  Ran the wires out the bottom of the tank next to the tube and over to the black ladder.  Down the inside of the ladder and into the base.  I built a circuit to light it up which stayed under the base using the same power as the light bulb.  Back in the day, I used to buy every Marx and Flyer bubbling tower I could find.  Some of the Marx towers I would refit them with a LED and sell them at train shows.  Havent done that in several years.  I always kept the best bubblers for my layout.

 

 

[geo681]

I also added an led light. However I have a question about the tube. I purchased mine used in a box in several pieces. Does the flat end or the pointed end of the tube go to the bulb? 

Thanx 

geo

[arkady]

The flat end touches the bulb on mine.

 

Since this is an old thread, I should add that I eventually did figure out how to put an LED into the tower.  I removed the tank by carefully cutting around its base until I was able to lift it off.  Then I put an Evan Designs flashing red LED up into the existing light casting and glued it in place with some silicone seal. 

 

I reattached the tank -- also with silicone seal, so I can get it off again if it's ever necessary -- and ran the thin wires from the LED down into the base.  I fabricated a couple of homemade binding posts for them out of brass screws and nuts, and power it with a small Lionel transformer.  It's been working just fine for years.