Postwar Smoke Unit

[guitarman1994]

Howdy all,

I just acquired a 1954 2037.  Can I run this without burning up the smoke unit? It came with some smoke pellets, but I was just wondering if I could run it without the pellets in it.

Thanks,

Brody

[cwburfle]

Postwar Lionel smoke units, such as the one in your 2037 are not harmed by running them "dry".

When they are damaged, it is usually due to someone poking a foreign object such as a screwdriver down the smokestack and into the smoke unit, breaking the heater element.
They can also be clogged up by putting in too many pellets.

[guitarman1994]

How do I know when there is enough pellets?

[TrainLarry]

Put in one pellet in at a time, and wait until it is completely melted and used up before adding another one. If the heater element is clogged with too much pellet material, put the loco in neutral and turn up the voltage. The heater will then melt the excess material. Replacement pellets are available, and liquid smoke fluid can also be used in these units.

Larry

[cwburfle]

In addition to what Larry wrote:

The smoke pellets solidify and will still be there between uses.
When you start running your train, do not automatically add a new pellet.

Give the residual smoke stuff a chance to melt and start making smoke again. It may take a couple of minutes.

[ChiefEagles]

BTW: you can use liquid smoke fluid too.  Just don't flood the unit.  Yes, tablets melt and turn to fluid.  So modern fluids work.  Enjoy.