Hello Chief Eagles. Someone told me you may be able to help me out from another forum thread. I have a Lionel Mikado Jr. I had been running it in conventional with 2 full wave recitifers in series with a motor lead. It smoked nice at higher speeds and so so at medium speeds, hardly anything at slow speeds. I recently put in another making a total of 3 modified recitifiers. Now it smokes nice at lower speeds and really smokes at higher speeds. Do you think this is too many rectifiers? I don't want to damage anything. I actually tried 4 and the outside of the smoke unit was hot enough to sizzle when I spit a tiny bit on it! Mayber you or someone else have done this and know what a usual amount to use is. I also put in pink insulation and use JT's. I think the JT's burns up too fast, seems I'm always adding. Thanks for any help!
ChiefEagles 3railguy Chief, it seems it would be more practical to install a fan driven smoke unit next to the gable vent. That way you would eliminate the bathroom fan and all that ductwork. Think you have been out in the fish house on the frozen lake too long and your brain is working slow.
3railguy Chief, it seems it would be more practical to install a fan driven smoke unit next to the gable vent. That way you would eliminate the bathroom fan and all that ductwork.
Chief, it seems it would be more practical to install a fan driven smoke unit next to the gable vent. That way you would eliminate the bathroom fan and all that ductwork.
Think you have been out in the fish house on the frozen lake too long and your brain is working slow.
Actually, I've been basking in a Virginia blend laced with Latakia and Burley all weekend. It opens the mind and gets me thinking outside the box.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Jim Rotella My PWC 736 smokes great, but when I press aux 9 for smoke boost, the fan doesn't turn to blow out extra smoke while the engine is idling like my other PWC steamers do. But while the engine is running at speed, the boost button will increase smoke intensity quite a bit.
My PWC 736 smokes great, but when I press aux 9 for smoke boost, the fan doesn't turn to blow out extra smoke while the engine is idling like my other PWC steamers do. But while the engine is running at speed, the boost button will increase smoke intensity quite a bit.
My 736 does the same regarding aux9. I had hoped it would do like the 773, which is you push aux9 and the fan comes on and it heats up to produce more smoke. The 736 smokes better overall and aux9 heats it up for even more. I've always thought it was bad for it to hold the 9 button down. I thought you just pushed aux1 then 9 and let off. This cut the smoke on. If lionel would standardize it would help. They should all be set up like 773 by may way of thinking.
I did overfill the 773's unit before and I had a mess. It wouldn't smoke very much and the fluid leaked out all over the chassis and down onto the tracks. After the unit got hot enough, small droplets of fluid would spew out of the stack and collect on the boiler shell. Now if I put in about 12-15 drops of Lionel smoke fluid in the 773 when the unit gets low, it smokes just fine.
It seems like the smoke units on all three of my PWC steam engines operate differently. My PWC 736 smokes great, but when I press aux 9 for smoke boost, the fan doesn't turn to blow out extra smoke while the engine is idling like my other PWC steamers do. But while the engine is running at speed, the boost button will increase smoke intensity quite a bit.
Too much fluid cools the resister and so you will get less smoke not more. A lot of overfill and no smoke at all.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Jim, I've put as much as a half of a megasmoke dropper in the 773's stack at a time. I'm just not getting enough heat. Its only if I motor around holding down the 9 button that it start generating lots of smoke.
Half a dropper load is obviously too much as it takes a while for this to run down to where the right ratio of wick to fluid is reached and the fluid starts smoking off at any noticable rate.
I've got the PWCS 776 as well at its a better smoker. Go figure!
EJN
I didn't think my PWC Super O Hudson smoked very well either when I first got it. But after reading several posts on the subject, I found that due to a very large fluid reservoir, you have to put in several drops of smoke fluid in to get it to smoke properly. My 773 now puffs a steady stream of light smoke every time I run it. I believe that the owners manual says to put in about 6-8 drops at a time. I put in about 15 drops at a time and that seems to do trick.
Now my PWC 746 is a different story. When it's working, it puffs big clouds of white smoke, much more than my PWC 773 does. But that's only when I can get it to work. Otherwise, I can't get it to smoke at all until it decides to start working again.
Gang, do not know where your layout is located. Mine is upstairs with attic above. I installed a bathroom exhaust fan [wiht damper] in the ceiling and exhaust the smoke out through the gable end vent close to that room [did not want to cut a hole through the side of the house. made bracket to hold pipe right against gable end vent]. Hit the switch and on comes the exhaust fan and out goes the smoke.
I guess if you want a smoke unit that fills the room with smoke and chokes you to death, then they are junk. The heavy smokers I usually have to turn off after a couple laps. A lionel on the other hand smokes just enough for me to see and I'll go with that.
BUCKEYE,
Yes the smoke units with the fans in it are sometimes in reverse, but an easy fix. By just opening up the smoke unit and switching the wires. This was in a CTT magazine article a few years back. I had to do it to some of my SD90s.
laz57
Cat....Although not a problem with postwar smokers, the fans in some of the Lionel locomotives are running in reverse including their Hot Box Reefer Cars.
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
well cheif im from hickory. ive found my postwar smoke units very reliable. after some research and tinkering ive managed to get all my tmcc smokers to really put it out.used the pink insulation and cut the sleave off really helped out. thanks for all the help youve already provided.
I load mine up with fluid. Mostly out of fear of burning it up. The one that was glowing was still smoking good although on the down slope. Thats why I cut it off immediately when I saw that 'glow'. I hate it died as the smoke rings it blew were 'a thing of beauty'.
The weakest is the Super O Hudson TMCC. It is really weak. Only way to get it to produce easy to see smoke is to push aux1 and hold down 9 continuously. I just don't pay much attention to it. It needs work but since its may still be under warranty I can't mess with it and don't know that Lionel could/would do anything for it since technically it will smoke lightly.
Chief, putting smoke in diesels is a good idea. I have FM which for entertainment value would benefit from a smoke unit.
The ones I put in dummies, I "throttle" back on the voltage as I am suing them in command [18V]. If you don't they smoke like the "devil". Bob Nelson helped me on the first one I did. He got me to use bridge rectifiers to reduce the voltage. They still smoke really good for diesel. They are still going. Red glow seems too hot. I have found that most people do NOT use enough smoke fluid. Too afraid to add enough due to manufacturer's instructions. Also, if you use Mega Steam, better keep adding as it will burn up fast and char your wicking and element. I've gone back to using the manufacturer's brand for each one [Lionel and MTH].
Just had a new 30050 Mikado loco burn out after about two weeks. Lionel's sending a RA # throught the mail.
Man was it a smoker though while it lived. I had it running and smoking and looking down on it from above. You could see a bright red glow down the 'stack'. I cut it off aux1- 8. But it never would come on again.
THe other, all modern, lionels I have are weak to moderate smoker. I would guess they are designed that way for long life.
I've found the old postwar units are tough to kill. Have picked up postwar steamers that sat for years and never ran. After firing them up, they start smoking the old pill residue from long ago.
I agree some of the newer units take some TLC or they burn out.
I second that motion if pics are included too!
JoeG
Sounds like a CTT HOW-TO article........Hint Hint
A lot of us find them very good. I for one use them to "smoke" dummies and etc. Just need to know how to "fix" them up. Where in NC are you located? Maybe I can help.
IVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MOST LIONEL SMOKE UNITS ARE JUNK.
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