Help needed before Christmas ~ Lionel won't smoke

[RockIsland52]

susankay.....the folks on this forum are an excellent resource to get the trains up and runnung again.  When I pulled my trains out of roughly 2 decades of storage to reconvene the Christmas tradition of a Lionel train around the Christmas tree I also worried about damaging an engine that had sat dormant in a box for so long, and not under the most ideal of storage conditions.  So I decided to take the engine I wanted to run into a shop and had them do the "lubrication maintainence and tuneup."  I had them check the wiring for disintegration, and I had them put in new brushes and brush springs.  Then I cleaned up the engine shell.......and it ran and looked fantastic

You do not have the luxury of time to have a train shop perform the maintenance, so read this:

http://ctt.trains.com/en/Collecting/Restoration%20and%20Repair.aspx

After the holiday season you can have a more thorough maintenance performed.  Remember one thing.....just a little lubrication goes a long way.  More is not better and in some cases it is worse. 

In addition, If the track and the engine wheels are clean, the engine will run far better.  I didn't have the time to clean up the track that year either, so I purchsed some new track to make sure there were no issues.  Lionel tubular track for an around the tree layout is less expensive than you might think and worth every penny if you want to spend your time playing instead of fussing with the track and some conductivity issue. 

DO NOT get these guys discussing how to put a smoke unit in your 1684.....yet.  That is a topic for another day but it probably can be done. 

My stuff is about 10 years newer than this 1684, and everything continues to run like new.  The train shops can usually fix what needs fixin' and for a resonable price.  Parts are available for the more complex issues. You'll be pleasantly surprised with all of this.

Merry Christmas and have a ball!

Jack.       

[arkady]

I would also advise you to be sure your 1684 is properly lubricated before running it for any length of time.  You'll want it to be around and running for many Christmases yet to come.

 

[rtraincollector]

Not all steam engines smoke. I believe your doesn't. now if you look down the stack and see some bare wire wrapped around something it would of been a pellet type but pellet type can also take the liquid. if you look down the stack and all you can see is a light or open space your engine is a non smoker. from the engine I could find on ebay it wasn't a smoker ( it was a 1684) so I'm guessing it not a smoker. a lot back then actually were not smokers as the added cost even thou in todays money wasn't a lot it was then and so a lot didn't come with smoke units. If I knew were my repair manual for post war trains I could tell you for sure but its in one of 12 plastic containers. woops ( found book lucky pick) its prewar so not sure my post war book won't tell me sorry tired lol but do know they were built in 1941 and 1942 and were either black or gun metal grey. went to price guide to get years made. I still would bet nonsmoking engine.

best of luck but still bet your grandson ( once you get the oil base wiped off it) will still love the set.

[Algonquin]

Your Lionel train #1684 was made before World War II. Lionel did not invent smoke until after the war. So your locomotive does not have a smoke unit.

[susankay]

Good evening ~

For anyone here who is a grandparent or Oma such as myself, you will realize the importance of my question.  We have a four year old grandson who is facinated with trains and railroads.  I attribute this to the fact that my Grandfather was an engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad for forty-seven years and surely a "train gene" must have been passed on.

My questiion is ~ We have a Lionel #1684 Steam engine and accompanying cars that belongs to my husband.  May be around 1940 ish.  I recently found out that the engine may smoke and of course, my grandson and granddaughter are intrigued with the thought.  I purchased some liquid smoke from a train dealer and poured several drops in.  I ran the train to heat it up....I added more drops....more train running...more drops.  Nothing has happened.  I may have "overdone" the drops because everything seemed wet on the bottom of the engine and I just finished cleaning it all up with paper towels.

My question is:  Did all Steam engines smoke?  Did they use pellets or liquid smoke?? My husband cannot remember if the train ever made smoke??   So...here we are five days until Christmas.

Any suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated.