Lionel Smoke pellets

[railroaded]

  What's a decent price to pay for a bottle of 50 SP smoke pellets? Are the reproduction ones as good as the original?

-thanks in advance.

[sir james I]

You can use smoke fluid in all your Lionel engines, old and new, 3 drops is enough. Most original pellets are bought by collectors and everyone that has used the reproductions say they work just as well. So if you want to use pellets just buy the new ones.

[cwburfle]

The reproduction smoke pellets made by Trainz work and smell like the originals.
Their retail (list) price is $15.00 per bottle.
Ocassionally I see them at train shows at a slight discount.
IMHO, these reproduction pellets has pushed the price of original Lionel smoke pellets down a bit, but I cannot give you a specific price.
If you want to make your engines smoke there is no reason to look for original pellets.

[wrmcclellan]

I can also confirm the Trainz repros are exactly like the originals as Lionel last made them (precisely the same chemical). A friend of mine with a train shop (Toy Trains Unlimited in Dallas) is the one who originally did the research and started making them (it was fun to watch the pill machine stamp out the pills) from the powder from the same manufacturer as Lionel used when they still made the pills. I forget the name of the chemical but several articles were written years ago in CTT and OGR so others may dig out the name. TTU sold the pill stamping machine, proportions, how to handle the chemical (humidity is a real problem - the powder absorbs moisture and then gums up - have to spread the powder out in a heavily air conditioned room for hours to process), and the chemical manufacturer contact to Trainz some years back.

[lynbrookyankee]

I will also chime in to say the reproduction pellets are just as good as the originals. Cant tell the difference when using them in my 681. I use the new instead of the originals even though I really have no reason to save them. The repros come in a skinnier bottle with a similarly colored label. Pick up a bottle; you wont be disappointed.

[srguy]

I bought pellets after having my trains in storage for 15 years and almost choked at the price!!  Was not happy with the performance either .... cleaned out the smoke chamber and installed new insulation and switched to JT Mega Steam (smoke pellet scent). The amount of smoke is many times that of the pellets and it smells like 1954!!

[cwburfle]

I guess that's why both smoke fluid and smoke pellets are available. Some folks prefer smoke fluid, others pellets.
 .

[cleecolbert]

I have a post war 2025, and it has the original pellet smoke unit, and you say I can use smoke liquid in this?

[sir james I]

Yes you can use smoke fluid.

3, 4 drops. no more or you will flood the smoke chamber.

[ADCX Rob]

cleecolbert

I have a post war 2025, and it has the original pellet smoke unit, and you say I can use smoke liquid in this?

Here is my 726RR(736 sans Magnetraction) with liquid(and it's more than 3 drops - like 12 or so):

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[sir james I]

Well if you want smoke fluid all over the place 12 drops is fine.

If you modified the chamber with different wadding it might safely hold twelve drops.

[ADCX Rob]

A properly cleaned & lined postwar smoke bowl holds 12+ drops easily. Just look at that 726RR. On wall-to-wall carpet, ta' boot.

[M. Mitchell Marmel]

FWIW, I just installed a new liquid smoke unit from the Train Tender into a 2025 I'm restoring for a friend.  With the new "Pac-Man" wadding, 20 drops or so are needed just to soak it properly so it doesn't burn.  That being said, the little indefinite smokes up a storm! 

My question is, will smoke pellets work in this unit?  My friend has a bottle, and I just KNOW he's gonna start shoveling the durn things down the stack when my back is turned...  :D

Mitch

[rtraincollector]

Short answer no. If you reinstalled a Pill smoke unit then you could of used either but liquid will not do the pills. 

Personally I always replace pill type with pill type ( and yes Jeff carries both ) The liquid type engines that came with liquid has a small hole so you can't put the pill in.