How much are your trains smoking?

[Buckeye Riveter]

I was reading the other day, that the newer engines are smoke fluid hogs and after watching various models of engines from various manufacturers, I began to wonder if I have been too stingy [:(] with the amount of smoke I have been putting down the stack or exhaust. [:0]

How many drops on a average to you put into your engine? [?] What is the make and model of the engine? [?] Does it have a fan? [?]

And yes, I am using JT's Smoke Fluid and it is so much better than the other stuff. [:D]

[nitroboy]

Since I don't own any newer engines with the smoke fans and such, I can only comment on my post-war puffers. I usually put 5 to 6 drops in about every week. I run the trains every day, so sometimes I might add a little more if needed. They smoke pretty good, I really don't need a cloud of it, just something to keep my 2 year old daughter smiling!!!

[spankybird]

Hi Buckeye,

On my MTH with fans, the first time, 20 to 40 drops, then 10 to 15 drops as needed. On my Lionel, all which are non fan smoke units, 4 to 8 drops as need.

Remember, MTH has two heating elements in there smoke units and a large wick.

tom

[Anonymous]

They smoke so much I had to find a new dealer. [:O]

[Anonymous]

TMCC did you mean new mfg, or dealer. The MTH trains will smoke great no mater what dealer you get them from. I have one MTH loco and I put in one eye dropper each time the smoke unit starts to fade the smoke or the color of the smoke turns blue in florescent light.
In Train Americas locos I put in one eve droper on a new engine and then about 15 drops when the boost button will not give more smoke with 2 seconds of pushing the button. that means you are getting low on fluid and the thermester is turning the element off due to excessive heat.
This is by far the best fan unit as it protects it self from frying the wick.
The MTH smokes good but has no protection of overheating. I have replaced one wick as I thought it had a thermister but no such luck. The wick was black and stuck to the elements.
Keep the MTH wicks wet.
Lionel is a different story as their units up until now smoke poorly no matter what you put in.
I did get a great smoker out of my Lionel 10 wheeler. take out the smoke unit and take it apart. Now take a small cutter and cut the wick off the heating element.
Take the wicking out and put in the pink fiberglass insulation used in homes.
Put in enough so the element will push against the wick. Put about 1 full eyedropper to start with, and then only add 4 or 5 drops as needed.
This unit puffs once per rev of the drivers and shoots smoke balls out the top of the stack and sucks out smoke to the steam chests on the down stroke.
Really looks real. dave.

[dougdagrump]

TMCC, Did they get the munchies too?[(-D]

[Anonymous]

I dont know, about 5 packs a day![:D][V][banghead][:D]

My engine is a chain smoker [:O]

[Buckeye Riveter]

Great one Jerry!!! Have you put them on the patch?

[cnw1995]

I'm not using the smoke fluid much anymore - it usually was just a 5-6 drops.

[Anonymous]

I agree with Tom (Spankybird) about the amount of smoke fluid.

I just did about what Dave did to an older Lionel smoke unit last night. This was the bellows type which puffs once per revolution. The element was fried, so I installed a new one. I also did not use the sleeve. I wrapped an MTH wick around the element several times and tucked the bottom of it under the "mat" that sits in the bottom of the smoke unit.

The results appear to be the same as Daves-it puffs balls of smoke up (small and dense). I am making sure to keep it wet with smoke fluid.

I am also using JT's Megasteam. I am using more fluid with it, but the results are well worth it.

[Anonymous]

I put them on a patch........ of the shelf of course[;)][:D]

[daan]

Now another question for smokers. In the European smoke units (which suck, because they only smoke like very behaved..) there is a resistor around a small pipe in a n amount of lamp-oil. The element heates, lampoil boiles and will eject out of the hottest part; the small pipe. Problem is that everything, including the train, your hair, the rest of the layout and everything which gets in that smoke gets covered with oil..
What sort of fluid do americans burn in their smokestacks? I'm looking for something less greasy[:D][^]

[Anonymous]

Any of our liquid smoke is non oily. Ive had smoke go into my hair, with no ill effects.

[daan]

@jerry, do you know a name of it?

[ben10ben]

Most American units use mineral oil, although a few use propylene glycol, as used in theater fog machines. Most seuthe units also use mineral oil, although it is generally of a lighter viscosity. Most seuthe units use a mineral oil that's very close in viscosity to kerosene(C8-C12), while generally heater type units use something more along the lines of C-16 or C-18. Viscosity varies according to the specific manufacturer of smoke fluid.

[spankybird]

You have to love how a MTH smokes [:D][:D][:D]





tom