Steam Engine Smoke Units

[Hotrod]

The Post War Lionel engines used pills for smoke. The modern engines now use liquid solutions to accomplish the same; perhaps more efficiently or effectively. Does anyone know if you can use the liquid in the older engines or conversely, the old pills in the modern ones or what effect it might have?

Thanks, Rod 

[TrainLarry]

You can use most liquid smoke fluids in the older pill type smoke units, and they will work quite well. Reproduction pills are available, as Lionel no longer makes them. All modern smoke units are designed to use only liquid, and no attempt to use pills in them should be attempted, as the heater units are not designed for them. Unless the smoke unit can be turned off, modern smoke units need to have liquid in them at all times, or the element will burn out. Pill type units last practically forever, and can be run without pills or liquid in them with no ill effect.

Larry

[wrmcclellan]

Hot rod. Train Larry is spot on. 

A repro or original pill in a newer unit is not advised. The old units had exposed nichrome wire wound around a ceramic flat form that covered a good portion of the bottom of the chamber. The new units use a wire wound resistor with a ceramic coating either encased in a fiberglass wick or with fiberglass filler. The old pills may not contact the resistor and not melt properly.

 Note too much fluid in an older unit may run out the bottom of the unit. There is a very small lip to contain the original melted material. Older units when overloaded - the material usually cooled quick enough to solidify before running out of the loco. I had fun in the past scraping the old residue out and re packing it into the chamber to have original smoke until the reproduction pills came out. I forget the name of the chemical but several articles have been written on it.

[lionelsoni]

Meta-terphenyl