Lionel smoke units

[Anonymous]

I've got a 464 Hudson with railsound and I've tried both lionels and MTH smoke fluid, I just can't get it to smoke hardly at all. I've checked the wick and element. it gets good and hot and if I blow into it smoke poors out all around the boiler, the plunger/pump operates and there's no broken pieces. Is there any trick of the trade I can do to modify the smoker to get it to do something better?

[Chris F]

Sounds like a plugged air hole or poorly-adjusted pump, but it depends on the model of Hudson. Please supply a catalog number.

[Anonymous]

OK model number on the side of the box is 6-38063. If I take the pump and push it up manually it will "puff" some smoke but when I run it on the track I don't get anything. I even removed the diecast body to watch and see if it was moving ok and it does.

[ChiefEagles]

Try cleaning out the hole in the bottom of the smoke unit [take the plunger/piston out and you will see hole]. Make sure wick is not blocking hole. Be sure the plunger/piston is dropping all the way down and can go all the way back up. Element needs to be touching wicking too. Next, check gasket between unit and shell. If not adequate, I would go to ACE and get wide foam insulation [closed cell] with one side sticky. Cut you one and install in shell. Hope that helps. Also, might try some JT's Mega Smoke.

[Anonymous]

I've got the megasteam ordered and on it's way. I'm not sure I understand about the gasket you are referring to. The smoker is attacked to a metal bracket and it bolts directly to the engine itself. I didn't see anykind of gasket between those two pieces.

[dwiemer]

Not sure if it applies to your engine, but one of the mags ( I think CTT) had a story about Lionel having the fan blower unit for the smoke reversed. If yours has the blower, you may want to see which direction the blower pushes. Let us know what you find out.

[ChiefEagles]

Take shell off. Smoke unit bolted to the lower frame. Gasket goes between the smoke unit and the underside of the shell's smoke stack [top outer shell unit that came off when unscrewed from frame that holds smoke unit and motor and etc].

QUOTE: it gets good and hot and if I blow into it smoke poors out all around the boiler, the plunger/pump operates and there's no broken pieces.

So it must be a manual smoke unit and not fan driven.

That "plunger/pump" has to travel up and down to force the air through the hole I told you about and that forces the smoke out the top of the unit where the wick and element are. Without a gasket between the shell and the smoke unit, smoke will go inside the engine and not out of the stack [especially if not lined up correctly].

[Anonymous]

OK I understand now Chief. I'll look for that gasket. I've had the boiler body off a few times, with my luck I probably had it fall off and didn't even notice it. I'll check the hole to see if it is clear as well. Any suggestions on how to clean the hole? it doesn't look like the smoke unit comes apart and yest it is a manual smoke unit without a fan. I wasn't aware that Lionel was using the fan on their smoke units. I thought it was MTH that had that only. That's good information to know.