4-4-2 Lionel Smoke Unit

[drums1427]

Hey all. I have just one of the basic 4-4-2 Lionel "starter set" engines. I just got it back from getting a new smoke unit put in. Is there a way to make these basic ones smoke more? Or is there a smoke fluid that will make it smoke more? I've tried MTH, but when I run it, it doesn't smoke until I put the Lionel fluid back in. Also, could it be that these "basic" engines just don't have that great of a smoke generator?

Also, kind of off the subject. Is there a way to find some aerial pictures of the Norfolk Southern line in Northern VA or the Fulton yard (CSX I think) in Richmond, VA?.

[pbjwilson]

The starter set locos don't pump out the smoke like some of the newer engines with a fan assist smoke generator. The more power you can give your engine the hotter it will get and the more smoke it will generate. Try pulling some heavy cars, or cars with a real load. This will require more power and you should see more smoke. Another thing you can do is turn up the power while the engine is in nuetral and you see smoke spilling over the top of the stack. Then cycle into forward. You should get a few big puffs of smoke after that.