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In addition to what Larry has already pointed out black smoke indicated the incomplete combustion of the loco's fuel weather it was coal or oil. Railroad management equated this to wasted $$$ and like Larry said woe be unto the poor fireman that didn't build his fire right or did not keep it hot enough. Some steam locomotives were equipted with "smoke lights" This was simply a sheilded light bulb mounted near the stack. If the crew could not see the bulb burning then the smoke was too thick. Keep in mind that the "white smoke" one sees from the stack of a loco is spent steam from the cylinders that is exhausted through the smokebox/stack in order to create additional draft to promote the more complete combustion of the fuel. So "white smoke" is not altogether unprotypical especially on a cold day! HA HA!! <br /> <br />As to creating black smoke from a model loco it would seem to me that would require the actual ignition and burning of a high carbon based substance. I don't that could be accomplished in a DC powered HO locomotive. I have however seen some live steam O and G scale locos that smoked fairly realistically but that was do to the fact that they were actually powered by the burning of coal or oil. Besides...the mess would be too much to handle on an inside layout!! HA...Take care and have fun...Vic
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