The 2026 can use the various smoke fluids on the market, some are marketed as non-toxic.
There is, if I recall, a company making new versions of the pellets.
I have Lionel postwar as well. I have never seen an alternative to the pellets nor any suggestions for one. Don't think there is. If there is one, the cct Forum might be the place to find it
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
One alternative to smoke is to use your imagination. For me - it's a lot more realistic than even the best smoke units out there.
That said, if you really have your heart set on a smoking locomotive and since it's Lionel, the folks on the Classic Toy Trains (CTT) forum may be better equipped to answer your query.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
So I am supposed to get a lionel 2026 train set in the mail and I was wondering do you guys have an idea as to what I could use instead of smoke pellets or mineral oil. I just found out that using mineral oil in your trains can be toxic and I dont know if I should use smoke fluid because I am worried about dammageing the locomotive.