Adding a smoke unit to a GP35 MTH locomotive

As with any technical question, we need your engines product number.

MTH sells a standalone smoke unit from PS1 upgrades. https://www.mthpartsandsales.c...ts/240?type=products

Being an MTH engine, I would stay MTH as in theory that makes mounting and so forth a heck of lot easier.

Also if I search for smoke and GP I get a listing of smoke funnels, just not specific to the GP-35.

But the truth is, there simply may not be room from the factory, plus we have no idea what electronics you might have and space or room. And, depending on what electronics determines what smoke unit would be ideal- a standalone track powered or PS2/PS3 smoke unit powered from the smoke output on the electronics.

ok - so it sounds like the advice is to no pursue this at this point. Am I reading that correctly.

More research on this, they only made Premier GP-35, and they would have had smoke as a PS2. Example 20-2903-1 https://mthtrains.com/20-2903-1

Again, based on a search, they made these first in 2008, making it a PS2 3V, and then later as PS3 versions. https://mthtrains.com/prod-sea..._product_line%3A3934

So my question is, what electronics are you running, who modified this thing in the first place and REMOVED the original smoke unit?

That's just what the research is telling me- we have a unicorn here.

Most diesels use a tall legged unit that there are 2 matching screw holes in the frame

Again, if this has PS2 or PS3  electronics, then the above style is in theory what you need, however, if say someone made it ERR TMCC, first we have a room problem, and then the standalone style I linked in the previous post is more correct but takes up more room because of the circuit board required to run it.

@JEFFREY RUCKGABER 050219 posted:

ok - so it sounds like the advice is to no pursue this at this point. Am I reading that correctly.

If you bring it to the right tech who knows MTH stuff and parts, they basically would be putting it back near stock. Being an MTH, it's mechanically more ideal to put an MTH smoke unit from the mounting perspective.

Again, just have no idea what you have from a technical standpoint. Is this a stripped down unit converted to TMCC by somebody that removed the original smoke unit?

Is this just a case of no smoke fluid or not turned on and possibly burned wick why it doesn't smoke?

To answer all of the above questions, the MTH locomotive I purchased never had a smoke unit. I don't recollect if I purchased it via eBay, or directly from MTH - but as I said, it never had a smoke unit. Also, the locomotive simply worked by assigning it as a TMCC locomotive using the Lionel provided memory module. The couplers work, the bell works, the horn works and the crew talk also works.

@JEFFREY RUCKGABER 050219 posted:

To answer all of the above questions, the MTH locomotive I purchased never had a smoke unit. I don't recollect if I purchased it via eBay, or directly from MTH - but as I said, it never had a smoke unit. Also, the locomotive simply worked by assigning it as a TMCC locomotive using the Lionel provided memory module. The couplers work, the bell works, the horn works and the crew talk also works.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, I want to help, but something is not adding up.

As I said, according to research, MTH produced GP-35 in Premier, not Railking, starting in 2008. From the factory, if it had PS2 or PS3 it would have smoke.

However, this statement: "Also, the locomotive simply worked by assigning it as a TMCC locomotive using the Lionel provided memory module."

That contradicts the fact that it is an MTH locomotive. Especially the memory module part!!!!

I could see someone upgrading to ERR modules for TMCC, but that normally does not include a matching memory module specific to the loco.

How about some pictures of the actual loco, some details with the shell off, or bottom side or something??

This is strongly suggesting it's not an MTH engine or we have some inconsistent details.

ok - to try to address some of the questions above, I've attached some pictures of the outside and inside of the locomotive.

You have your answer in pictures.  There is no room above the TAS setup for a smoke unit.

Could that TAS unit (as you call it) be replaced with a unit that also has smoke?

If not, do you know what those 3 circuit boards are for?

Its not a GP35, its a GP9, that someone at some point has converted to TMCC. The 3 boards on the motherboard are for sound, the radio receiver and the motor driver. Could you put something in there that allows a smoke unit? Probably, but at the point where you go through the effort to put in a smaller package such as ERR and buy a smoke unit, the appropriate manifold, etc.. (a solid $250 in parts) and get it all installed you can probably just buy a locomotive with a smoke unit in it..

ok - confused GP35 versus GP9. Somewhere along the line in my 3 moves, I lost the manual. Sorry for confusion.

I hate getting rid of something that works in lieu of buying something else that just has an additional feature. The locomotive runs great - I just wanted smoke.

The previous advice was sound.  The parts to do this job will be right around $300, that would be the boards and the smoke unit.  Add in around $150 at least for labor to do the complete transition, and you have the money for a brand new engine.  You can also sell this one to recoup some of the cost.  It makes no sense, at least to me, to try to force this issue.

Thanks - I'll hold onto it. I still have my Lionel trains from 60 years ago - and they still run. I also have 12 other locomotives, including this GP9 (not GP35, as I stated) that all run on my layout. They all have smoke, sound, etc., except for the GP9 - which just has the sound.

I'm getting too spoiled. I just need to close my wallet and be happy with what I have!

Looking up engine ID on MTH website, Reading # 634 is a nonpowered GP9, cataloged 2004, Vol. 2.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Looking up engine ID on MTH website, Reading # 634 is a nonpowered GP9, cataloged 2004, Vol. 2.

Which is probably why someone put power trucks and TAS electronics in it.