Adding a smoke unit to a Williams F3

Lionel makes quite a few fan driven smoke units. You will have to check your available space to determine what style will fit. I'd suggest going to the Lionel site, under "Customer Service", "Replacement Parts", search under the Replacement Part pull down for "Fan Driven Smoke Units". If you plan to run conventional you will want one with a 27 ohm resistor connected to track power. If one with smaller value resistor is a better fit, then order a separate sale 27 ohm resistor and replace the one that is in the unit. Also get a 18 ohm resistor. Depending on how slow you run your train or how many cars you pull a 27 ohm unit may not get hot enough. The fan runs on 4-5 volts so you will have to make a DC power supply to drive it. It only draws about 30 milliamps so you can use a small bridge rectifier, 5V regulator and few capacitors to drive it. Google "LM7805T" to find a circuit diagram on how to make the power supply. I don't have a William's E Unit handy but there might be place that provides 5 V DC on that board. You might consider a two pole switch so you can turn off the fan when you turn off the smoke.

Pete

Pete

Thanks for your prompt reply, I have sourced the voltage regulator and switch as you suggest, however I have had no luck finding the Lionel part number that I need for the Fan Driven Smoke Unit assembly or maybe an MTH one would do (however harder to get parts from them)

Cheers

Ted

  610-8057-200 This is for a 27ohm smoke unit

Bill

Ted I'm looking forward to following your project as I also would like to add a smoke unit to few of my Williams diesels.  I noted in your profile that photography is one of your interest.  Perhapd you can document you project for us.  Good luck.

Ted, Boxcar Bill can probably fix you up. I am assuming you plan to run conventional? I will try and take a look at a Williams e Unit tonight to see if there is a source for 5V DC.

If not and you have to build one there is a new (to me) product available that will make the power supply easier to build. This is a link to a line of switching DC regulators that can be used in place of the LM7805 linear regulators. The advantage is they don't need a heat sink and if you select the 1 amp 5 volt model they will operate over a wide range of input voltages. LM7805s get a little cranky when you input 20 volts to them.

Pete

Having several Williams F3 units myself and having experience putting a Lionel Fan driven unit in a Williams 671, I can tell you there likely is not room in the powered unit. You could fit it into the dummy unit and run that one forward.

Rob