Best Smelling Smoke Fluid

#1 Grape, vanilla, and coffee.  Grape isn't sickening sweet as plumb, etc. Vanilla isn't strong imo, and coffee smells good to most folk, even if they don't drink it. 

I imagine Lemon might be nice but haven't tried it.

Let her pick one or two and she may even ask you run them for a while

You may have wanted Cedar vs Pine  Close, but not the same. (still pungent, but I love Cedar while Pine makes me sneeze sometimes)

My personal favorites are JT's Mega Steam Cranberry Woods and X-mas Berry. Cinnamon Roll is also a favorite with some family members. I also like JT's smoke pellet,it's pleasant and milder.  I also use JT's NADA (unscented) scent,alone, or to tone down the other scents as I run a LOT of steam at once. I've used Mega Steam in every type of smoke unit (Lionel,K-Line,Williams,MTH,Weaver,3rd Rail,American Flyer,Marx,LGB,Marklin,Seuthe) with excellent results. JT's has scores of scents to choose from. Highly recommended!

"Unscented"...any brand.

Mark in Oregon

If you have had old smoke fluid left over it may mix with some more recent fluid scents and smell bad. When switching scents you may want to consider JT Mega steam eliminator smoke fluid to "cleanse out" old scented fluid oils. Once you do that I think you would have a better chance of getting better scents to have in the room. I always liked the smell of Lionel smoke pellets as a kid and still do, so another vote here for that scent. Best to find out if you don't already know what scent your wife likes best and then decide.

I’ll state up front I’m not a big fan of smoke.  On the rare occasions I do turn on the smoke unit in my Lionel smoking diner, I’ll use either Mega Steam’s Pumpkin Pie or Hot Chocolate as both seem appropriate for a diner.  I use Mega Steam’s diesel scent to prime and test smoke units in new diesels and their Smoke Pellet scent to perform the same function in new steam engines.  Once I’ve verified everything works I switch the smoke unit off and leave it off.

Some of us (like me) are blessed with a heightened sense of smell (aka big nose) so this is pretty much gonna be specific to each individual but, I’ve found that even the scents I like can become overpowering pretty quickly.  Scents I can’t stand - like the diesel - I can handle only for an extremely short duration.

Curt

JT's Vanilla

Lionel unscented is pretty unobtrusive. Avoid JT's coal smoke at all costs. It will gag a maggot in a gut wagon.

Pete

It's Mega Steam or no steam.

I am also a fan of Mega Steam. I run what ever scent is appropriate to the locomotive. I will admit though that coal fired is very strong.

I've always been a big fan of Marx scented stuff if I had to pick a favorite. They do offer that in Mega Steam also. Very close but slightly off. In my opinion.

Only one my whole family agrees on is JT's Mega Steam - Grandpa's Pipe Smoke.  The coffee one is okay while in use but the after smell is not as pleasant.

JT's Mega-Steam hands down.

https://www.megasteam.com/

@Norton posted:

Lionel unscented is pretty unobtrusive. Avoid JT's coal smoke at all costs. It will gag a maggot in a gut wagon.

Pete

True but if you've ever smelled real coal smoke, they nailed it. The only thing missing is the cinders raining down

JT's Mega Smoke makes some great flavors: Vanilla, Cinnamon Roll, Christmas Pine, Coffee, and Peach are commonly used on my layout.

However, the best one they have is their Maple Sugar scent - It has a nice, fresh Vermont maple syrup scent and said scent dissipates quickly after use. I have several 8oz. bottles of this one (I admit I run my steam engines too much haha!).

Maple Sugar is definitely a crowd favorite during the holiday season and I run it all year long.

Bryce

JT’s Mega steam only , Grandpa’s pipe scent 

Alex 

No love for new car?  ;-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb4OffU8OwE

Just my opinion but, I think all of the various smoke fluid "smells" smell like crap! Not to mention that the oily discharge drops down and gets all over the top of the model, track, and scenery. Thus, I never used smoke nor ever allowed visitors to use smoke on our layout.

I've tried (and I'm away from home, so can't read the exact name off of the bottle) oil fired steam scent, diesel scent, coal scent (in a caboose) and cedar scent.  JT's Mega Steam, if I can recall correctly.

I am not a smoke enthusiast, but will turn it on when my grandkids visit.  I have settled on the cedar scent because it reminds me of 1950's American Flyer smoke fluid.

I love smoke and I admit that I'm partial to the Lionel smell. Takes me back to my first set! 

To my nose, the best SMELLING fluid is the original SuperSmoke Fluid by Barts Pneumatics. Strong cedar scent. Takes me back.  Some say it's close to the smell of original American Flyer fluid. No matter, it's probably too thick to use in modern fan units.

Even though the Lionel Premium is what I use exclusively now, due to the great smoke output, I will agree that their scents aren't great. The pine smells like Pine-Sol instead of the Christmas pine oil that most others use in their formulas. The unscented still has a smell and I guess it's mineral oil but it's not great either. Their Cookie smell is probably their best of the bunch.

Megasteam does have some great scents. Bayberry is probably our fav. and Grandpa's Pipe is great as well. Their cedar is good but not as strong as SuperSmoke's.

Mega steam Apple

JT’s Mega Steam Cedar

@Cadillac Mike posted:

<snip: So...  what do you all like as far as scented smoke fluid? >

Responses: Cream Latte, Pumpkin Spice, Raspberry, Pina Colada, etc, etc, etc...

WHAT???

Sacrilege! Blasphemy!

In the absence of SURE 'NUF Lionel "Smoke Pellets", Every TRUE ENTHUSIAST uses JT's Megasmoke "SMOKE PELLET" scent! Anything else is for POSERS and such are not a TRUE ENTHUSIAST!

erdnA

JT Big Boy for my JLC 4012, and diesel for the the diesel loco that goes behind it... The Big Boy should not smell like anything else. 

Actually, the best smelling smoke is Megasteam's Marx. If you are Pepe LePew!

JT’s Smoke Pellet is my favorite, brings back memories.

Grandson brings out the JTs Rootbeer and Black Licorice scents.

IMO you will have to experiment.  If you are trying to please your wife I would stick with the pumpkins, vanilla (which I despise), and other natural scents that the ladies like.  We had Lionel "Sugar Cookie" at the LHS and spilled it.  That smell never did go away.  

Megasteam's Nada for no scent, but I prefer the Megasteam "Eliminator" smoke unit cleaner for smoke fluid. It only has the slightest hint of scent, that gives the room a clean feeling. It also cleans the wicks and lubricates the smoke unit. 

I use Mega Steam "Original Cedar", "Forest and Stream" and "Vanilla", all of which I like. I don't use any of the more " realistic " scents, because I don't want the basement to smell like a 1940s rail yard. I may try some of the holiday scents, just for fun.  I have asthma, and have never had an issue. Outdoors pollen is a different matter.

Not that it matters much but no steam engine smelled like coffee or any of the other scents. I use Nada for short periods of time then turn the smoke off.

@laming posted:

WHAT???

Sacrilege! Blasphemy!

In the absence of SURE 'NUF Lionel "Smoke Pellets", Every TRUE ENTHUSIAST uses JT's Megasmoke "SMOKE PELLET" scent! Anything else is for POSERS and such are not a TRUE ENTHUSIAST!

erdnA

It's poseUr

😐👉😈

Easy peasy: The ORIGINAL Gilbert Flyer cedar-scented fluid - often imitated but never quite duplicated.

Megasteam “Vanilla”   And I always have Megasteam “NADA” on hand if I want to mellow out a scent a few drops of each. 

When I get out my Lionel train to play I am inclined to use the classic aroma of: Flaming Chemical Plant.

I find that Flaming Chemical Plant pairs well with the subtle hint of Non Plastic Safe Oil smell, and also seems to have a really nice finish as it mixes with the heady scent of Depleted Ozone.

I suppose it's a quirk of mine  

It has to smell like 60 year old caked on Lionel pellet. Very hard to duplicate, I think it is the aging process that they just can't quite nail down. Best in an enclosed space with no ventilation!

Lemon with a small amount of either pine or Christmas.

Judy found out when using lemon scent Endust around the house that those pesky little lady bugs that show up this time of year hate the scent and when they are found now they have gone over the "Rainbow Bridge ".  ☠

Ocassionaly when I do run the smoke I have the DCS control set on minimum where the scent comes through pleasantly and not overpowering.    The amount of smoke that the MTH engines put out on high can actually ruin the scent..........but boy it sure looks great.  😎

Have fun guys.......Stay safe 😷

JT’s Cranberry Woods - although I want to try Smoke Pellets

Anyone using smoke pellets and what do you think ???

Thanks

Also - I use JT’s Eliminator a lot - very “clean” scent and smokes really well

@Jim 1939 posted:

Not that it matters much but no steam engine smelled like coffee or any of the other scents.  I use Nada for short periods of time then turn the smoke off.

Actually, the coffee scent goes great with a Lionelville Diner I have.. with a smoke unit that acts as its chimney.   

Coal. I love the smell of burning coal.