Considering swearing off smoke. Any others out there?

Best way to quit smoking is to not start. First thing I do when I get a new engine is turn smoke off. When my layout gets a little further along, I might turn it on for special occasions, on select locos.

Don't inhale.

It does cause a mess both inside and outside of the loco. When I open one for service seems the fluid has crept everywhere within. And yes, it does seem to leak onto the track regardless of how careful you are with fill levels. It does require routine replacement of batting regardless of how well you keep the units filled. It is a cool looking feature though. Tough to give it up.

I no longer smoke any of my diesels.  I have yet to give it up on my steamers though.

I am considering giving up smoke for a different reason. My wife hates the smell of the smoke no matter what the fragrance. Personally I love it but I have to try to find a balance.

Try using NADA from MegaSteam.  Pretty close to scentless.

Giving up smoking lokes? Ahhh no.

The newer high-tech engines put out a bodacious amount of smoke compared to postwar engines with the cam-operated piston. Couple loops around the layout and your train room looks like LA on a heavy-smog day. Can't blame anybody for turning them down, or off completely.

I took today off and ran them around the tree this morning and smoked out the living room, lol.  I had to open the front door and windows before my wife got home for my safety.  I think the pine scent from the tree is gone , lol.  

 

By the way, is that stuff toxic?

Same here......fun once in a while....but never all the time......

I had to install a bathroom exhaust fan in my train room when MTH brought out the fan driven proto smoke units. I never use the units in Diesels only Steamers.

I love the smoke effect with my steam locomotives.  It would be hard to give up.  With that said I do not use it with my diesel locos as the effect just doesn't seem as authentic to me. 

On the MARS we love the smell of coal smoke morning, noon or night!  Happy Holidays!  Bo

 

Visit my website Bo's Trains at http://www.bostrains.com

Marlboro yes, Megasteam never!  

 

Changed the wadding in a Dash 8, took all of ten minutes. Quit typin and start crackin!! 

When I use the smoke features, it is usually only during starts and for a lap or two then I shut the smoke off.  Very rarely at all on diesels.  The ability to turn the smoke on and of at will is a great function of command control.

I usually turn off the smoke on my Big Boy because it's just too much. But I like it from my smaller postwar Lionel prarie locos.

 

Looks like I'll have to give up smoking locomotives for a different reason. The ERR Cruise Commander does not support fan driven smoke units. The ERR CC lacks the 5V current designated for the fan. Also, the ERR CC does not match the speed of the locomotive to smoke release. Either smoke is on or off.

and i was thinking on putting that setup in my S1? maybe not,,I love my smoke the more the better!!  This is my S1 with a moded MTH smoke unit..did the mike regan tricks to it.on you err..dont have enough volts or to much?..lionel and mth has 2 versions..low volts to run with proto2 and legancey.. and high voltage/like strait track power on hight volt set systems..

My MTH GP-9 came with smoke, and it was a sight to see.  I had never had smoke on a model before.  Ran that sucker for about two days, then started to not like the smell.  That was about two decades ago, and even now the thought of that smell sort of makes me ill.  I would rather hang around with cigarette smokers.  I am sure they have better fragrances now, but I am psychologically spring- loaded to sick.

cigarette smokers?Wow thats nuts..second hand smoke can still kill you..If any of you ever deside to take your smoke units out of your trains and deside you want to get rid of them? id be interested in buying them..

I keep the diesels on low. The steamers, well I just can not run them without smoke billowing from the stack. I like to reduce smoke output when cruising but its full smoke on grades and slow starts. I use JT Mega Smoke. It dissipates quickly.  It does cause extra work cleaning engines and track but that's fine with me. I've tried on occasion to run without smoke but just can't get myself to do it.  No complaints from family; unless they are not sharing them with me. 

I rarely use the smoke feature because my pooch isn't particularly fond of it.  I never use it on diesels, but will occasionally smoke the place up when visitors are here just so they can see the kind of volume today's steam locomotives can crank out.

Stopped running smoke years ago. Hassle to maintain, Domestic CEO complained and it really didn't add anything interesting for me after the initial smoky runs. Definitely don't need it nowadays in my small attic layout room.

But, if you prefer---smoke 'um if you got 'em!

i don't have anything fan driven most of my stuff is PW and MPC some modern conventional stuff. i love the smoke and use it all the time. however i'm not sure i would use it with a fan driven unit.

Dave

I rarely use the smoke on diesel or steam. It's just too much and the smell lingers. Worse yet, my layout is under the linen closet. The wife doesn't care for the towels smelling like smoke fluid.

For me, smoke is like the sound features, only used for the occasional visitors to the layout. Love the sound of the clickity-clack of the wheels on the track!

Absolutly no smoke in diesels. I had one issue with a diesel smoke unit that severely damaged the paint on a diesel. 

 

For steam, more smoke the better. 

I don't think I'd run an engine if it doesn't smoke.   

I have rarely used the smoke feature mainly because my room fills up so quickly. However, I had to see the smoke effects on my new Legacy Northern. Wow! It is just too cool to turn off. My next project is an exhaust fan. 

 

Bob

Smoke,lots of it with the chuf...chuf...chuf...chuf at start up,than I turn the smoke off.

  TJ

Smoke has no attraction for me, steam or diesel.  I verify the smoke units work, then turn them off.

 

Rusty

I am where Allan is. For visitors only. 

I'll give up my smoke when they pry the bottle from my cold, dead hands.

 

Charleston Scrappy

What a coincidence.  I have my 8402 steamer apart on the bench, cleaning out the smoke unit.  I don't have a switch, but I'm really considering clipping the lead to the smoke box.  My wife detests the smell.  But if it was up to me, I'd leave it.

Amen!

I use smoke in any of my smokers, steam or diesel. None of them put out enough to worry about, it dissipates quickly, and the trainroom is large enough to accomodate it. I have asthma, but have never had a reaction to any brand of smoke.

I installed a remote exhaust fan with 2 ceiling vents to pull smoke from my train room 325cfm. by fan tech, totally silent and clears the air always. I also just have a timer/switch on it 1,5,10,20,30,or 60 minutes and off it goes. Good system. love the smoke at least for a few minutes while running trains also is like a natural lube to the wheels to a certain extent, smokem if you gottem I say

Actually, since I smoke a pipe--at home only, and in the parking lot at the York Meet--there's already enough smoke in the air here.  My dog doesn't mind the pipe smoke, but the train stuff quickly causes her to vacate the train room.

It's been years sice I've run one of my locomotives with the smoke unit on so I swore off a long time ago.

 

Bob 

<<I rarely use the smoke feature because my pooch isn't particularly fond of it.>>

 

Allan, your pooch may be smarter than most of us.

 

I use smoke very infrequently.  Just to see if it works, maybe on startup and then when showing to visitors.  Mostly off though.

 

Exception is Postwar and the pellets.  Takes me back.  And it's never too much.