getting used to the new legacy smoke unit

The Legacy SMUs are nice. Lots of smoke on high. I too like to start out slow with full effects. It always impressive starting a Legacy engine out slow under load. 

You definitely need to keep a little more smoke fluid on hand!

My Legacy Atlantic behaves the same way. It's not just a steady flow of smoke, but is based on the action of the loco.

On initial roll-out, it's not too heavy. However, after a little running at high speed with lots of train brake, the smoke is really thick.

It does make it more difficult to determine if fluid is running low.

An MTH unit just puffs at the same density no matter so gauging fluid level is easier.

 

Once you get used to it, you'll know when it's getting dry.

Keep plenty of fluid in there, in my experience 20 drops is probably good for maybe 10 or 15 min of constant run time if that,, less if your on the high setting. I get more than adequate smoke production on the low setting. My diesel smoke lasts a shorter time because the fan is constant.

 

Alot of times I'll shine a flashlight down the stack of my steamers to see if the wicking is wet, either way I add fluid at every operating session.

 

 The wicking in a brand new  locomotive, needs a "seasoning period", the fluid tends to sit on top of the wicking initially. This is the same concept as how a new sponge doesn't readily absorb water right out of the package, has to get wet a few times, then it absorbs better.

Maybe I need to get me one of these Legacy C & Os to see what Legacy really can do. My results have been mixed and do not duplicate what Mike Reagan shows on his various Lionel videos. In particular, I don't get much smoke effect on startup. My Vision Centipede takes a while to crank out smoke and doesn't perform as you see in the Lionel instruction video.

 

However, my FEF-3 and Vision GE Hybrid actually work better than advertised.

 

I have wondered what effects Lionel are trying to achieve with Legacy smoke units and in the course of some random research came across this (it's the diesel video on the page I'm referring to): http://www.train-li-usa.com/st...enerator-p-1258.html

Of course what this shows is two rail, DCC equipment but it made me think about whether 3R effects like smoke and light are doomed to be less realistic/impressive because the underlying technology is limited or out of date.

I don't see the Legacy or MTH PS/2 smoke performance to be less realistic or impressive than that video, what am I missing?

I know that the smoke unit must get allot hotter as the scented jts smoke fluid smells burned when the smoke unit bellowing out thick oure white smoke.  too bad you cant have a choice of traditional or modified smoke output.

I run the dcs smoke unit on med to keep the room from filling but it is always the exact same amt of smoke until it runs low or puffs smoke rings meaning it needs more fluid.  I get about 3 minutes of intense smoke out of both with the setting on high and a room full of smoke,

Yep doomed...... thats for sure  ( video from Patricks amazing layout)

 

man I love how the smoke come out under the cab!!Well lionel had to do something since JDS train studio has done this before lionel did..guys  wanted lionel and MTH to start putting those features in there trains..

smoking like that is for me with the 2- 10-4 on high and runs out of smoke in abour 3 minutes with 20 drops of fluid, putting in the stupidly low amt mike r puts in on the demo with the pipette lasts about a minute on high.

 A fresh smoke unit with the extra large large wicking for the steam chest takes about 2.5 eye droppers full of fluid at first to get it full,  I do this on a new engine fresh out of the box the night before I run it and let it get asorbed well and it works allot better the next day.

why is the whistle always smoking on the 1st engine or is it a new effect for the dynamo?

That is the dynamo that is smoking closer to the cab, the whistle is located about 1" behind the stack. It smokes when its blown, but it is hard to see through the stack smoke at that camera angle.

when did they add the dynamo and do they do the steam chest smoke any more at all?

My Lionel diesels put out some smoke and I am for the most part very pleased with them. These are legacy diesels. Last weekend, I put in an oval with some Lionel o54 track that was left over from other projects with a cw80 transformer to run a conventional engine. My grandson talked me into putting on the Lionel ac6000 BNSF engine from the ice set and it created 10 times the amount of smoke I usually see from my diesels. Is this normal for conventional running of a Legacy engine? It sure was impressive! David56

What transformer/controller set-up do you use when running your trains normally? The CW-80 outputs a chopped sine-wave, which modern smoke units (As fitted in Legacy locomotives.) prefer over a smooth sine-wave. There's a video on Lionel's website which demonstrates this and explains it in some detail.

Good question?  I use 2 180 watt bricks on Fastrack.

David56