Gilbert 31004 PRR 0-6-0 smoke resistor value?

Supposedly, the HO smoke unit is the same as the one used in the S-Gauge Dockside and Frontiersman locomotives. I measured the element in a working Frontiersman (Franklin) and got about 40 OHMs.

Doug Peck at portlines.com has recently introduced a complete rebuild package for these smoke units including a new resistor, wicking material,  and fiber insert to replace the one that typically gets damaged during disassembly. I got one of these and measured the element as 27 OHMs. 

I think Doug sells these for $8.95. They were supposed to show up on his website this week. Alternately, you can sometimes get these on eBay from "littlesteamers" for $10.00. Hope this helps.

Craig,

Thanks for the info. The resistor in the target engine is open, so we couldn't get anything. Good source for the kit.

Do you know what type of resistor is under the sleeve? I like to remove the sleeves and use an uncoated wire-wound. I get O puffer units blowing thick smoke rings when it's just filled.

This is a lot of help. Thanks for the reply.

Carl,

I'm pretty sure the smoke element is:  Lionel 600-8141-055 Smoke Element 27 ohm (wire-wound with removable sleeve)

They only cost a couple bucks, but I think Lionel charges a minimum $10 shipping for parts. You can get them on eBay cheaper. Getting the whole kit from Doug Peck is a good deal. On Gilbert's small smoke units the chamber itself is used as "ground", so you have to be careful to isolate the other end of the resistor. I suspect the sleeve helps in this regard. There's not a lot of extra space in the HO smoke chamber.

By the way, I noticed that littlesteamers does not have the kit listed on eBay this week, though they may have them in stock. I'd just call Doug at portlines if you want one.  He ships small items very reasonably and is great to work with. His number:

Call Toll Free: 888-708-0782 - Orders only, please!
  978-465-8798 for all other calls.

Good luck with the repair.

Craig

It's in a shop in NJ. He hasn't decided which way to go.

The fiber backing disk provides the insulation as the leads protrude through it and provide the mounting base.

I suggested that he attack it like a modern smoke puffer unit and try the 18ohm resistor from Lionel with the Lionel wicking. A couple of videos that I viewed on YouTube had lame looking smoke.

If he works on it soon, I'll let you know how it turned out. Nice engine for it's age.

Several enthusiasts have suggested using the 18 ohm resistor for more smoke output. I have 18 ohm resistors and seriously considered using one on the last "Franklin" engine I worked on.  Some repair technicians voice a fear that the 18 ohm units will burn out quickly when exposed to full track voltage. I'm not sure how concerned to be about that when running something like a small HO switcher. It looks like many of the "modern"  "O" and "S" gauge locomotives have a resistor/regulator board that allows control of smoke unit voltage so the 18 ohm units are safe from frying. Of course, I've also heard that some Lionel repairmen suggest bypassing the regulator board altogether to produce more smoke. 

I'd say you should go ahead and use the 18 ohm unit and let us know the results. I think you'll be fine.