Got my Menard's Power & Light building....

ogaugeguy posted:

Hi Pete,
Could you give detailed How To instructions for adding smoke units? (photos would be appreciated too.)

• what smoke units are used, manufacturer, model number, etc.
• where are they added (in the stack extension, etc.)
• how are they mounted
• how is hot smoke unit insulated from building and stack
• is there plastic tubing going from smoke unit fill opening to top of smokestack to make filling easy and keep it off inside of stacks
• Thanks.

That is very cool!  Well done!

Verified with Menard's - my 4-29-16 order for the Power & Light Building did ship and as of appx. noon today they are SOLD OUT!

SURFLINER posted:

Just verified with Menard's - the Power & Light Buildings are SOLD OUT!

GOOD!!! I got one....and maybe this will have Menards look at more very reasonable price great buildings.  I have some great ideas BTW....

ogaugeguy posted:

Hi Pete,
Could you give detailed How To instructions for adding smoke units? (photos would be appreciated too.)

• what smoke units are used, manufacturer, model number, etc.
• where are they added (in the stack extension, etc.)
• how are they mounted
• how is hot smoke unit insulated from building and stack
• is there plastic tubing going from smoke unit fill opening to top of smokestack to make filling easy and keep it off inside of stacks
• Thanks.

Appreciate the interest...it was a fun project.   Just a note....I used two Lionel fan driven smoke units which I wired the fan motor and the heating elements separately to two switches......The heating element is wired to track power with a momentary switch and the fan is wired to 12 volts and turned on by a SPST switch.  I did this so I could control the amount of smoke coming out of the stacks.  I leave the fans running and push the momentary switch when ever I want to send some smoke out the stacks. This serves two purposes....it keeps my layout from being smoked out and the fan cools off the heating element resistor so it does not burn out over time.  This method has served me well for the past couple of months.  I used the same method with the burned out engine house by Menards..... Here are some pics of both modifications.....

-Pete

BFI66 posted:

ogaugeguy posted:

Hi Pete,
Could you give detailed How To instructions for adding smoke units? (photos would be appreciated too.)

• what smoke units are used, manufacturer, model number, etc.
• where are they added (in the stack extension, etc.)
• how are they mounted
• how is hot smoke unit insulated from building and stack
• is there plastic tubing going from smoke unit fill opening to top of smokestack to make filling easy and keep it off inside of stacks
• Thanks.

Appreciate the interest...it was a fun project.   Just a note....I used two Lionel fan driven smoke units which I wired the fan motor and the heating elements separately to two switches......The heating element is wired to track power with a momentary switch and the fan is wired to 12 volts and turned on by a SPST switch.  I did this so I could control the amount of smoke coming out of the stacks.  I leave the fans running and push the momentary switch when ever I want to send some smoke out the stacks. This serves two purposes....it keeps my layout from being smoked out and the fan cools off the heating element resistor so it does not burn out over time.  This method has served me well for the past couple of months.  I used the same method with the burned out engine house by Menards..... Here are some pics of both modifications.....

-Pete

 

 

All I have to say is Wow!  That is very impressive.  I don't have the skills to make up something like that.  The most I'm doing is using those two old HO stacks I have paint the whole thing white and add the red stripes.  I probably will cut them down a bit.  If I had the ability to add the smoke unit I think it would look amazing.  I'm still fiddling around how big the stacks will get but it certainly would be acceptable in today's power plants.  

 Pete, Not a biggie but you could cut fluid use even more adding a fan switch. That airflow is doing some evaporating on its own.

    Smoke doesn't need to be electrically complex, near the stack, or expensive if your clever enough. Even a modern unit is fairly cheap for "there and ready".

   American Flyers and HO pushed smoke from the tender up to the loco, via a plastic tube to solve the "size" & "remote" issues.

Adding a tube fitting to Lionel fan units smoke holes, with JB weld works well. (glued right onto the board/cover)

    After using silicone oven mits one day for my dinner, I got a hot idea , and played around with a silicone pocket pillbox used for a fluid well.

  Cheap and about the size of $1.25-$1.50 stack of quarters. With a PW ceramic unit ($12-$15?), it can run dry all day if I forget.

  The ceramic unit plopped down very nicely inside, sitting on a pillow of 2 handy tiki wick strands(inner) I couldn't burn easily, even dry with a lighters flame. Two slices for wires in the lid sides, 2 holes on top for a small vent, and larger hole for a bronze flange bushing as a smoke stack liner, and an insulating washer as a spacer for protecting the heat element from the metal flange. Snapping the lid on, the whole thing is very stable, not prone to spills, and flows air ok. for a non-forced air homemade job.  A remote fan & tube would make things very interesting! (fire box area?)

   I think you could use short 30ohm-ish  (+/- 5ohm, higher=cooler temp) ceramic resistors too. Cheaper to play with if you don't burn too many up while temperature searching.

About 8 hrs so far at about 12v, and ran dry twice so far "just to see".

  No signs of melting or any "burn stink". Ok smoke flow and shell temp. in the metal 0-4-0. But silcone gets too hot to hold with fingers. The fan would cool things a whole lot too.

 I'll post more about it more, soon, after more testing and preparing a few "catch up posts" of my other over the winter projects. (week or so).  If you want a heads up, or can't wait, just ask, I'll re-shuffle the deck, and "stack it" for you too.

Stack..Smoke..

Smokestack!

....it a joke son...

Question, since they are no longer available online but available at a store can one call the store and order one and have it shipped? Sounds like the obvious answer is No but you'll never know unless you ask.

Mike

Hi Mike, I talked to a store manager once, If they have them in stock they can sell it to you and ship it to your home. You just have to find a store that has one.

ezmike posted:

Question, since they are no longer available online but available at a store can one call the store and order one and have it shipped? Sounds like the obvious answer is No but you'll never know unless you ask.

Mike

Yes, Mike.....Thats exactly What I did for my Menards Burned out Engine house.  I called around to various Menards around the country to do a look up based on the SKU until I found a Menards store that had it.  I have to say all the stores I called were extremely helpful and when I found it...they shipped it to my home.

-Pete

Adriatic, some nice ideas there....thanks for the input

-Pete

I missed the switch being on the fan?

ezmike posted:

Question, since they are no longer available online but available at a store can one call the store and order one and have it shipped? Sounds like the obvious answer is No but you'll never know unless you ask.

Mike

Mike,

As soon as they sold out, our system updated the Power & Light building's status to "Sold in Stores" by default. However, this is not accurate and we are working to fix it. In fact, this building never went to our stores at all because it was released after Christmas (March 3, 2016). I apologize for any confusion.

Before everyone goes scrambling to “the bay” to try to get their hands on one, let me say this; There will be a second production run coming later this year. I don't know when it will arrive but the forum members will be the first to know when they get here!

-Mark the Menards Train Guy

Thank you Mark! Doesn't get any better than that!

ezmike posted:

Question, since they are no longer available online but available at a store can one call the store and order one and have it shipped? Sounds like the obvious answer is No but you'll never know unless you ask.

Mike

There will be a second production run coming later this year. I don't know when it will arrive but the forum members will be the first to know when they get here!

-Mark the Menards Train Guy

THANK you. I've been sitting here waiting for a check to arrive so I could order mine. Then nutz, sold-out. I'll be watching and waiting.....

Adriatic posted:

I missed the switch being on the fan?

Hi Adriatic.....actually I ran three switches to the Menards building from my control panel.

1 SPST switch for the lights.

1 SPST switch for the fan.

1 Momentary switch for the heating element

What can I say...I like alot of switches......lol!

-Pete

Menards posted:

ezmike posted:

Question, since they are no longer available online but available at a store can one call the store and order one and have it shipped? Sounds like the obvious answer is No but you'll never know unless you ask.

Mike

Mike,

As soon as they sold out, our system updated the Power & Light building's status to "Sold in Stores" by default. However, this is not accurate and we are working to fix it. In fact, this building never went to our stores at all because it was released after Christmas (March 3, 2016). I apologize for any confusion.

Before everyone goes scrambling to “the bay” to try to get their hands on one, let me say this; There will be a second production run coming later this year. I don't know when it will arrive but the forum members will be the first to know when they get here!

-Mark the Menards Train Guy

Thanks Mark and to all those who replied. I'll to order one online but if they sell out before I can do it, Mark I'm in for one in the next run.

Mike

I think Adriatic could sell a kit for this modification.  Especially for those of us with minimal patience and less talent for such things.  

Smoke & lights are done.

But, who's working on the drone of the generators sound?  

  I'm glad it gets another run. I think this plant holds a lot of potential for old and new layout builders both. I mean, you could base a whole new layout on it's operations alone, which could vary incredibly in itself, or just "fill space" and grin.

  I think power structures are one of the most universally used buildings around the world, and we lacked one. I, for one, miss our older layout power houses (hurrah for the new). I hadn't thought about it in years, normally instantly obsessing on even seeing, a pulp board Jefferson Power house that got shelved for a third ZW, but....  

   Powering up the layout was often a very ritualistic operation when I was young.  It changed over time, depending on equipment. But always had sounds from the line of oil well's click clacking, beginning and ending each session, for decades. That, and the number of yard lights... I'm not sure I've seen it beat really. The visual impact was really something. We didn't turn on the overheads if running night trains and needed light, we cranked the yard lights to "stadium" level lol.   But my favorite power up visually, was before that 3rd ZW.

   The two power houses coming on first with a light switch. Their porch lamps, lighting the room just enough to walk to one in the dark. Throwing the lever on each, lit the town next to it. Then a walk to the back of the controls for a power strip. The yard lights and industry accessories on 3 of the short handles were next.... Click clack....click clack...

   I want that porch lamp, on a power plant. And I want it lit "forever"-24/7.

    I'm thinking an "electric Jart" and a bigger capacitor (E-Jart? solar L.E.D. lawn/path lamp)  Hey, line the whole roof with solar panels 

Pete:

More "power" to ya!  Me too.

  I tend to work in extremes. (skipping steps early on).

    I might go with just twisting wires for months, or using a feeler gauge screwed down hastily as a key switch, etc. And yet over time, end up with switches (in at least one location, maybe more, lol) and fuses on every leg of a circuit.

     My last dune buggy had 52 fuses when finished. Two GM fuse boxes & remote fuses too. Only 1 pair of extra lights, 4 fuses total alone, basically every bulb had 1 fuse, switch fuse, and pre-feed fuse in box#1 if based in box #2, that and a power outlet/lighter switched off 50amp car length line & heavy lug terminals under the dash and front beam for "big" power & jump starts in/out etc). Gauges(lots) and wipers(4), etc etc.   No radio, just machine.

  Fuse and switch overkill habits are nice when alone in the middle of nowhere with smashed parts in your hand and wires dangling....or, so I imagine. I only broke them in half with too much air, not hitting trees.  I mostly ran in the woods..

Extremes, fun, same thing

   I appreciate the thought Magoo, but I've lost most interest in anything I loved, that I turned into a business in the past.  Even part time, it always grew to became work. Work means stress. Being stressed about your stress relief spoils the fun. E.G,.. I haven't read a new comic book in many many years now.

  I was always happier doing work I kinda liked, and didn't mind doing.  I tend be "intense" in my work focus as is, and less demanding on myself, and others without the extra drama of feeling real passion for the work 24/7/364.5.

   I'd also be so afraid to do damage to a loved train. You'd need to sign a disclaimer. My own deep attachment to mine becomes very apparent here.   It might make me seem ideal for the job, but scares the heck out of me.

I'd feel less worry with folks kids in my care, lol.

  I'd rather help as "free" as I can, for near anything train related, for near anybody. Esp. you folk here. Real thanks is the "gold".

   When I'm more sure it wont fail, as in flames, or a blob, I'll do a good post on it. The use of silicone could possibly lower costs a bunch for the "big guys". If this is an original thought, all I know is they better send me samples to play with after they swipe the idea

I'm still a tinkerer, and train guy. But if I spoil the fun in those,  I'd be about out of passions... outside of a toasted peanut-butter sandwich, and a coffee or hot chocolate. Hmmmm I'm suddenly hungry..gotta go...

I just finished painting these old HO stacks.  I am thinking of trimming them a bit on the bottom to make them not as long.  I still need to do some detailing.