Holy Smokes It's A Smokin' Diesel

I forgot to identify the above D&H diesel. It's a Lionel TMCC made around 2001, that I bought at a train show about 2 years ago. Love the D&H livery. Arnold

Now IMO this MTH Proto 3 smoking diesel is terrific in every way, except for one thing: it rarely smokes.

I'm still very satisfied with this locomotive because IMO it's a very good runner and puller with great diesel sounds and a great appearance. 

 It was part of an MTH set that I bought new from a LHS several years ago. The only time it smoked well was when the technician at the LHS flooded it with smoke fluid shortly after I bought it.

I've always thought it was better to add just a few drops of smoke fluid to a locomotive, not flood it with smoke fluid.

Today, I first added 4 drops of fluid and got no smoke. Then I added a lot of fluid, maybe one-third of an eye dropper, and still no smoke. 

Anyone have any ideas? Arnold

Turn the smoke switch on?  Smoke is usually one of the more reliable features with MTH.

My Lionel Legacy diesels consistently smoke. My MTH Premier Proto-3 diesels are hit and miss when it comes to smoke. No issue for either Lionel or MTH steam engines. They all consistently smoke. 

This MTH proto 1 diesel has always consistently smoked well. I just add 4 drops of smoke fluid at a time until the smoke lightens up, then I add 4 more drops and it smokes well again. Also looks, runs and pulls great.

Love the Jersey Central livery. I also like having it pull oil tanker cars. Reminds me of the NJ Turnpike, which stinks, but I still like it because I have very fond memories of NJ, where I had great childhood vacations with my dear aunt and uncle, long gone. 

Model trains can be very special when they remind you of wonderful times, past and present. I'm sure that's true of many of you. Arnold

I used to have an MTH Premier PS2 Alco S-2 diesel (Santa Fe zebra stripes) that would smoke like a house on fire.

Stuart

It sounds like a steam engine too!

I don't switch the smoke in my diesels on because it is the wrong color. Diesel engines emit black smoke from the burning of petroleum. I do switch the smoke on my steam locomotives on because steam locomotives emit white smoke. If they ever invent a fluid that emits black smoke when heated, I'll start using it in my diesel engines.

Art, I think black diesel smoke would be awesome. They should also make it smell like real diesel smoke, which I think already exists. Arnold

Arnold,

You just have to pretend that your smokeless diesels are of the modern low-emission type - such as the Brookville BL20GHs that run in Connecticut.

MELGAR

Yeh...from my non-technical qualification....if white smoke is coming out of a diesel exhaust pipe under load, that engine is on the way out, and about to expire. Dark black smoke from a diesel under load is always a good thing!!!!

Peter from down-under in Australia 

If you want good smoke from a diesel engine, you need to add at least 20 drops of smoke fluid.

Usually, if you manually rev up the diesel RPM sounds, the smoke output increases.  However, if you just let the RPM sounds automatically respond to the throttle speed control, they will probably be simulating low throttle positions.

I have a few diesels with smoke but don't usually run it due to complaints about the smell.

I have a bunch of these little K-line Plymouth's and they can take out the room if I run a few of them at the same time.

I'm planning on adding an exhaust fan over the layout soon.

MTH Premier Lehigh Valley GP9...

Art Howes posted:

If they ever invent a fluid that emits black smoke when heated, I'll start using it in my diesel engines.

I can give you the black smoke right now.  However, I am NOT available for the massive cleanup you'll be doing when the black particulate settles on everything around the layout!  The reason you don't see black smoke is that it would have to be particulate matter, and that would make a massive mess!  The white "smoke" is simply mineral oil vapor, while it does settle, it takes a lot of running time for it to be of significant impact.

Buco posted:

Yeh...from my non-technical qualification....if white smoke is coming out of a diesel exhaust pipe under load, that engine is on the way out, and about to expire. Dark black smoke from a diesel under load is always a good thing!!!!

Peter from down-under in Australia 

Black smoke from a diesel is not a good thing. Usually it has a stuck injector flooding the engine with more fuel than it can burn. 

Yeh, that's how we get the "big rigs" to go faster down under.....open the injectors up and wind that pump all the way up!!!!  More fuel in.....more power out. Just don't you worry too much about all that black smoke.

Peter down under on the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

I get the same complaint bout the smoke smell any time I use it on  steamerso I don't think I'll be using it for diesels or cabooses.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

The above title was what I thought when I first heard that there was a smoking diesel in O Gauge.

I only have five of them (3 MTH and 2 Lionel), and only 3  (1 MTH and both Lionels) consistently smoke. Otherwise, all 5 run and sound great, and all are very good pullers.

 

Interesting Arnold.

Our MTH pieces are hands down better smokers then the Lionel ones, at 16V some of the Lionel units barely smoke at all  

BobbyD posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

The above title was what I thought when I first heard that there was a smoking diesel in O Gauge.

I only have five of them (3 MTH and 2 Lionel), and only 3  (1 MTH and both Lionels) consistently smoke. Otherwise, all 5 run and sound great, and all are very good pullers.

 

Interesting Arnold.

Our MTH pieces are hands down better smokers then the Lionel ones, at 16V some of the Lionel units barely smoke at all  

Bobby, I wonder if it's because I have Railking, not Premier, MTH smoking diesels.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

BobbyD posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

The above title was what I thought when I first heard that there was a smoking diesel in O Gauge.

I only have five of them (3 MTH and 2 Lionel), and only 3  (1 MTH and both Lionels) consistently smoke. Otherwise, all 5 run and sound great, and all are very good pullers.

 

Interesting Arnold.

Our MTH pieces are hands down better smokers then the Lionel ones, at 16V some of the Lionel units barely smoke at all  

Bobby, I wonder if it's because I have Railking, not Premier, MTH smoking diesels.

I don't think MTH has two different smoke units. They do take and use a LOT of fluid!

Premier and RK use the same smoke unit and the same smoke logic driving the smoke unit.  There should be no difference in the performance of the smoke based on Premier or RK.

Unless it's scented, I do love the smell of smoke fluid. How could anyone object?

Also, it's not "smoke", anyway - it's vapor from heated oil, not the residue from combustion.

Because it is vapor, and therefore relatively heavy, it often as not drifts down (see 2nd Mopac diesel shot above), which is an entirely inappropriate thing for smoke to do. Odd-looking, unless it's a blustery day.

Model RR "smoke" has its ups and downs, with me.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Art Howes posted:

If they ever invent a fluid that emits black smoke when heated, I'll start using it in my diesel engines.

I can give you the black smoke right now.  However, I am NOT available for the massive cleanup you'll be doing when the black particulate settles on everything around the layout!  The reason you don't see black smoke is that it would have to be particulate matter, and that would make a massive mess!  The white "smoke" is simply mineral oil vapor, while it does settle, it takes a lot of running time for it to be of significant impact.

I wonder if 50% food coloring added to smoke fluid would produce different colored smoke ….and no, I won't be trying it and letting you know.

Pretty sure it would just make a mess inside the smoke unit.  However, let us know how it works out.   Even if the food coloring did manage to get airborne, it'll be the same problem as any other die for the smoke!  This issue has been hashed out many times before, and we always come to the same conclusion.

Smokin' Alcos!

I have a MTH PS-1 Alco RS-27 in Penn Central paint that I converted to ERR Cruise Commander and Railsounds.  This was my first conversion, by the way.  After I did the initial tests with the shell off, I installed the shell and powered it up.  I heard a sizzle and a pop...then a large amount of smoke oozed from every hole in the locomotive.  I was in such shock that I didn't even think to get a picture.  In hindsight, it was a very realistic effect...a Penn Central Alco smoking from every crevice.  Best smoker I ever had.  Got it fixed and all is well now.

Tom

Very pleased with these LC+ smoking diesel NH FAs:

Arnold

The worst smoke problem I had was when I mis-remembered and thought the manual said to add 4 droppers rather than 4 drops