If you like smoke, why?

1:30 into the video shows why I love toy train smoke units.Unfortunately,my Dad informing me that the smoke effect is vaporized oil that coats everything nearby with the oil took some of the fun out of it.I still have to run all my steam engines with the smoke units on,it just looks too cool.

Dan

Dan986:

 

Your dad was basically right. But I run smoke all the time and have had no noticeable problem with oil coatings. At any rate nothing will stop me from running smoke. It does help if you have a well ventlated train room,however.

 

Bob C.

Why black smoke? It is my understanding that white smoke was the sign of a "good fire"...black the sign of a poorly tended fire or poor quality coal. Comments?

While you are correct, I have seen many motion and other pics of steamers blowing black. it would just be an added trinket to be able to generate black smoke when appropriate to simulate what real trains did.

 

Bob C.

I like smoke because it is an additional moving, dynamic feature of the toy train that is fun.  To me it does not make the loco look more authentic or realistic: I've never seen smoke from a toy train that looked realistic, rolling out in slowly dispersing billows that roil and twist away slowly as do real-world 1:1 clouds of smoke).  It's just fun.  That said, I seldom run with smoke on, because of the odor, which my wife finds very objectionable even in small doses.

I like white smoke, but in small doses. It means a well-fired locomotive. I don't think I would care for black smoke, although it is a staple of fan trip run-bys. A couple of my PW locomotives blow smoke rings, which is rare on the prototype, but is very cool and oh-so-postwar. BTW, I have asthma, but the smoke never bothers me....the gunk in outside air is much worse.

I have done work on developing a more realistic smoke pattern which curved back and over the train but I burned out a smoke unit or two doing it. Nonetheless an interesting sight.

 

I have given thought to an animated smoke feature which then could be made very realistic.

 

Bob C.

If you have health issues that can interfere with the enjoyment of the smoking engines feature, I can understand why you would not use this function. Otherwise, who doesn't like the smoke effect? I have not met any. I use it all the time.

Well a nice clean stack is always a good sight...black....ehhh not so much...

 

 

Lee; I think you need a new wife! Or maybe a ventilation fan.

Seriously, I run smoke most of the time running steamers, but diesels not so much.

I just think it looks so much more realistic and adds to the enjoyment. Visitors are knocked out by smoking locomotives. I mean they love the smoke; not that they are overcome and need resuscitation.

Just my .02 worth.

 

Rod

 

Since I like steam, I like my steamers to smoke.  They just look better that way.

 

Andy

That depends Go to 3:20

 

Lee, have you tried NADA from JTMegasteam?  It brought smoke back into my operations.  Great product.  

I enjoy it ...

 

Smoke is one of the cool effects of model trains.  It's just like the sounds, lights, etc.  It all adds to the experience and fun.

 

For those with wives who object to the smell, have you tried scented smoke fluid. Cinnamon is very nice.

 

Bob C.

Black smoke wouldn't  be as dynamic or as visually stunning as white smoke. I wouldn't sweat it.

Back in the 40's my grandpa was an engineer for the NYC.Let me tell you.. those guys were very COARSE and HARDENED.He said people would always complain about the smoke.He worked out of a very large yard in Cleveland called the Collin wood yard.The entire yard seemed like night time at noon.He told people "those stacks aren't pumping out smoke,there pumping out paychecks"There were 3,000 people working there then.Now CSX has 8.If your wife is complaining,give her some money to go shopping.I will fill my whole basement up with smoke...I love the smell... LOL

I love a great smoking steam engine. The black is a bit more dramatic.

 

To me these are toys, not meant to offend anyone. When I was young the set I was given did not smoke. 

 

Now that I can afford fun toys I like all the bells and whistles, smoke too! I get to play with my trains 2 maybe 3 months if I'm lucky and I love the look and smell of the smoke!

I love the smell of Mega-Steam coal fired smoke.
Thick and billowing, in my K-line tank and my Lionel NTC mogul.
The only time I do not run smoke is when I run electrics.
Wish my TMCC crane smoked. I would use more often.

You are correct.

Yea .... that would be cool. Wish there was room in there for a smoke unit.

 

Jim

 

I love the smoke !

 

I prefer MTH SMOKE UNITS over the Lionel ones.

 

The fan driven smoke units put out smoke ! 

 

I have many different smoke fluids with the diferent scents .

 

I even own a smoking tank car by MTH. It is a Christmas one !

 

I do own a Lionel RS-3 Christmas engine that is fan driven as well !

 

I turn the units off if someone with health issues comes over.

 

I planned ahead to have vents in the glass block windows.  Three total !

 

I like smoke because i use to run it when i was young.  when i run it now i feel the same way as i did back then i was and still am happy when i can smell smoke fluid in a steam engine.  

Nothing beats the look of a Legacy steamer pulling a long train up a grade with the brake level set near full on and the throttle full open.  Amazing labored chuff sound with full smoke plumes.

 

The diesels I keep on low smoke setting.  The steamers have to be putting out a good bit of smoke at slower speeds for my personal preference to be happy.  

 

I use a large variety of JT smoke flavors. The new blueberry scent is incredible. 

I like smoke from steamers:  its one more thing to look at and enjoy as the loco runs down the track.   Its just cool.   The coal-fired scent seems to most objectionable to others in the house, so I run different scents like pine-woods and such.  I prefer JTs MegaSteam.

Black smoke:  ALCO diesels!

looking at the stack output lets a fireman know what's happening in the firebox.  i'm not saying white smoke is impossible to create, but no fuel i am aware of used for steam locomotives will.  anything white coming out of a locomotive stack is condensed steam.  fuel will either burn clear (good fuel being used very efficiently) or some darker shade of brown to black (carbon and other impurities in the fuel not combusted in the firebox).  every other place steam escapes (safety valves, cylinder cocks, blowdown valves, dynamos, etc) will only exhaust condensed steam (your white "smoke").  whether the stack output is clear or white is basically dependent on the ambient temperature.

A realistic smoke profile is needed.

 

Bob C.

I like smoke, but don't run it much since I have a loop on the carpet and have a 10 month old playing in the same room.  I also don't really like the smell, so when I actually have to buy some smoke (Still using the included fluid.) I'll get some of the smell free or scented kind.

It brings back memories of my youth watching my first train go around under the Christmas tree and the smoke rising from the engine like magic.

 

--Greg

I run smoke and love it. In our experience with the club layout, it does make a mess on the rails. No big deal, we just clean the rails a little more often. As for scent, I run models of Coal burning steamers putting out Coal scented smoke. No intention to offend, but no appologies to the offended.

 

It is what it is. I did goof and put coal smoke fluid in a friends engine (that only runs NADA). Won't do that again, but for my engines it's coal or nothing.

 

Gill

Wow!  I have the blue comet and don't get that much smoke out of it.  What kind of oil do you use?

         

          "Smoke good!"

Because it was explained to me at a local show thustly:

"Trains smoke because white smoke is steam and they are called "STEAM TRAINS"

and black smoke comes from diesels,like my dads farm tractor.......everybody knows that.

 

I didn't ask more as this came from a pretty blue eyed girl, 14 years old......nuff said.

 

Rod

because it keeps the wife outta the garage!!

she cant stand it!!!!

I like smoke because for me it adds realism to running my steam engines.  Without the smoke on, the visual effect is not the same.   I love when my MTH engines fill the room with smoke.  Here is video I took this past summer of my MTH engines.