Installing smoke units in a caboose

easy ,, get buck convertors,   PS2 smoke unit,  run a tube up stack,   of coarse you need to attach sm unit to frame,  done

Would appreciate more  detailed instructions

Thanks

crzysnorider1218 posted:

how hard is it to add a smoke unit to a scale (MTH premier) caboose? 

I assume you've read this thread: https://ogrforum.com/t.../caboose-smoke-units

Exactly which caboose do you have?

How much of the interior are you willing to give up?  That is, if you look thru the windows and see a bunch of "stuff" is that a problem?

Hardest part?  Getting it apart.

I've installed several MTH HO smoke units in cabooses for folks.  I use a small DC-DC switching power supply with a bridge rectifier and filter cap to power the unit, some dropping diodes to run the fan at around 3 volts, and of course some brass tubing to mate the smoke unit to the existing chimney.

John can you give me some specs on the materials you use and where I can get them; re: power supply? Bridge rectifier? Dropping diodes?... MTH parts can be relatively difficult to get a hold of. Any and all info is appreciated. Thanks.

traintek llc.com have all types of sm units, almost got mine there,,,radio  shack  has the bridge , diodes,   the dc dc,  online

AA-1600000 is the HO smoke unit, it's the only thing I get from MTH.  I use 1N4003 diodes for most of my general purpose diode applications.  I use small DC-DC power modules from eBay and pair them with a small 1A bridge rectifier and a 330uf 35V capacitor to convert the track voltage from AC to DC.

GRJ, at one time with MTH I seem to recall one needed to send in an old assembly to buy its replacement.   I'm not talking about individual components like wicks, heater resistors, fan motors, etc. but the entire assembly.  Also seems some assemblies can only be purchased by an MTH authorized service center or whatever?   Do either of these rules apply to smoke unit assemblies?

Stan, that's a good question.  Since I am an ASC, I just order them.  I believe other folks have ordered the PS/2 smoke unit directly without issue, don't know about the HO version.  If they run into that issue, I can provide the smoke unit.

I must be thinking of another assembly item.  In poking around the MTH website, I don't see the asterisk symbol next to either the HO smoke unit or a PS2 smoke unit.   Both AA- numbers came up as order-able thru the MTH website parts ordering page. 

$45 and $50 respectively ...electronics not included...  shipping not included...  smoking is an expensive habit

I've never seen that parts list Stan, I normally go into the Tech order form.  I don't even know where that is on the site, I like the exploded views, we just get an empty box!

I see, you got it from the product PDF, for a minute there I though you found a really great new feature of the website!

For a really cool feature, pair the smoke unit with a TMCC receiver so you can control the smoke from the TMCC remote.

I like GRJ's approach of using an MTH fan-driven smoke unit.   7/32" brass tubing turned out to be a useful...as did heat-shrink tubing for alignment and better air-leak sealing.  Heat-shrink stays somewhat flexible for a minute or so after heating allowing alignment of the smoke-unit piping to the hole on the caboose roof to mate the chassis to the roof.  Using flexible piping method allows the smoke unit to be placed away from the walls for heat management (melting plastic).  

The arrow shows heat-shrink used as a coupler between two pieces of brass tube.  In addition to making for easy bends, I figure this reduces conductive heat transfer from the smoke unit up to the roof.

In the measure-twice, cut-once department, I suggest thinking how to refill the smoke unit...ideally without having to open up caboose.  Think if all fluid drops will make it into the chamber and not leak onto the chassis.

And here's version 1.0 in action on a RailKing caboose using GRJ's suggested power levels of 5V to the heater element (about 3 Watts) and 4.5V to the fan motor.  I can't seem to get the video to embed so here's a youtube link:

https://youtu.be/Bq-44_9RAXo

We had a factory smoking caboose at the club last weekend. Running on TMCC. Smoke unit melted the roof and made a hole. Insulate/Sheild smoke unit to the roof.

That smoke unit happens to be an O-gauge model for small locomotives, but it obviously will work.  The benefit of the ran driven smoke unit, other than the fact you get reliable smoke, is that they don't get nearly as hot.  I haven't had to take any extraordinary measures to manage heat using one, unless the fan stops, I can't imagine it getting how enough to deform plastic, even right next to it.

BTW, the video doesn't work.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

For a really cool feature, pair the smoke unit with a TMCC receiver so you can control the smoke from the TMCC remote.

And then add an electrocoupler and control the lights while you're at it.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

That smoke unit happens to be an O-gauge model for small locomotives, but it obviously will work.  The benefit of the ran driven smoke unit, other than the fact you get reliable smoke, is that they don't get nearly as hot.  I haven't had to take any extraordinary measures to manage heat using one, unless the fan stops, I can't imagine it getting how enough to deform plastic, even right next to it.

BTW, the video doesn't work.

You're right. It's from an O-gauge Alco S-2 switcher.  Here's a pic showing it (top) along with the HO smoke unit (bottom) from your posting: https://ogrforum.com/t...oke-unit-for-o-guage

I couldn't find a PDF exploded parts view for the S-2 on the MTH site but the smoke unit is AA-2100002, $40.  What's not clear is there's a brass cup / nozzle that must be ordered separately (if you want it).  The part number might be AA-2100008, $3.50 but there's no picture of it on the MTH parts ordering page and the dimensions they give don't exactly match what I have.   Anyway, I found it easy to heat-shrink over the brass cup to make a relatively air-tight seal.

I thought I knew how to post video, but I guess not.  I inserted a link to the youtube video in the original post.

You have to order and guess.   I use AA-0000102 which is a brass cup with straight sides.  It works well for soldering brass tubing for the stack, then I just screw it into the smoke unit.

the brass insert,  can be tapped  to 1/4-28 thread,   but  I  took it out  and  screw to hold boiler  goes into sm unit,  with a seal,  you can cut  the head of the screw off,   I have a lathe so  drilling thru screw no problem, 

if  anyone  wants anything like that  let me know,

Man, I wish cabooses with smoke from the factory looked like that.  I might just have to redo all of mine.

Stan just needs a new smoke motor, that one is a little noisy.  Running it on a lower voltage will quiet it down and also slow the smoke stream down, might be an option.

I’ve read these post......now can I just put in an old style Lionel smoke unit that would go in the steam locomotive.....they put out more smoke than the cheap tube type.....my caboose is the extended version measures easy 10” ......