I was gabbing about trains and electronics with some acquaintances and discussion meandered about to the Lionel 0150 rectifier that I have. Immediately I was cautioned that these selenium type rectifiers can release toxic fumes and are a serious health risk.
Wondering if this was a "Throw out all your Lionel Trains - they have Lead paint" type warning or something to be taken seriously, I googled around.
It seems to me that the rectifier will only off-gas when in service and failing. Yes, the fumes are toxic and reportedly is a rotten egg smell one never forgets, but incidental exposure risks seem negligible.
As such, I don't need to quarantine or exile my Lionel 0150, and can even opt to use it as is.
A natural followup question: Should I choose to use the Lionel 0150 and choose or need to replace the selenium rectifier, how do I determine what modern solid state rectifier would be a drop in replacement (or as close as possible to drop in)?