Melted Windows Lionel Northeastern Caboose

are you sure it was the smoke unit? could it have been the light?  smoke units do not usually get that hot with fluid in them.

Im assuming it was the smoke unit, since the windows affected were adjacent to the smoke chamber.

 

Yep, my K-Line bay window caboose almost had the same issue.  The one window right next to the unit is all foggy now from the heat.  Doesn't take much to melt them.

 

Luckily a club member warned me about using the smoke unit in TMCC mode.  He apparently had a total meltdown with one of his once.

 

My grandpa also has a G scale Lionel 0-6-0T from the 80's that has a hole melted through the headlight "glass" from the bulb heat.

If memory serves me correctly, some of the K-Line cabooses actually had a switch so that you could select between conventional or command mode.  I wish Lionel would of added the same feature.

Unfortunately mine doesn't.  It would be a really nice feature on all smoking cabooses.  The K-Line one smokes great, but I don't want to have a meltdown.  I can barely get anything out of my Lionel CA-4 smoke unit.

Check your local hobby or craft shop for clear plastic laminate, cut to fit, and glue. If these windows were form fitted and flush, you're out of luck, unless you can cut precisely enough to have a friction fit.

If you want - I have a Lionel NYC NE caboose shell that was dinged (long story). It's pretty much intact except for the end steps/railings. It's yours if you want. I never ran the smoke unit, so the window glass is unspoiled as is the smoke unit.

Need to put a resistor in line with the smoke unit and light, I do not remember the value, might ask on the electrical forum

Assuming the smoke unit runs directly off track power,insert a diode in series to one lead of the smoke unit and or the light bulbs. That will effectively cut voltage in half. In command the unit will get effectively 9 volts.You can use 2 , 1n4001 didoes in parallel or 1, 3 amp diode. You can get these at Radio Shack or in quantity from an electronics supply house..

 

Dropping voltage with diodes is explained here

 

http://www.jcstudiosinc.com/Bl...3&categoryId=426

 

You may also wish to convert your caboose to LED lighting shown here

 

http://www.jcstudiosinc.com/Bl...7&categoryId=426

 

 

 

Dale H

If you take up DaveP's offer, and/or still have unspoiled windows in the car, I'd suggest you still look into casting copies of these windows. They seem to be an ideal shape for an open-face mold, and who knows, others may have this problem (being that Lionel doesn't have replacements).

 

---PCJ

Dave
    I sent you an email on that caboose shell.

What would be a safe voltage to drop the smoke unit down to, 9V, 12V?

Adding a switch would be easy, just put a 3A diode in series with the lead for command, that will cut the power in half for command mode.  A SPST switch that simply shorts the diode for conventional mode is all that's required.