How do you put smoke in the unit?
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The stack deflector can turn to one side . This will rxpose the stack opening. You can add smoke fluid through the stack opening using a needle dropper. After the fluid is added, You can returnthe deflector to its original horizontal position and you should be good to go. Make sure the smoke switch is set to on.
Note the instruction sheet shows the smoke and light switches positions reversed from the actual. The switches on the car are marked correctly.
RISM,
Is it a Lionel 6-81809? If so, I want to share an unfortunate experience I had with this unit. I was excited when I purchased this new release at the TCA York meet last October. Ran it on my temporary layout using TMCC with 18v through the track. After several runs, it shorted at a 022 switch and the entire train consist stopped. The unit smoked, so I cut the power (using a PW ZW and I have learned the hard way I must install fast acting circuit breakers.). When I opened the unit, there were several wires melted together and shorted. I repaired/replaced them and thought that was it. After a few more runs days afterwards, the unit sparked and shorted on a different switch. I took a closer look at the pick up roller on one of the trucks and noticed it was loose. When it swayed to the side, it shorted going through a switch. So I thought it would be easy to just tighten the screw. The problem was that on this truck the screw would not tighten - the threads appeared stripped. This was compounded by a complicated access to the receiving end of the screw - where the threads were stripped. I brought it into a local train repair shop, and I was told since it was a new release, I should contact Lionel and see if this was a fairly common problem. I have the unit boxed, but have not contacted Lionel yet.
Bottom line: be sure your pick up rollers are not loose to avoid a short.
Michael
That is really bad luck ... usually the luck of myself on my railroad. Hope Lionel makes good and sends / repairs one for you.
LIRR Steamer posted:The stack deflector can turn to one side . This will rxpose the stack opening. You can add smoke fluid through the stack opening using a needle dropper. After the fluid is added, You can returnthe deflector to its original horizontal position and you should be good to go. Make sure the smoke switch is set to on.
Note the instruction sheet shows the smoke and light switches positions reversed from the actual. The switches on the car are marked correctly.
LIRR Steamer,
I put smoke fluid down the stack. Still doent smoke. Did notice smoke fluid on the bottom near the switch and the bottom of the stack. I figured you could just pore down the stack. The instructions that came with it stated to remove the stack.
Steve
Michael,
it is indeed 6- 81809. I have run it around the track a few time with no issues except no smoke. Thanks for the info.
Steve
Thinking that you might have an air bubble in the stack. Try blowing gently into the stack or if you have a dropper with a flexible cap you could use that to get a puff of air into the stack to clear the bubble. Make sure the switch is in the on position.
If you run in command, with 16 volts on the track you should be able to smell the smoke production after 10-15 seconds. Also the smoke unit will get warm and you may feel this through the car body.
I am not a fan of smoke units in cabin cars as I would rather preserving the appearance of the paint on the car. Also had a bad experience with a smoking caboose made some twenty years back. I did switch the unit on in my car , did detect the scent of smoke production and then turned it off. The output was very faint to the eye.
