Here's a poser. Does anyone know what the material was that made up the core of the original Marx smoke elements? The original elements can work on 8-10 volts, but unfortunately are no longer available. The ones that are available are Lionel reproductions, and require 16-18 volts to make any decent smoke. I've replaced these elements with great disappointment, so I've decided to attempt to replicate the originals.
I have the correct wire, but using materials such as pipe cleaners and twisted fiberglass insulation has gone up in smoke. Literally. I've looked for other fire proof materials on line, but can't find anything suitable. I'm thinking it might be asbestos, which is really hard to come by of late. If anyone knows, or is willing to take an educated guess, I'm all ears.
