Overactive Smoke Unit

I have a MTH Bigboy 20-3021-1. It was upgraded with an ERR command control with chuff and puff prior to purchase. The smoke output is way too much for me to run it. Could a resistor be added somewhere in the smoke unit circuit to tame it down, and if so, what would a good resistor value be to start with? Here is picture:

I don't know the name of the circuit boards or what they do. The yellow arrow is where one of the leads is attached. The red arrow lead goes to the tether. The two green arrows are the plug and it's socket. Not sure if it matters which of the plug leads I should use to try a resistor or if it matters. I didn't open the tender to look further. Other than the voluminous smoke, the engine runs very smoothly.

Appreciate any help...Rich

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5/9/2011:34 AM

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gunrunnerjohnOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

The board you picture is the CV board and the C&P controlling the smoke fan. I have no idea what smoke unit you have, so it's hard to recommend a solution.

I can tell you one thing, you do NOT want a resistor! It will get way too hot, that's what's in the smoke unit generating the smoke.

5/9/2012:45 PM

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Smoke Stack LightninOGR Forum Member

Thanks John. Thank you for the information, I’ll ditch the resistor idea. The smoke unit is whatever MTH used in 1997. Is it normal for the pcb and plug to discolor as in the picture? I could try using less wick and repositioning the elements. I guess if anything was going to melt down it would have done so by now.

5/9/201:01 PM

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gunrunnerjohnOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

The plug is fine. Try a diode in series with the smoke unit power lead, band point toward the smoke unit.

5/9/201:03 PM

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Smoke Stack LightninOGR Forum Member

I have a number of these diodes I used to tame the jack rabbit starts on Williams Engines. I think I linked 8 of these together. Very hard to tell by the picture, or even in hand what color the band(s) are. They look to be grey or maybe brown. Would one or more of these work? Is the power lead the green arrow (thicker) wire or the red arrow lead in the above picture? I’m not sure about “in series”. Would I splice the wire and insert the diode between? I’m not sure which direction to place the bands. I do know how to solder