Some folks use smoke fluid in their postwar smoke units without modification.
Reproduction pellets are also available.

Smoke fluid is fine and works very well. I usually add several drops at a time and get lots of smoke. As CW said reproduction pellets are also available (look on Ebay).

I use liquid in my 736, works fine.

I just took my 2018 apart last week. I cleaned out the bowl of all the "stuff" that was left behind and now use smoke fluid. I haven't used more that a couple drops at a time, no wicking in the bowl, and it smokes fine.

Good Luck!

I use liquid in my PW engines although I have a bottle of Lionel pellets. I don't like the residue.

An upgrade is not necessary. As others have already said. Smoke fluid will work just fine. Don't overfill. A few drops is enough.

Big Chet posted:

Has anyone tried using regular smoke fluid in these? I am planning on upgrading it soon but just asking.

Whether you use liquid or pellets, DO NOT do the liquid smoke unit conversion downgrade. It limits your use to liquid only, and the elements do not last nearly as long as the nichrome wound elements.

Here is liquid fluid used on my 1952 Berkshire, all factory smoke unit with 2 minor tweaks(extra wicking/batting, and a 2026-44 spring placed on top of the piston):

Nice Rob - My 2018 doesn't smoke nearly as much!

I use liquid in my PW engines although I have a bottle of Lionel pellets. I don't like the residue.

LOL, I'll take smoke pellet residue over smoke fluid residue any day. I guess that is what makes horse races!

I run smoke fluid in all my smokers pre. post modern or otherwise with no problem.

although I will make this disclaimer, If you retro fit your postwar steamer with a smoker

designed for fluid it will smoke like crazy. choo choo

Popi posted:

 If you retro fit your postwar steamer with a smoker

designed for fluid it will smoke like crazy. 

Now there's something I would like to see before and after videos of!

Nice video. I have my 763 and the new 682 on the rack now and they smoke that good with my own fluid.  My engines don't seem to get a lot of residue in the smoke unit although I did clean black gnk out of an old engine that wouldn't smoke.

jim pastorius posted:

I have my 763 and the new 682 on the rack now and they smoke that good with my own fluid.

Jim - Did you add wicking material to the bowl? I am currently running without.

When I bought the 763 it didn't smoke but just for kicks, after I got the E unit fixed I gave the smoke unit a shot of CRC solvent and got a little smoke out of it. then I put 91% alcohol in it, started smoking better, ran it long and hard and now it smokes great. Blows smoke rings. So I didn't do any modifications. Also got a few more smoking good cleaning them out with 91%. Try it, won't hurt anything. Use 91% alcohol though.

763? That's a prewar semi-scale Hudson that did not smoke.

Are you referring to a modern era reissue?
Or perhaps a postwar 736 Berkshire?

Rob

Great camera work on the video.

My bad !!  Yes, my 736, was a mental thing, the 763 is on my Santa list.   I have a 646  that was smoking a little, ran alcohol for awhile which improved it but going to let it soak and give it another run later. See if I can free it up more. I have some old Marx fluid which I have tried and seems to do OK.

MarkLX200 posted:

Great camera work on the video.

Single shot hand-held, I wish it was better, but I can't afford 10 hours in post-production fine tuning it.

ADCX Rob posted:

MarkLX200 posted:

Great camera work on the video.

Single shot hand-held, I wish it was better, but I can't afford 10 hours in post-production fine tuning it.

Pretty smooth for hand held. Must be on a caffeine free diet.

jim pastorius posted:

When I bought the 763 it didn't smoke but just for kicks, after I got the E unit fixed I gave the smoke unit a shot of CRC solvent and got a little smoke out of it. then I put 91% alcohol in it, started smoking better, ran it long and hard and now it smokes great. Blows smoke rings. So I didn't do any modifications. Also got a few more smoking good cleaning them out with 91%. Try it, won't hurt anything. Use 91% alcohol though.

YIKES!

Using something that's as flammable as 91% alcohol seems like a VERY bad idea!  Even worse is alcohol burns with an almost invisible flame, so you won't necessarily even know it's burning.

I know how  91% alcohol burns and it is a great cleaner. Yesterday I worked on my Lionel 646 that was a weak smoker. Put a shot of alcohol in the stack and let it soak then ran it for a good while as it started smoking better. It was better but not good enough so I gave the unit a shot of CRC Lectra Motive solvent, another good cleaner. Both are good cleaning solvents but in different ways. After soaking I ran the engine and it smokes really good now. I have  fixed several weak smoking engines and haven't had any catastrophes but I am careful with flammables. 91% burns but doesn't flash.

The 91% scares me as I bought a engine at a auction one time brought it home tested it and it didn't want to run so I cleaned it put on the track and still didn't do right but what I didn't know was the smoke unit was shorting all of a sudden I had a 3" flame shoot out the stack I could see if I had alcohol or another flammable substance in there lol. 

Your big problem was a heck of a short. No  circuit breaker ??  I have burned alcohol and it doesn't flash and explode like other lighter solvents and the first try was a gamble. It works. I priced a  small bottle of smoke unit cleaner at the LHS and it was $10 !!    No way, has to be a cheaper way. I have cleaned up and got 4 engines smoking good so far. Some are shot and need replaced.

No offense Jim, but a sample of four doesn't inspire confidence that with a few more data samples there isn't a disaster.

I disagree, fixing 4 to smoke proves it to me. There isn't that much alcohol used and the CRC is non=flammable. I was just reporting what works for me-saved me some money replacing smoke units.

No argument that it worked for you.  I just don't think that a sample of four proves any long-term certainty that you won't have a fire at some point.  Obviously, you disagree, that's certainly your right.