Smoke Fluid Rule of Thumb?

I wish there was a rule of thumb.  Better yet a sensor to indicate the level of saturation of the batting.  I know this sounds silly, but do experience a degree of anxiety as to whether I have over filled or run dry my smoke unit.  

I add before I run the locomotive and add again when it seems like the volume of smoke goes down.

if these engines are like the Big Boy 10-12 drops isn't enough. try this add 20 drops wait 1 minute blow a light whiff of air in stack fire it up and see how it does.

I have done this starting with the atsf #3751 engine and with the big boy they seem to respond well to it.

well for me anyways.

ST PAUL, How much "run time" on the Big Boy would you estimate that you get from 20 drops?

I finally had to get 20-25 drops in my big boy and then add approx 12-18 more after each operating session of about 30 minutes.  They are thirsty engines.

+1

-Pete

Dillon  as MartyE states 30 minutes if on low smoke setting.

if you run on high smoke setting expect 10 minutes if anything like Big Boy these newer units are thirsty!!

BF166, hey pete I love your greatest fear, now I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!

Nerdy answer is that if you knew the power draw and operating temperature of the wire wound resistor you could estimate the fluid volume being consumed as it gets converted from liquid to vapor (smoke).

Hello Dillon • Like you said, it depends a pond the engine and running time. 3 to 5 drops for most of the engines on my layout. This seems to work for my layout.

These engines use the currently used compressed fiberglass pads that the heater rests on.  Not a good way to go.  Pull it out and replace with the older wicking that you should shread like Mike Reagan showed in a video he made.

Thanks.....I think....lol!

I posted this same issue with my Cab Forward a couple weeks ago. I thought I had a problem with mine as it wouldn't smoke, so I tore it apart to find out why. The wick was bone dry! I thought I had over filled it.. but it was dry. The wick had even started to char from being dry. I took that wick out, turned it over, and tore it apart so it wasn't 1 big chunk of fiberglass. Absorbs the smoke fluid a lot better once it was flipped over ( I tore off the little bit of char and threw that away) and pulled apart, then stuffed back I there. I eventually had 45 drops in the bowl.... and it would smoke you out of the train room. It does take a few minutes to heat up the fluid, once it is fully saturated.   

Here's the thread with Alex M's cab forward inside pictures and our discussion on the smoke unit of the engine.

AC12 PIX

Greg, great move.

blowing down the stack helps to disperse the smoke fluid around the wicking material and seems to improve smoke volume.