Visionline Big Boy Smoke Units

check with Alex M he had a picture of one of these taken apart!

https://ogrforum.com/...ly=77593417143821639

Alan

Follow Alex's advise.  I just did mine a couple of weeks ago.  Get rid of the original wadding and replace it with new cut up wadding.  Make sure the resistor is clean,  Per GRJ align the resistor and thermistor with the diagram on the PCB.  When you're finished, soak the new wadding with fluid and reassemble everything.   The main stacks always worked well and now the whistle and blowdown can also be seen.

repair technician posted:

check with Alex M he had a picture of one of these taken apart!

https://ogrforum.com/...ly=77593417143821639

 

 

 

Alan

You just linked this thread.  Did you mean to link Alex's?

Nice catch, Sinclair.  I didn't check the link.  This is the correct link:

https://ogrforum.com/...boy-tons-of-pictures

Sinclair   this is what I've learned with my visionline BB add fluid 10 drops max to whistle smoke then lightly blow down the fill hole for blowdown add 20 drops and blow down its fill hole power up BB run for 10 minutes then try the whistle smoke and the blowdown mine will work fine doing this.

but prior to that not so much even Jon Z said in an email to me that the whistle steam and blowdown are not online at same time as main smoke stacks are.

if you still cannot get blow down to work remove the cover plate use small hose and reverse blow both sides of blowdown openings try blowdown again if all this fails then leave cover off and hold the blowdown button down until a steady stream of smoke is visible.

aligning the the smoke resister and thermasister [sp] will help but I used the lionel twisted batting and soaked it prior to attaching the boiler it worked fantastic but after that it is weak again thus why I use the 10 minute rule as so far it works. also the lionel smoke fluid produces thicker and whiter smoke but Jt's mega steam is a more medium smoke output.

hope this helps also remember to keep s twisted smoke batting clear of air chamber so air will get to batting otherwise it reduces amount of air getting into main smoke chamber. 

StPaul, great advice for the Big Boy, my blowdown rarely produced smoke well; I will try the 10 minute rule; sounds reasonable due to 'the whistle steam and blowdown are not online at same time as main smoke stacks are' from Jon Z.  Jon Z ought to know.  Sorry to see him retire.

Well, I had the boiler off, and the hose to the exit ports disconnected and was getting no smoke out of the blown down smoke unit.  I guess I need to get an order with Lionel parts for smoke wick.

Some helpful videos I keep in my toolbox regarding smoke units:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRcpFRtA6IY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1asUWbJtfok

SINCLAIR  toss that clear tubing and go to auto zone or ? and get same size in a vacuum hose its semi soft will bend easily and best part it stays put.

to those saying oh not vacuum hose the smoke fluid will dissolve it well mines been going on a year now no issues with that at all same for my S-3 its been 2 years it works and holds up fine.

hope you get your smoke issues resolved.

Jon Z and lionel made a huge mistake in not having all 3 smoke units online same time and independent control of each smoke unit on/off but not my call nor do I own lionel. 

StPaul posted:

Jon Z and lionel made a huge mistake in not having all 3 smoke units online same time and independent control of each smoke unit on/off but not my call nor do I own lionel. 

I've seen this a couple times now.  Can someone please explain this in detail to me.  How are they not all on at the same time?  If I push the button on the remote to activate the smoke, it doesn't always turn the heating element on?  I've seen the wait 10 min before use, but thought that was just to give time for the fluid to work it's way into the wick.

I cannot speak for StPaul, I'm sure clarify what he meant for you.  In the meantime, unless you have turned off individual smoke units (using the switches under the sand dome) all smoke units turn on, or off, together using the Cab2.  I have not had a problem with the tubing on the blowdown smoke unit, but the fix StPaul mentioned should work, if you have a problem.

The convoluted connection between the smoke unit and stacks, whistle and blowdown can make adding fluid tricky. You may remember Mike Reagan suggesting that you gently blow down the stack after adding fluid.  I use a hand dust blower, similar to one Micromark offers.  Alternatively, you can pick up an ear syringe at the supermarket or drug store.  Just use it gently so you don't blow fluid all over the inside of the locomotive.

for all here yes all the smoke switches can be turned "on but".... the only active smoke unit at startup is in fact the  smoke stacks Jon Z clarified this stating due to electronic and electrical placed on the electronic boards the whistle smoke and blowdown smoke units are not activated at startup are in fact powered up gradually after startup how much of a delay was not given.

seeing he designed it I take his word as gospel. 

as to adding smoke to whistle and blowdown is tricky I often thought why not a direct fill into the wicking.

also for those that have taken the BB apart be careful of those tiny screws that connect both halves of the whistle and blowdown fill tube they strip out easily if for some reason you take them apart.

another gotcha is adding smoke fluid to blowdown spilt smoke fluid or overfills can leak from switch cover area to turn features on off can go directly onto the RCMC and antenna boards and if unlucky will short them out if memory serves me correct about $110-$130 for that RCMC board been there done that!

and when reattaching the boiler watch those handrail antenna wires the boiler loves to cut them in half as well as do not allow metal handrails for antenna to move all the way forward or you'll be figuring out how to reattach them no easy task and I believe Sinclair said he soldered his he too can say no room to reattach them unless your an ant!

hope this clarifies the smoke "on" debacle if not maybe you can still e-mail Jon Z he usually will reply to you.