Want to make everyone a little happier?? THROW THESE OUT!!!!

Or perhaps just drain all fluid from bottle That way you still have it as part of set.  Then owner can order smoke fluid if desired at later date.

A few years ago, I discovered the same mess.  I opened every engine packed with fluid & removed the bottles.

That bottle and fluid Is the first thing to hit the trash when I open a box! 

Yes, throw them away. No need to keep the empty bottle either. 

A good tip. But I see no reason to throw the fluid away.

I had some Kline Plymouth switcher sets that came with leaky smoke fluid bottles.

I also had a carton of Lionel Smoke fluid in white bottles from earlier in the Modern era. The smoke fluid seems to seep through the bottle itself on these bottles.

 

On the other hand, the clear plastic bottles that postwar Lionel used, and were used at various times in the modern era as well, do not seem to leak / seep.

I usually hold onto a spare empty Mega steam bottle and empty out all the Lionel fluid from those little white bottles into it.  No sense throwing away good smoke fluid.

 

-Pete

Huh? No way first thing I do is take the locomotive out of the box and put in on the layout! The locomotive will never see the box again!

All kidding aside, I have seen a few leak but the bag contained the mess.

Don't throw it away take the container out of the box and keep it out.

Besides you can always use the spare fluid for your hair!

 

 

 

That's the old Lionel Fluid,not the newer premium fluid,supposedly it was thicker then the new Premium.

 

 

Lionel doesn't include little vials of fluid with Legacy engines, If your buying a Legacy Engine you probably already have smoke fluid anyway.

 

 

Do they still include little fluid samples with starter sets?   The bottles leaking is a PITA though.

 

 

We use Lionel Premium or of course Megasteam at my club but I put the megasteam dropper on the lionel bottle as the little spout leaks.

 

My Legacy Polar Railroad GP7 came with one of those bottles. My beef with that little bottle is it's too tough to squeeze and fluid out! (Also, there was a spelling error on the paper. Yikes!) However, I will now make sure it doesn't go back in the box.

 

Fred

 

That's scary if its leaking through plastic. makes you wonder whats in it to cause plastic breakdown, then you might wonder is the smoke hazardous to my lungs or skin

Yes I know its just mineral oil with some aromatic scent mixed in.

I have disabled all my engine smokers as they filled the room up like a London fog.

Pete - I don't think anyone has ever called that smoke fluid good!! 

Don't forget boxes that caboose with smoke units came in too!  The bottles were usually tucked underneath