So I was wondering if it would even be possible to put a smoke generator in an n scale steamer. So I figured I would at least see if it was theoretically possible. So I would need a very small resistance heater to see. I guessed the best source for one would be a grain of rice light bulb. So I put the bulb into a pin vice and crushed the glass. Then I dipped the light filament into candle wax, and connected the lamp to a transformer. Turned up the power, and these are the results: So far it seems to be reusable, and…..oops, just broke the filament dipping it into the wax. At least I didn’t burn the house down. So I guess it might be possible. Just needs to be shoved into a smoke box, with a fuel supply, a hollow smoke stack, and probably relocate the headlight.
That is a creative idea. Melt the wax and drip it on the filament, so that you won't break it. Seuthe used to make a smoke generator for the Y6b in N. It would burn out shortly after it ran out of oil. Never looked realistic. Good luck on your experimenting.
I had an ABBA set of Hallmark brass F units that caught on fire. All four of them at the same time. Looked very realistic, for a while.
The concept is good, but, you will burn it out very frequintly. That was one of Edison's problems, (burning out filiments). It kept burning them out until he decided to put the filiment into a vacume oxigen free tube. This is why bulbs are incased in glass to remove the oxigen fromt he filiment so it doesnt burn out so quickly. You would have to find a new type of filiment that would be able to take the heat, without becoming brittle. The oil source would be the biggest issue I think. You would have to have some place to put it, and have someplace to store the waste, if you didnt have something that would burn completley. The wax would make a total mess of your locomotive after a short while. A light oil might be a better fuel. Keep up the reserch and development.
Light bulb filaments operate in an atmosphere of inert gas or a vaccuum to keep them from burning. Removing the glass bulb exposes the filament to air which results in them burning. That's probably what happened to yours' rather than breaking by dipping. After the wax (or oil) burns away, the exposure to air will do in the filament. Good idea, though. It would probably work if you could find a teeny, tiny immersion heater, like the type you put in a coffee cup. Offhand, I can't think of any wire thing protected from air that would be small enough. Dave. Tudor beat me to the explanation.
How about a tiny piece of nichrome wire like they use to ignite model rockets? Don't know about resistance problems though. Another idea would be a small glow plug from a model plane engine. Again I don't know how small they are made. I believe both would require 12 volts. Steve E.
The nichrome wire would be the place to start. Resistance varries with the length and gauge of the wire. At least you have an easy source for the Nichrome in the form of a Woodland Scenics hot wire cutter. They sell replacement wire for them. The glow plug from a nitro engine would also work and it would be durabale but they are designed for 1.5V, not 12v. It would require a substancial step down resistor, and for that matter, a lot of current. The can discharge a 1500mah sub C in a glow igniter in under 15 minutes of use.
If I ever make it to the building a prototype stage, nichrome wire would probably be what I would end up using. Another Idea I had would be to etch a resistor into a thin strip of metal. The strip of metal would go into a capillary tube. Then the capillary tube would go into the fuel source. That way the heater would have fluid drawn too it. The etched heating element would look like this: http://www.resonancepub.com/images/suspended_micro-heating_element.gif The reason I used candle wax was because it was the only fuel source I had that I didn’t mind breathing. It also worked with the loco lubricating oil, but that stuff is hard on the lungs, and stinks. The real problem will be making it DCC friendly.
Why not go to the auto parts store and get a cigarette lighter element and strip the wire from it? They're designed for 12 volts and last quite a while.
Wonder if we should just forward this thread to the local fire department? You guys are going to burn something, for sure!mg:
The Arnold Rapido 2-8-2 (BR 44) had a Seuthe smoke unit circa 1975. It usually took a few seconds to heat, sometimes started with a pop, but ran for quite a while, and reliably, if I remember correctly. I believe that was the only Rapido steam loco so equipped.
Somehere along the line I aquired one of these as a spare part sold by Arnold. It is still in its blister pack. Part #0756 "Replacement generator for locomotive 0251 (BR 41)" Some day I plan to play with it and maybe bash it into one of my steam engines.
Arnold also made a US Proto Heavy Pacific with a smoke generator. Here is a shot of one I have. I haven't been brave enough to try the smoke out yet. The loco runs very good and I don't want to take a chance with it. There was also a version of the Roco/MRC/Charmerz? 2-8-8-2 Mallet that was available with a smoke generator.
Well, I played around with it for a while. It does make smoke. However it gets quite hot and makes an oily mess. It is probably OK in the metal boiler like on an old Arnold steamer but it may get hot enough to melt a plastic shell. I have some Life Like smoke fluid that I used. Every now and then the generator would sputter and a tiny drop of oil would shoot out and leave a trail of smoke before it fell back to my work area leaving a little oil spot. I also have an HO smoke unit that I pulled out of an engine, probably Life Like or Bachmann. It is an open top cube with a coil in the middle. That thing really spews out a lot of smoke and smoking blobs of oil.
