For a Christmas present I am getting a 2-8-8-2 Y6b. This is one with the Rapido label and it has a smoke unit installed. I want to know if any one has ever ran one and is it OK to run it without adding the smoke fluid? I mean will I burn out the smoke unit if I don't want to have smoke fluid in it all the time? Dave
I don't believe it will burn out the smoke unit. It still will draw a lot more current through the track but I would think the smoke units would be designed to run dry. They sure are messy and leave tiny droplets of oil everywhere. I pulled all of them out of my locomotives.
Hi! No problem with the smoker on without fluid. I know of Arnold locos who had been run over 20 years in that manner because the owner had this little switch lever broken. BTW, AFAIK Arnold smokers have a switch to turn off the smoker. If you don't have the manual please take a close view if there is a small movable part elsewhere. If you remove the boiler from the loco body you might see the part that switches an electrical contact which is not common in "normal" locos. But, as mentioned above, there is no danger for the unit when powerde on without smoke fluid. Regards Mathi
That is great to hear. I will look for an "off" switch. But you know I just got to try it at least once. I have heard they can make a mess of things, but still I have to at least try it out. Thanks. Dave
It's not prototypical, but it's fun. This is how I do it with my H0 Shay. With DCC you can switch off the smoke unit. Wolfgang
Well, recently I soldered a new D&H DH10B decoder into my 40 yrs old Arnold Class41 2-8-2 and now I can switch the steamer on and off a gusto, really nice! Unfortunately is Dave not in the DCC team, I guess?
No. I'm not DCC yet... But I sure have been looking at it and reading every thing I find. Being a computer tech by trade it seems like a natural to me. Getting a system to fit my budget is the only problem. Dave
Is this N scale we are talking about?! I have never seen an n scale smoke unit before in my 20 years of the hobby. I have heard of them in n scale but never saw one so was always suspect if it were true. So I guess my question...did they make factory installed smoke units? If so any pictures of the examples? How did they perform?
Yes to N scale and they are in that big catologue from up in the Northern States. Most of the ones I have heard about use the headlight wiring for power meaning you gave up the headlight. I don't know about whether this is still true for the current ones. And again I'm not completely sure but I believe this was the only loco to have a smoke unit in it from the factory. I have yet to see one running at any of the Ntrak events I've been to or anywhere else. And as an afterthought here is a link to Spookshow's rundown on this loco. http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/riv2882.html
This was sold as a replacement unit for the N Scale Arnold Rapido locomotives that came equipped. I think I picked it up to use in an industry smoke stack and not in a locomotive.
Yes, one of the only N scale locos to have a smoke unit factory installed. The box says Rapido on the only label and also says "smoker". After Christmas I will let you all know how this thing runs. That is if I can get up the nerve to even take it out of the box. It has never been opened. I know this one has to be rare if no one here has ever seen one before. Dave
Here is another with a factory smoke unit. I've never tried it out because I have dealt with HO with smoke units and they are an absolute mess to clean up afterward for a not so impressive whisp of fog. Some of the Arnold European steamers came with smoke units also. I have a friend with an Arnold 2-10-2 with smoke.
They make a mess is what I have heard as well. That was why I ask if it would hurt it to run without fluid. Does your smoker have an on-off switch? Nice looking engine BTW. Dave
I own a Y6B and I think it is a MRC, plastic rods, it also contains a smoke unit. I ran it quite a bit before trying to get it to smoke, I added a couple drops of fluid and nothing!
Seuthe, the original German manufacturer, is still smokin'. Here is their web site: http://www.seuthe-dampf.de/start.htm The English link does not appear to work. I had an Arnold steamer with smoke (BR 41, 2-8-2) and I second that you cannot burn it out if there is no fluid.
Purple1, Be prepared to be highly underwhelmed with the smoke unit if you ever use it.:shock: What Russ shows is about the best it will ever be.:we-laugh:
Not much I see. That's what I figured. I was hoping for a little more but I guess not. Looks like it's almost not worth the mess it will make to even try. My GF was hoping to get some scented fluid, at least it might smell nice. She wanted to get an apple scent. BTW, what kind of smoke fluid are you using? Dave
