Yes I know they are toys. The problem is that was what got me hooked on trains. I was given a Tyco Chattanooga Choo Choo set for Christmas in 1975. As a kid I destroyed this set set when the engine quit running. I am now into N scale, but just recently acquired a well used set on Ebay. The enging didn't work too good but the steamer smoked like in the commercials. After taking the hopper off several times I noticed a wire was lose on the engine. I soldered it back in place and the engine runs without squealing anymore. This is not a quiet engine. The problem is I can't get smoke out of it anymore. I thought I read somewhere that you put oil down the hole where the bell is? Does anyone know how to check the generator to see if it still works or if something else is wrong. I have no idea how this comes apart. Thanks Scott
Can you access the generator wiring? If so, perhaps a continuity check to be sure the circuit through it is intact?
That is part of the problem I can't see where the generator gets it's power from. I don't see how to get to any of it to check. I had my meter out and not sure if the readings were what they should have been.
Remove the bell by pulling straight up. Add 20 drops of QUALITY smoke fluid to the chamber the bell conceals. Run the engine for a few minutes and it should work. Smoke “generators” are simply a heating coil encased in a white metal/plastic chamber. You can measure the input voltage and check for continuity in the coil, but that’s about all you can do. If the coil has no continuity, the heating coil is shot and dat’s dat. I do not have one of these to check, but I suspect the smoke unit has two wires going to it in the body. I can’t remember if this 2-8-0 has the motor in the locomotive, or tender. I know the 0-8-0 had the motor in the tender and the locomotive was just a shell. Mark
Thanks Mark, I suppose adding it to the smoke stack doesn't get it to the right spot. The 2-8-0 also has the drive in the tender as well. I think it gets half the power for the motor from the loco and half from the tender. There is 1 black and 1 red wire going between the two and I am not sure why other than the light. They sure took something simple and complicated it!
