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How do you feel about real smoke?


traingeekboy
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I like to see loco's with smoke generators - it all adds another dimension to the scene although the technology itself leaves a lot to be desired at this stage. It amazes me just how much we are able to include in a 4mm scale model these days!

Although I didn't fit it myself, I have just the one loco, a WD 2-8-0, with a fitted Seuthe smoke generator. It could just about manage one complete circuit of the old Selby layout on a single filling of smoke oil. Smoke oil is introduced down the chimney and into the smoke generator reservoir using a plastic syringe but the reservoir only holds a small amount of oil. Once heated, the oil produces a 'smoke' effect which rises from the chimey in a uniform manner - unlike the prototype which puffs out in tune with the cylinders. With a slight head breeze blowing the effect is more realistic as may be seen on the accompanying video.

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I've seen examples on YouTube where larger smoke oil reservoirs have been fitted into the loco smokebox and I've heard that the addition of a small fan can produce a better smoke effect. I'm not sure I'd want to go down that route so unless loco's begin appearing with smoke generators already fitted the WD 2-8-0 will remain the only example I have.

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Sorry guys, this is one thing that I really hate seeing fitted to a model - to me, its just like fitting a generic sound module to a layout - not worth the time, effort and money 'til its done properly - like dcc sound has mostly been. For me it needs more blast from the chimney and I cant quite see how thats going to be achieved :?

Not necessarily a problem for us outdoor types, but the smoke units I have seen on locos indoors, leave an oily residue all over the rest of the stock too.

Overall then, thumbs, definitely, down on this topic at present.

Whilst on the subject of smoke, and not wishing to upset anybody here, I also really hate :x the way a certain model railway magazine air-brushes in smoke on their photos of peoples models / layouts - at the end of the day that is what it is - a model. What next :?: - an article on a computer generated model railway - I hope not :!:

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I do quite like my WD with smoke generator fitted but as I've already indicated, it's not something I would specifically go out and fit myself. I think there are limitations with 4mm scale and the digital sound that Iain refers to isn't far off reaching those limits already in my opinion unless we can have some super-sounding miniature speakers. I can't ever see there being sufficient space within a 4mm scale model for anything that's going to produce a realistic chuff chuff smoke effect for any period of time - to me there just isn't the room avaialable.

Just briefly on the other subject mentioned - that of airbrushing in the smoke effect, it seems to be coming a common feature of many photos both online and in print. To look convinicing it has to be done absolutely correctly and many of them just look plain silly. Even then it's just a novelty image. I do cringe sometimes when I see some of the efforts - best left well alone I think.

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I also really hate :x the way a certain model railway magazine air-brushes in smoke on their photos of peoples models / layouts - at the end of the day that is what it is - a model.

I wouldn't use as strong a word as hate, but other than that, I pretty much feel similar about both real smoke in a OO loco and the rather hamfisted attempts at trying to make models look real.

I find smoke that runs out really quickly more annoying that no smoke at all and then there are all of the other issues that Mick and ba14eagle have already mentioned.

One of the things I love about this hobby is the fact that I am actually playing with scale models - not the real thing - that is a different and much more expensive hobby! :) Unless you are explicitly trying to make your own pictures of a layout look real, the kind of ham-fisted airbrushing just looks a bit silly, IMO

This stuff can be good. There is a chap who calls himself Arkurion who I follow on Deviant Art who does really nice picture of Warhammer 40,000 models embedded into in semi-realistic settings http://arkurion.deviantart.com/gallery/ Definately puts a bit of fake smoke to shame! :)

Anyway, I'd better stop before I start properly ranting :)

YMMV.

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  • 3 months later...

The only smokers I have got, apart from myself, are all the older Tri-ang model steam loco's with the original fitted units. No spares are available when the heating element goes Kaput, so they are all treated with care and never allowed to run dry. At present in the GGR fleet we have the following smokers.

B12 Br black 4-6-0

57XX Gwr green 0-6-0

Princess Elizabeth LMS maroon 4-6-2

SPam Can Winston Churchill Br green 4-6-2 now being modified to 4-6-4T specifications. (workbench under Butchery)

Britannia Br green 4-6-2

me 20+, roll my own, cigaretts a day man (no fags Griff :lol: )

Ian

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...me 20+, roll my own, cigaretts a day man (no fags Griff :lol: )

Ian

As a past smoker for almost 30 years I regard the day I decided to stop as a momentous achievement. It's up there alongside the day I passed my driving test. I used to smoke anywhere between 20-30+ cigarettes per day and think nothing of it. By the time I managed to kick the habit I was spending upwards of £50 per week just keeping myself in cigarettes. I've got nothing against anyone who smokes and I don't preach the rights or wrongs but I do feel better and much healthier, not to mention a whole lot cleaner, since I gave up. I took my 'wheezing' for granted but it was all down to my intake of cigarette smoke and has now completely eased.

Might not be everyones cup of tea but it's much better to keep smoking for the locos!

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Have been cutting the smoking down for the last 15 years, but just cannot yet kick the habit although I have tried on numerious occassions but all to no avail. Used to smoke 100+ a day but it was just getting too exspensive so converted to the roll-up. Was smoking 250grams a week of hand rolling baccy but that is now down to £10 worth which is just about 50grams of the stuff now.

Back to topic

What I have saved on the cutting down is now spent on the GGR instead, but as I don't drink, I consider it my only BAD vice now.

I have got a couple of these newer Sleuth smoke units and was considering putting them in my Big Boy but am disappointed with the lack of smoke that they kick out and the small amount of running time you get using them, compared to the old Tri-ang ones that can last for a couple of hours in some instances.

Ian

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  • 1 year later...

I agree with the non smokers on here which hypercritical as I'm a smoker myself. But I mean the locos. In the much larger scales you have room for proper smoke generators which can actually 'puff' out smoke like exhaust beats. But in OO it comes out of the chimney like an open fire in a house. Sure it looks ok when you've built up a bit of speed, but on starting it looks terrible. Steam locos blast steam and smoke out of the chimneys on starting just as diesels can push a black column of smoke out of their exhaust outlets, well class 37's can but in OO scale that just isn't possible. Can you imagine if it was, having to wear an oxygen cylinder on your back with breathing apparatus so you don't become asphyxiated on the fumes as all these smoke units are made for indoor modellers. 6 locos in the garden having a great ol' smokey time and you get a visit from the EPA.

Roy.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi All, My first post, after reading a vast amount of back posts. All very interesting.

On the subject of 'puffing' smoke, does anyone else remember some Triang locos being fitted with 'Syncrosmoke'? This had a small piston inside the loco, driven by a geared take-off from the loco's motor. It was supposed to send the smoke out in puffs, but I cannot remember it being a mind-blowing visual effect. Having said that, I'm trying to think back about 50 years!

Brian

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Im a big fan of smoke, wether its from a smoke gen or the real deal with Hornby Live Steam.

Check out some of my vids here : http://vimeopro.com/palitoy/garden-railway" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I also started to play with an american smoke oil (the brand escapes me) that comes in numerous flavours, my fave being Coal Smoke. It really is bang on right!

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  • 2 years later...

I saw a video on YouTube where the models in O gauge had smoke effect units fitted and instead of using the Seuthe smoke oil they used Johnson's baby oil. It gave a more pleasant smell and was way cheaper to buy too. Apparently it had no ill effects on the smoke unit.

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I recently attended a show where they had the live steam A4s running alongside electric A4s, I must admit the live steam gave off no more smoke /Steam than a correctly filled smoke unit, I was quite disappointed, it didn't seem to PUFF either.

What goes up must come down I wonder what effect the baby oil would make to the tracks, nice and smooth but slippery?

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I too am the only "smoker" on my layout!! :lol::lol: I would love to be able to kick th bait but never seem to have enough will power ( or should that be won't power??) :D:D Why don't us smokers try and combine our hobbies/habits?? If we could fit a cigarette in our locos surely it would burn longer than a smoke unit! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

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I'm not so impressed with these oil smoke generators.

I got a few Märklin loco's that are standard fitted.

I tried it ones, I used the original oil.

The result was that the downdraft of the smoke, greased my hole model, it took me an hour to remove it.

So, no thank you for me :?

Sound Is nice, but than again, you can't fit it into each model, and for me it's all or nothing.

But never the less, very nice video Mick, I really enjoyed it.

cheers,

Danny

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