# Even More Cheap Tricks



## flyguy55 (Apr 20, 2015)

Have a red plastic smoke tube that is broken or missing....Well get a hollow plastic coffee stir stick cut to size and insert into smoke unit.These are like small straws and diameter is smaller than smoke tube but it will work.Get red and it will still light up....


----------



## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks for the cheap trick.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

What does it do?
Just shoot the smoke up and out?


----------



## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Big Ed, it also puts a red glow like a fire down in smoke stack. Something Gilbert
started for their 1953 models. Actually started in 1952. They also painted inside
of smoke stack white to enhance the glow. The headlight bulb is source for light.


----------



## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I didn't think there was any sort of glow in a steam locomotive stack with the firebox at the rear.

Is there some sort of flame going on in the boiler section I'm not aware of?


----------



## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

It was supposed to mimic glowing embers from the stack. Here's a video.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

mopac said:


> Big Ed, it also puts a red glow like a fire down in smoke stack. Something Gilbert
> started for their 1953 models. Actually started in 1952. They also painted inside
> of smoke stack white to enhance the glow. The headlight bulb is source for light.



OK, Thanks, I never noticed the red tube before this.
Wouldn't it be better if it didn't stick up so much in the stack?


----------



## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

Big Ed, the stock red plastic tube doesn't rise higher than just below the rim of the smoke stack. The cheap trick was to use a red coffee stirrer as a replacement.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

BrokeCurmudgeon said:


> Big Ed, the stock red plastic tube doesn't rise higher than just below the rim of the smoke stack. The cheap trick was to use a red coffee stirrer as a replacement.




OK, then it needs to be trimmed a little.


----------



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

That video is what is called the "Hell Train". I've seen it before. Check it out on youtube.


----------



## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

There sure can't be any vegetation or anything else growing any where near the track!! Cheap way to keep the weeds away!

Kenny


----------



## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

That engine would not go over in California with all the wild fires. A steam engine did
start a wild fire a couple of years ago. I think it was the Durango. 3,000,000 settlement
in court.


----------

