# smoke unit



## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

282 is running great but is still in the repair shop. Boiler has been removed to repair the busted out screw holes. flyernut
told me how to fix them with JB Weld. The JB Weld has been applied and has hardened. I don't feel like working on flyers today so tomorrow I will drill new holes in the JB Weld. Many
years ago I lost the motor mounts for 282. They are the plates 
that hold the shell to the rear of chassis. I got new ones in the mail Saturday. So after drilling new holes I will install the motor mounts. Since I am an expert at winding coils now I am going to try my hand at winding a coil on a new wick for the smoke unit.
282 was smoking pretty good but only produces a little smoke at high speed. I want them to smoke plenty. After flyernut's tutorial
on smoke unit repair I think I am ready. The wick and wire in 282 are the original ones from 1952 so maybe it is time. I will let you
know how my attempt went.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> 282 is running great but is still in the repair shop. Boiler has been removed to repair the busted out screw holes. flyernut
> told me how to fix them with JB Weld. The JB Weld has been applied and has hardened. I don't feel like working on flyers today so tomorrow I will drill new holes in the JB Weld. Many
> years ago I lost the motor mounts for 282. They are the plates
> that hold the shell to the rear of chassis. I got new ones in the mail Saturday. So after drilling new holes I will install the motor mounts. Since I am an expert at winding coils now I am going to try my hand at winding a coil on a new wick for the smoke unit.
> ...


Good luck buddy,you'll do fine.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks flyernut. I hope it goes well. This should put 282 in tip top shape. I want to get 282 out of the shop and packed away along with 336. Its in tip top shape except tender hand rails reinstalled and the green jewels reinstalled. I think next in shop will be one of my new diesels. They should just need old grease cleaned away and some new grease and some oil. I want to run one. With my small floor layout I will only run the engines.
Those trains are very long with all the cars.


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## chrisallen21 (Sep 1, 2016)

I am fond of the diesels as well. I have a couple 474 Rockets, a 470 Comet and a 472 Sante Fe (which is giving me no end of trouble getting going these days). I will get it running eventually, just need to take my time. I replaced the entire wiring harness from the reverse until to the front engine and have power but no movement. I suspect it has something to do with the brushes that engage the armature but haven't resolved it yet. Maybe if you run into the same issue, we can troubleshoot together


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

chrisallen21 said:


> I am fond of the diesels as well. I have a couple 474 Rockets, a 470 Comet and a 472 Sante Fe (which is giving me no end of trouble getting going these days). I will get it running eventually, just need to take my time. I replaced the entire wiring harness from the reverse until to the front engine and have power but no movement. I suspect it has something to do with the brushes that engage the armature but haven't resolved it yet. Maybe if you run into the same issue, we can troubleshoot together


Go about it as the same as a steam engine. Clean the armature with a bright-boy, make sure the brushes are good, and there's no old hardened grease messing things up. Be sure the armature is centered!!


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Ok flyernut, maybe you can redo 6 smoke units in one day.
I probably won't get one done today. I am still trying to get my unit clean. I do not know how 282 was smoking at all. The little air hole seemed to be plugged. I have it open now. Below is a pic of some of what I dug out. The insulator box was gummed to the sides. I used a razor blade to get it away from the metal but it disentrigated into about 10 pieces. The pieces on the left is what is left of it. Need to make a new one. The wick and coil area was completely black and it disentrigated. What a mess.
I remember my dad using 3 in 1 oil for smoke fluid. It worked
but probably added to the mess I have. You ever seen one this bad.









Oh chrisallen, my diesels are not the originals. They are the lionel ones. Good luck with yours.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> Ok flyernut, maybe you can redo 6 smoke units in one day.
> I probably won't get one done today. I am still trying to get my unit clean. I do not know how 282 was smoking at all. The little air hole seemed to be plugged. I have it open now. Below is a pic of some of what I dug out. The insulator box was gummed to the sides. I used a razor blade to get it away from the metal but it disentrigated into about 10 pieces. The pieces on the left is what is left of it. Need to make a new one. The wick and coil area was completely black and it disentrigated. What a mess.
> I remember my dad using 3 in 1 oil for smoke fluid. It worked
> but probably added to the mess I have. You ever seen one this bad.
> ...


Ha, I've seen worse,lol!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, this is a text-book example of a 65 year old smoke unit!! I believe PortLines has the insulator box, I'll check the web-site for you. Use only material that will not decompose while being subjected to oil!!... PortLines has the insulator box, ID# 1716, Gilbert # PA10519 for $2.50 each, get a few...The Train tender also has them, same part #, but $1.50 each......


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I probably should just buy some new ones. For a buck and a half it ain't worth messing with making one that is not the right material. I will put this project aside for a few days.
I still need to order those screws for the motor mounts. Thanks for info. I think I will also have problems with the holes in the lid that the wire comes up through. Everything is gummed up. Like a varnish.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> I probably should just buy some new ones. For a buck and a half it ain't worth messing with making one that is not the right material. I will put this project aside for a few days.
> I still need to order those screws for the motor mounts. Thanks for info. I think I will also have problems with the holes in the lid that the wire comes up through. Everything is gummed up. Like a varnish.


S319 screw for the chassis to boiler.. On those small screws on the top and bottom plates of the smoke unit, use a razor or a very fine flat bladed screw driver to clean out the slots on the top of the heads of the screw.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I did clean the slots of the screws with a razor blade. Those slots are not real deep.
And they were very tight. I got them out without screwing them up. Any ideas on the wire holes. I just looked at the lid again and I see no holes. All the wire in upper chamber 
has crumbled away. I can not tell where wire comes through. There is a little wire on
top side wrapped around the circle lug. I guess hole is somewhere around that circle lug.
Do you think I could use my smallest bit and drill new holes. Or is that going to mess up my puffing air.

Why in the world am I messing with 60 plus year old train engines. LOL. I think we
are gluttons for punishment.

Maybe I could drill new holes and after wire is in place use white glue or caulk around wire to seal hole.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> I did clean the slots of the screws with a razor blade. Those slots are not real deep.
> And they were very tight. I got them out without screwing them up. Any ideas on the wire holes. I just looked at the lid again and I see no holes. All the wire in upper chamber
> has crumbled away. I can not tell where wire comes through. There is a little wire on
> top side wrapped around the circle lug. I guess hole is somewhere around that circle lug.
> ...


There are indeed 2 small holes in the solder lugs. What I do is to heat up the solder lugs and when the solder starts to flow, I poke a tooth-pick in the hole and push out the molten solder. Sometimes you'll have to clean the underside of the top plate because the solder will bunch up on the underneath of the plate where the 2 holes are. Yo then thread the nichrome wire up through those 2 small holes, and wrap the wire around the solder lugs a few times. The wires coming from the field coil go into the holes you cleaned out.. The nichrome wire will not accept any solder so you have to surround the wire with solder..You see the tiny wire coming up through the solder lugs?


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Wire coming up through the solder lugs, that are now filled with solder.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Ok, I do see where the wire is. I have solder there that is covering the holes.
I will have to do the tooth pick trick. That should do it. Once again, thanks very much.
I did not realize the wire comes up through the center of the solder. Thanks, I will get it now. I did not know where the holes were.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Got both holes wide open and ready for wire. Jeez, what a stupid hole to run a wire through. I thought they had separate holes. I guess when they assemble smoke unit there is no solder there yet. Put it on my tab flyernut. I can't go any farther till I get my box. I think I will buy at least 4 of those. Hope they combine shipping.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> Got both holes wide open and ready for wire. Jeez, what a stupid hole to run a wire through. I thought they had separate holes. I guess when they assemble smoke unit there is no solder there yet. Put it on my tab flyernut. I can't go any farther till I get my box. I think I will buy at least 4 of those. Hope they combine shipping.


I'm sure they will combine shipping.. They will come un-folded and flat, so the shipping costs should only be a stamp, as far as I can tell.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Just got off the phone (it wasn't easy) with Jeff Kane at the Train Tender. What a
character. I bet we talked for 30 minutes. Not even about trains. LOL. He had 7 of
those smoke unit boxes left so I bought all 7. Also got some screws coming. Parts
cost is starting to mount on these old dogs. Oh well, going for a good cause.


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## dooper (Nov 9, 2015)

Why in the world am I messing with 60 plus year old train engines. LOL. I think we
are gluttons for punishment.

I think we do it for the challenge, besides it keeps our brain moving.


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