# Smoke Conversion 2026



## Mk10 (Jan 1, 2014)

I performed several searches, and wasn't able to find anything, and apologize if I missed an existing thread that addresses this.

I am wanting to pick up an engine on the cheap, to give to my daughter to replace her Lionel Circus Train (1990?) engine.

After growing up around me, the plastic 4-4-O can-motored General-style locomotive just ain't cuttin' the mustard for her tastes anymore. It was fun when she was little, but now that she's 30, is in her first house with her husband, and like we all are prone to do, has gone about re-creating pleasurable scenes from our childhoods, especially around Christmas-time, the Little General is leaving a lot of joy-buttons left un-pushed. 

As a matter of fact, at this writing, her tree is still up, sitting on top of our old Christmas Train Board I built years ago that I gave her this past Christmas, and she's still running the train for her friend's kids, herself, her husband, and one of her cats who sits on the 'board for hours, staring at the train.

Good girl, sweetie! Who's Daddy's little Lionel girl? YOU are! I love you honey! Mwah!

I looked into seeing what it would take to make the meek Little General smoke with authority, and am afraid from what I've found (especially after talking to Lionel - yes, they actually have some people answering phones that are familiar with their products again), the plastic body and smokestack just aren't up to the task of handling a juiced-up circuit for the smoke unit. 

So...2026's seem to be in ready supply at good prices, but she's of course sold on smoking engines, from watching me run trains growing up.

Who's Daddy's little Joshua "Lauren" Cowen? 

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience in smoke conversion for non-smoking postwar engines like the 2026. Especially the 2026.

I'm not looking for, "Uh...yeah...it's not worth it. Just spend the money and get a smoking engine." If it's possible, yes it is. My Greenberg's Operating Manual is so shop-worn it doesn't have a cover anymore, or a back, and falls open rather easily and stays put where it opens.

I really need to get a hardback copy, but then I'd feel guilty turning pages with "Lionel-brand 'Aged Grease'" on my fingers. 

I also have to live on an SSDI check. Try it. It's fun! (Not.)

Time, a soldering iron, patience, and "touch" I've got. Money...not so much.

If it's impossible and simply wouldn't work, that's one thing. If some money in parts and a boat-load of time can make it work, I've got a little money to spend on the needed parts like the lever assembly, smoke unit, etc., and I've got the time, tools, and patience. For a lot of people today, that seems to be an integral part of the "worth" they assess when they say "it's just not worth it."

I truly appreciate anyone's thoughts, and thank anyone with Words of Wisdom in advance.

Mk10/Chris


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If you really want smoke, fan driven smoke is the way to go.


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## carinofranco (Aug 1, 2012)

I thought all 2026s had smoke unless the smoke unit is missing or broken. Or are you talking about conversion from the pellet type to liquid smoke unit?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## Mk10 (Jan 1, 2014)

*Good Lord. Thanks for the responses. I meant to put in "2016"*

Thanks for the replies franco and 'runner. :stroke:

What an idiot. hwell: I meant, "2016." Doh! :hah:

I had a 2037 for a little bit. My first Lionel engine was a (and still is) nice little 675, so as far as postwar steamers, I tend to always have the movement of a well-lubricated, nickel-driver 675. So...I'm a little "pre-disposed" when I just steam engines, because I'm used to (when I had a layout) cutting the ZW, and watching it roll for a bit. S-m-o-o-o-t-h.

Once I got the 2037 I had for a bit lubricated, it moved down the 'rails okay. Same for a cherry 2055 I had, but it was just annoying. It worked fine, magna-tracted and smoked its way around, but it performed like a robot. Didn't draw too much, would pull anything, but with an almost Germanic, pragmatic, and regimented way.

If I had the ability right now, I'd just find a 675 on eBay, and give her that. I see them going way over $100, not including shipping, and then under that they've been selling for under $1000, but a lot of them would need all new side-rod assemblies, boiler-front, you'd probably do a smoke unit replacement/conversion while you're in there, etc. 

I've got an airbrush and can do enamels, but some of the bodies are so pitted...well I guess I could use that British putty I got for the toy cars...

But, It's not for me, it's for her. I don't think it'd be bad for her to have one without handrails, that way her friends' kids can pick it up and get used to the heft like they used to be able do. And I'm not sure nickel-rim drivers would be something she'd notice, much less appreciate. 

And ...she doesn't need fluid, dreamy, perfection in her trains' mechanical interaction like I seem to have ingrained in my unconscious.

But...she wants it to smoke.

I'd like to take a minute and say thanks for the visual John. I started thinking about a 2000 series Lionel steam engine with one of those four-burner forced-fan smoke units like they had in the early 80's S-2 engine. <Butt-Head voice> Huht-Huh, Huh-huh...that was cool. Thanks John! Can you imagine what it'd be like in person in that video? Wow! 

She wasn't really a fan of the anemic little smoke output from the Circus Train General 4-4-0, with the plastic construction/especially the plastic smokestack, but I think I'd probably kill her with a smoke unit like your video there. I thought I saw that it is actually powered by a little, atomic generator. "Tom Swift's Atomic Toy Train."

Wow. Where was I?

So, yeah...that's why I was thinking a 2037-ish locomotive would do, and then I saw that the 2016's were made without smoke units for the most part.

If I could find one cheap, then get a WX tender that needs work to go with it, I'd probably be able to give her a nice, good-running train that she could run pretty hard and not worry about it (I've told her above the drop of oil every now and again), at least with me checking it overall so it's not like, 3-4 hours solid, that would smoke, for a decent price.

Hence, I was wondering what it was like to install a smoke unit in an engine that wasn't made with one. Of course the more than I read about it, it seems like I might be able to look at the exploded diagram of the '37 or one of those and the '16, and see what's-what.

Sorry for throwing you a curve with my mistake there franco. And thanks for the visuals, john!

Any of you all ever heard'tell of anyone putting a smoke unit "system" (guess you need the puffer/rod assembly too...) in a postwar locomotive that didn't come with one?

Thanks again for any input.

Mk10/Chris

:dunno:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't see why you couldn't put fan driven smoke into a locomotive that doesn't come with it, all you need is enough space for the smoke unit. If you are doing post-war with no sound board, synchronized smoke is a non-issue, so you just need to add a chuff switch somewhere to run the fan to get the puffing smoke. There are some pretty small smoke units that might fit in most of them.

Here's a couple of smoke units I've used in the past.


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## mikek (Dec 29, 2013)

I wonder if the new vapor cigarettes could be used to make 'smoke' for locos? Wouldn't need the battery, tap track power, wouldn't need the flavor part, just the atomoizer unit and a reservoir of distilled water. Maybe they use water to flush out the things, after a lot of use. All that's left is the puff device, apparently those are available. Having that synchronized with loco speed would be tops.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Do you really want water in your locomotive? You think smoke residue is bad, wait until the rust and corrosion sets in. 

I've heard of several people trying water with the guts of a humidifier. There's a club that hits the local shows that has an atomic power plant with a cooling tower, he put the guts of an ultrasonic humidifier in it, looks great with clouds of steam coming out of the tower.


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