How to improve a lionel smoking cabooses smoke output?

There are different types of smoke units. Which caboose (and number) do you have?

 

Larry

It's the caboose that comes with the ice cold express set.

It's the bnsf extended vision caboose

Wouldn't that be a function of how high your track voltage is?

I'm not sure, I have another smoking caboose and it smokes very well. It seems it's this one caboose not working right

Again, what is the caboose and number. There may be different smoke units in them; hard to tell without knowledge of what you have. Always reference what unit you have so a specific answer can be given.

 

Larry

6-27637 BNSF Extended Vision Caboose #31

You may have burned the batting if the smoke switch is on all the time. Repacking the smoke unit would help a lot. Getting to it to repack it will be a b%##@.

I've only turned it on twice and just a small amount of smoke comes out. It takes forever also.

This is the parts list of the 6-37837 caboose. No exploded view of the new Ice Cold Express caboose can be found to compare smoke units.

 

Larry

The owners' manual on page 22 shows how to adjust the smoke output using the Legacy remote. Have you tried that?

 

Larry

Thank you, I don't have legacy yet unfortunately.

In conventional mode, the caboose may not smoke that much due to lower track voltage than that used in command mode, where you have full track voltage at all times. Put the caboose on the track alone and turn the transformer power all the way up and see if the smoke output increases.

 

Larry

I installed an MTH HO fan driven smoke unit with a small regulated power supply in one for a guy, it put out plenty of smoke, more than any caboose I ever saw.  We had to turn the power down a bit to get a reasonable amount of smoke out of the unit.  The expensive part is the smoke unit, the variable voltage DC supply is only $3-4 and runs directly from track power.

 

Your caboose has a 62 ohm smoke resistor. Its not going to get very hot even at maximum track voltage. if you put a lower value resistor you may put out more smoke but you might also melt the caboose body. BTDT.

Some here have cabooses that aparemtly work well from the factory. i would try and find out what their part numbers are and then get one of those units for your car. If you do this apply some insulation between the smoke unit and caboose wall so you don't ruin it.

 

Pete

That's a good point you brought up possibly melting the body.  On my engine I notice the plastic gets very hot.  I haven't modified it at all and was wondering if that is normal?  I don't want the body to melt.  It's a lionel ac6000.

The bonus of the fan driven unit is that it doesn't get nearly as hot as the stock fanless ones, and there is no risk of cooking the shell.

 

Is there enough smoke fluid in it?

Or did you possibly over fill it?

Either instance could cause little to no smoke volume as well.

I put the amount that they say in the instructions.   I'm surprised my engine gets pretty hot even though it's fan driven.

I can hold the HO fan driven smoke in my fingers for an indefinite amount of time running at full output.  It doesn't get nearly as hot as the normal caboose units.

I have found the smoke units on these cabese are assembled poorly, sometimes the resistor isn't touching the batting at all. open it up and make sure the resistor is surrounded with batting and the batting is soaked.

Are there instructions on how to open it up?