The steam chest smoke effect on the Lionel S-3 is set up to operate for the first 15 seconds when the locomotive starts rolling, simulating the way it operates on the prototype. Smoke comes out of all four holes at once; it does not alternate between valves. The effect also operates manually by pushing 6 on the remote.
In practice, most owners have found that it is barely visible, due to a variety of bugs in the system or failure to put in enough smoke fluid or wait long enough for the fluid to reach the other side of the smoke chamber. Among other things, one owner has found kinks in the hose that transports the smoke from the smoke unit to the cylinders.
My S-3 seems to be with the majority in that the effect does work but doesn't produce much smoke. I've shut mine off until I can pull it apart and check the hoses. This will not be for quite a while, since removing the shell voids the warranty and if there is anything I do NOT want to do it is void the warranty on a complex Lionel locomotive. On the whole, I'd say this effect isn't ready for prime time.
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