Have a 2002 Lionel Blue Comet, did the modification Lionel recommended a few years ago. The unit puts out a good amount of smoke but about only about 60% goes up the stack, the balance wafts out under the boiler. The screws on the fan unit are tight, the gasket is in place and the fan seems to run properly. Seems like the fan is not pushing the smoke out of the stack fast enough. Suggestions deeply appreciated.
Monte
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I would say the boiler has not been reattached directly over the smoke unit. Any slight misalignment will allow smoke to escape under the boiler.
Rod Miller
I'm pretty sure Rod is right. Many Lionel locomotives used a felt washer between the smoke unit ferrule and the boiler casting to act as a gasket. Check to see if your engine has one or needs one.
There is no felt gasket, the boiler is on straight. Looks like I need to get the felt gasket. Thanks again for sharing your insight.
Monte
Of course, it may be the fan really isn't pushing the smoke out fast enough. There are no fiber washers in the parts breakdown.
Is this one of the models with the fan wired backwards?
Took the boiler off the engine late last night, the smoke column tilts about 5-7 degrees forward upon leaving the smoke generator. When the boiler is replaced 50% or more of the column does not go up the stack, it wafts out the sides of the boiler. Is there a way to alter the smoke unit so the smoke column rises vertically, or do I need a new unit? Thanks for any ideas.
Monte
Pretty hard to fix that, the fan is at the rear, so that's the natural airflow. You might try repositioning the resistor, but I don't know how effective that will be.
That is not your problem as many smoke units do that. Something else is going on, if the smoke fan isn't pushing it out at a good clip, I'd replace the fan motor.
We're you having this problem before you did the modification??
If not, there's probably something amiss that you may not realize.
Is there too much wicking??and /or is it blocking the outlet or the opening for the fan?
Secondly, the only way to know if the outlet is lined up correctly with the stack is to shine a flashlight down the stack and take a look.
There are locos (my scale Berkshire comes to mind) that will go together just fine even though the stack is misaligned with the smoke outlet.
In the case of the scale Berkshire the front of the boiler needs to be lowered onto the chassis first in order to get the two openings to line up. This may not be the case with your blue comet. Just an example of how it may be a bit more tedious than it seems getting things back in the right place during reassembly.
I have the lionel berk and to get the stack to line up right loosen the front boiler to frame screw and then looking down the stack move the frame sideways until you see the stack and then hold the boiler down and move it so it moves the stack so the boiler will settle down correctly on the frame. Then hold the two together and screw the boiler tight to the frame.
The stack was slightly out of alignment with the boiler, thank you all for your help and ideas.
Monte
There should be a brass "pem" (machined brass collar pressed into the smoke unit PCB) which fits around the bottom shoulder of the smoke stack, the two interconnect. If the engine is from 2002, then it should be a 610-8057-200, which means the die cast bowl is a one piece casting. If you have a 2pc casting then the rubber gasket between the fan casting and smoke bowl casting needs replaced. If you truly have an 8057 unit, then the gasket is the issue (if smoke is coming out of the sides of the boiler). If you are unable to figure it out let me know and I'll have a look. Drop me an email at mreagan@twtrainworx.com
Thank you,
Mike
Mike,
Once I got the boiler aligned the smoke stopped coming out the sides, it is a one piece casting.
Monte
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