Blue or pink smoke ideas?

N5CJonny: I've rediscovered* my interest in the Pennsy and other Northeast railroads, as well as N&W, which the PRR had an interest in.  I currently enjoy watching the Virtual Railfan cams on the Strasburg Rail Road.  

Has your layout ever been featured in OGR?

* Got pretty much burned out on Colorado narrow gauge.  Too much Over Kill to suit me.  Of course, standard gauge #90 on the S R R is former Great Western of Colorado 2-10-0.  But that's another story...however, it's not THE Greatest Story Ever Told!

Item: I still love Psalm 23 the most!

@Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:

N5CJonny: ...Has your layout ever been featured in OGR?

Item: I still love Psalm 23 the most!

Unfortunately due to lack of room I am only able to have a very modest floor layout with minimal scenery. OGR would never be interested in my setup that is for sure!

My favorite is John 3:16

Back on topic- The use of the led is quite effective. Perhaps a combination of the led (blue or pink) plus the hidden colored spotlight might add to the effect since you lose the color as the smoke trails away from the smoke stack with just the led only.. 

Another idea is if you have a Lionel searchlight car, you could dye the bulb pink or blue and place that car just behind the steam engine and aim the spot light up toward the smoke. I don’t know how that would look but it is just a thought.

Thanks for all of the input! I’m thinking an LED in or near the stack might be enough to get the point across, just haven’t had much time to experiment with it yet...

Side note: it’s always nice to run into brothers in unexpected places! 

N5CJonny,

You bet!

OT Psalm 23

NT John 3:16

Re: Blue and Pink smoke ideas:

Why not put together a Boys or Girls Set instead? 

Since I haven't followed the Tin Plate Trail that close, have any builders offered affordable B&G sets in recent years...

...and what about colorful Gerber's Baby Food reefers?

Godspeed

Please Pray for World Peace.  Our children and their children's children deserve it!

A little later to the party here but, blue/pink food coloring? 

@Mike23 posted:

A little later to the party here but, blue/pink food coloring? 

As an Example, the MSDS for MTH Proto-Smoke, and Blue Food Coloring are about the same as far as safety.

The MTH is primarily White Mineral Oil.   The Blue Food Coloring is primarily Propylene-Gycol with Blue #2 added.   The viscosity of the food coloring is juts a little less than the Smoke Fluied.

While the Propylene is not normally soluble in mineral oil, you could make a test.

Get some MTH or Lionel Smoke fluid.   Get some standard blue food coloring liquid, ready made liquid.

Put 1 part food coloring to 2 to 3 parts smoke fluid in a test tube or good glass and shake/mix thoroughy

Then heat it from the bottom.    NO worries about fire... the flash point on food coloring is   little over 200 f

Flash point for MTH smoke is 260 f       Auto-ignition for both is around 600 degrees f

Anyway see if it work...  The food coloring is thin enough you won't clog anything if mixed sparingly.

Of course these are my thoughts only.   You inherit any risk in experimenting.

You also won't get colored smoke.

The LED light in the stack is the best idea.

Along with the colored LED smoke, you could have the engine pulling one of these.

We now know what color smoke I need... (not telling yet...)

Video should be up soon...

Well, I stuffed the appropriate color LED down the stack, and it was really disappointing... there was only a slight hint of color right at the stack, and it didn’t work with video... that approach just isn’t gonna do it, and it was the only one that seemed remotely plausible...

Colored “smoke” just ain’t gonna happen, so it’s back to the drawing board... I don’t have time to get one of the boxcars posted, so I’m thinking more along the lines of the train delivering an appropriately colored crate...

Here’s what we came up with...

What if you put the LED right above the smoke exhaust on the outside of the engine and turn the lights out?

Sorry, I could only find green LEDs.

Well congratulations! The box car was still cool!

Final update to this thread:

Meet Julianna! Mom and baby are doing well!

Congratulations!! Cutie!!

Congrats