Last year I picked up the #21944 Celebrate a Lionel Christmas Set. Our club had a layout at a local museum for all of last Dec. The unit smoked, then stopped, then smoked again... Very inconsistent and I couldn't figure out why.
I have read some posts where these smoke units were opened up and rebuilt. However, there was no explanation of what was done. Any thoughts on what I might be able to do?
Thanks!
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If it is similar to the plastic PW units used in 746 etc. I use an x-acto knife to carefully cut/chip away whatever is used to seal the top to the bottom. Replace element [correct ohm for your engine?] and add wicking. I seal it back up with gasket sealer.
Chris
Jeff, for starters using the Lionel Premium smoke fluid makes a real improvement over the regular stuff.
I too, encountered an instance where this type of smoke unit was underperforming. If you look over the smoke unit, there is an air chamber with a sort of piston that goes in and out. This can all be easily snapped apart. Inside the air chamber, there's a spring. I stretched out the spring a little bit and put it all back together and the issue was solved.
You also want to check and make sure the side rod that engages the lever on the smoke unit (as the engine comes) is pushing that lever of the smoke unit properly. A slightly bend side rod can interfere with this. This is where stretching the spring assists in pushing that side rod back and getting a nice puff of smoke.
Lionel has also added a resistor to the more modern steamers with LionChief circuitry. When I've used these smoke units in an earlier made loco without the LionChief circuitry, I remove the resistor.
Opened it up and stretched the spring, basically no difference.
Put it on a roller base with a CW-80 and it smoked poorly at full throttle. It is what it is I guess!
Thanks!!
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