Lionel Smoke fluid Loader/Use

I still have the original one. It still works great. One suggestion is to put near the front of your layout so you can line up the engine and the spout. Have fun with it.

Jim D.

I just received mine yesterday... I took it downstairs this morning.  I am having a problem getting the pump to move fluid...I didn't have a bunch of time before work.But I did try to get the pump into "drain mode" It ran for a second but will not run any longer in that configuration. It does burst still when in "run" mode. But still no fluid. I also took the liberty of using a straw and "gently" blowing into the reservoir and i have fluid at the end of the discharge nozzle so the pump is primed...Not sure why no fluid...????  I will look at it again tomorrow ..(I'm at work). 

A really quick iPhone video to demo for those who don't have one.  I primed mine the way Ernie suggested and so far it works great.  One question is how much fluid will the reservoir hold?  I don't want to overfill.  

Still playing with location and height adjustments.

Mike Reagan told me it will hold 8 ounces.

Those of you that bought one did you get a small funnel with it? I did not but big Mike had one at York for filling the tank and he said it should be in the packaging.

That, is a very neat piece Ernie

I have 10 legacy steamers and none have come with a funnel.  The mike reagon videos show a funnel is supposed to come with legacy engines but not for me and all my engines were new in the box.

Ernie, I received my smoke loader on Monday last week. I finally got a chance to add it to my railroad on Friday. The boom operates fine with my Cab 2 and my lcs app. I cannot get the pump to prime even after I discovered your post which suggested using the program switch I only let it run about thirty seconds. Don't know if that is enough or not. I put about 4 ounces of fluid in the tank. Also I noticed a three position switch on the top of the pump. Does its position matter? Thanks

Tom

Lionel2341 posted:

Hi Guys, As the original designer of the Smoke Loader I would be interested in how your using it.

Hint: best way to get the loader up and running the first time. Program the unit, then put Run/Program switch in program mode hold down the brake key to prime the pump, this will get you up and running fast. don't forget to put something under the spout as it will stream fluid. It's always best to start this way for a given Train running session.

Ernie

How long does it take? What is that switch inside?

Poor documentation...kind of a mystery product. Who wrote the manual?

The instructions also say you can secure the unit to the layout with the holes provided. Unless I am blind they are not there 

Ottawa Biker posted:

Ernie, I received my smoke loader on Monday last week. I finally got a chance to add it to my railroad on Friday. The boom operates fine with my Cab 2 and my lcs app. I cannot get the pump to prime even after I discovered your post which suggested using the program switch I only let it run about thirty seconds. Don't know if that is enough or not. I put about 4 ounces of fluid in the tank. Also I noticed a three position switch on the top of the pump. Does its position matter? Thanks

 

Tom

For the first time I decided to try the Smoke Fluid Loader out to see if it pumped fluid since your's obviously does not. I put 2 oz of fluid, a whole bottle of Lionel Premium Smoke Fluid in it and cannot get it to pump any out. I tried the streaming method with the Prog/Run switch in Prog and clearly hear the pump running fast, but nothing comes out. So then I put a piece of windshield washer hose on the output stem and sucked while running the pump and got a mouth full of Smoke Fluid. So I put the arm back on and ran the "streaming in Prog mode" again for a minute and still nothing. Surely it's primed now since I brought the fluid all the way out of the stem coming out of the roof. The pump just does not pump but obviously the fluid is able to come thru the pipes if I suck on it.

Are there pump seals that need to soak up fluid...? Kind of frustrating, eh?

AH HA! I SEE WHAT IS WRONG! I sucked gently and brought some bubbles and fluid up the transparent hoses inside the little house. Then I ran the pump and the pump sucked the fluid and tiny bubbles back down. The hoses are clearly hooked up backwards or is that something with the inside switch?

IT'S THE INSIDE SWITCH which has to be switched AWAY from the OUTSIDE WALL so the pump will suck fluid out of the tank instead of running it back into the tank. I think the pump switch is switched toward the inside of the house for pumping fluid, in the middle position probably for off, and toward the outside wall for back pumping.

Anyway it works now...after I rewrote the manual.

BTW, the switch on mine came in the wrong position from new.

cjack posted:

IT'S THE INSIDE SWITCH which has to be switched AWAY from the OUTSIDE WALL so the pump will suck fluid out of the tank instead of running it back into the tank. I think the pump switch is switched toward the inside of the house for pumping fluid, in the middle position probably for off, and toward the outside wall for back pumping.

Anyway it works now...after I rewrote the manual.

BTW, the switch on mine came in the wrong position from new.

Well that will be handy information....  I hadn't actually powered mine up yet, but I will check for what you describe.

Sorry to hear about the mouth full of smoke fluid - ick..... !!!  Thanks for warning the rest of us!

-Dave

Surprised the switch is being shipped in the wrong position, it should be to the right with the front doors facing you.

Switch positions are as follows,  reverse-off-forward from left to right. I'm surprised this is not mentioned in the manual.

Ernie

Lionel2341 posted:

Surprised the switch is being shipped in the wrong position, it should be to the right with the front doors facing you.

Switch positions are as follows,  reverse-off-forward from left to right. I'm surprised this is not mentioned in the manual.

Ernie

Thanks, I like it, that's a better description of the switch than mine. I looked fairly carefully in the manual for the switch but it's not in there that I found. I penciled it in mine. I also labeled the switch in the unit. That would have been satisfory if not in the manual. I have found Lionel manuals to be somewhat lacking in technical details...kind of like "No user serviceable items inside". The switch is kind of inside.

There are drawings of wires instead of schematics in many accessory manuals. I personally think that that plays to dumbing down the customer base. I also think that the interest in how it works and how to personalize a product increases the customer base and interest.

Mi me finally worked when I accidentally pushed down on the piping coming out of the tank. It was just too high to pick up fluid

Tom

Ah Oh! Trouble at the fueling station! Tubing broke at the pump from the boom feed-(hazmat not to pleased,fuel on the ground). Called Megan@ Lionel,. still brokering a solution.  Let you know if/when I hear.

Hard plastic tubing? A barb fitting? Cracked soft tube? A photo?

The cat is curious, I have to ask  ..